Deep Dish Caramel Apple Pie

Deep Dish Caramel Apple Pie

(Apple prep: approx 1 hour/Caramel sauce prep: zero (store bought) to 20 min + cooling time if making/Pie dough prep: approx 15 min from start to fridge/Non-active prep time: approx 1 & 1/2 hours/Dough rolling , assembly and egg washprep time: approx 10 min/bake time: approx 1 hr 25 min/Cool time: No less than 2 hours)


Pie Filling Ingredients

5 Lbs of your favorite (except Granny Smith) apples, cored, peeled and 

sliced about 1/4 thick. *I used Winesap apples.

1 & 1/2 sticks of unsalted, sweet cream butter

1/2 C packed dark brown sugar

1/2 C granulated sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp kosher salt

1 C of your favorite caramel sauce or if you want to make your own, I recommend:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/caramel-sauce-recipe/index.html

Cornstarch for thickening

Pie Crust Recipe

4 C all purpose flour

1 tsp kosher salt

3 TBS granulated sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 & 3/4 sticks of cubed unsalted sweet cream butter

(after cubing, place in freezer until ready to use)

1/2 C of chilled butter flavored shortening 

1/2 C + 2TBS iced water

~In a 5 quart chef's pan or very large skillet, melt 1 & 1/2 sticks of butter on a 

low heat setting.

~Add apple slices, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon and kosher salt.

~Mix until the apples are well coated with the ingredients, being careful 

not to break the apple slices apart.

~Raise heat between the low and medium setting and continue to cook

until a good amount of liquid develops (about 10 -15 minutes), stirring occasionally.

~Carefully drain the liquid into a large bowl.

~Whisk in cornstarch to thicken (about 2 heaping TBS)

~Add thickened sauce back to apples along with 1/2 C of caramel sauce.

~Lower heat and continue to cook for 5 more minutes.

~ Transfer caramel apples to a covered container to cool  (1 hour).

~Place container in refrigerator to finish cooling for 2 more hours.

While the caramel apples are cooling it's time to make the pie crust...

~Add flour, salt, granulated sugar and cinnamon to the bowl of a full size

food processor with a steel blade in place and secure cover.

~Pulse 10-12 times until combined.

~Remove butter from freezer and add to the flour.

~Remove butter flavored shortening from refrigerator and add as well.

~Secure cover of food processor and pulse until the butter and the

shortening make the flour look crumbly (12 or so pulses)

~Turn the food processor to ON and slowly pour the iced water down the feed tube

until a dough ball forms. Be careful not to over process or you'll have a tough crust.

~Turn dough out on to a floured surface ands form into a ball.

~Tightly cover dough ball with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-1 & 1/2 hours.

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees with the rack in the center.

~Remove dough and pie filling from the refrigerator.

~On a floured surface, divide dough almost in 1/2.

~With a floured rolling pin, roll the larger portion out into a 14" circle about 1/4" thick.

~Dust top of dough lightly with flour and carefully roll around rolling pin.

~Evenly unroll dough into a large pie dish that has been lightly sprayed with

a non-stick baking spray (or very lightly buttered).

~Place pie filling on top of bottom dough, higher in the center and tapering 

slightly down to the edges.

~Roll the remaining dough out on a floured surface into a 12" circle about 1/4" thick.

~Dust top of dough lightly with flour and carefully roll around rolling pin.

~Evenly roll out top layer of dough over the pie.

~Trim any excess dough hanging over pie dish to 1".

~Roll edges of dough up so they sit just inside pie dish.

~Press around the edges with your fingers to make a scalloped pattern.

~Brush with egg mixture (i beaten egg & 1 TBS milk).

~Place several slits in the top crust to vent.

~Bake for 1 hour and 25 minutes, placing a sheet of aluminum foil over pie to prevent

the top from becoming too dark (right around the 1 hour mark).

~Allow to cool several hours before cutting.

*Serve with a good quality vanilla bean ice cream 
and drizzle remaining caramel sauce over the top.