Usually I just toss the apples with sugar, but this method calls for actually cooking down the sugar into caramel and then adding a bit of apple juice and apple slices to the caramel to cook down further before baking. I always precook the apples before baking anyway, and the caramelized sugar gives the pie an amazing flavor!
This recipe is an altered, short-cut version of a recipe from the Metropolitan Bakery Cookbook. Their recipe calls for a few things like heavy cream and brandy, and is much richer.
Caramelized Apple Pie
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
8-10 tart apples, cored and sliced
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup apple juice
1 Tbsp lemon juice (optional)
Chilled pastry, enough for a pie top and bottom
Cook the sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat until it turns light brown (about 5 minutes). Do not stir while doing this but occasionally swill the saucepan to ensure that the sugar is cooking evenly in the pan. When the sugar begins to caramelize, add the sliced apples and the apple juice. Stir well to re-melt the caramel and coat all the apples. Cook until the liquid is slightly reduced and sprinkle on the cinnamon. Keep cooking (and stirring, to ensure that all the apples soften) until the liquid has thickened but before the apples overcook and fall apart.
Fill a pastry shell with this delicious apple mess and roll out a rectangle with the pastry dough for the pie's lid. I use a metal spatula to score the pastry into strips and lay them across the pie, first horizontally, and then at a 45 degree angle to make lattice.
I always think of Snow White when I make latticed pastry, and however did she train those wild bluebirds to help her in the kitchen??
**Optionally you may egg wash the pastry and sprinkle granulated sugar over top before baking.
Bake at 350 until the pastry is a beautiful golden brown. After removing from the oven, let the pie set for ten to fifteen minutes before cutting into pieces and devouring with a dollop of whipped cream.
Happy Thanksgiving!
I am thankful that both of my sweet milking goats are pregnant! Barney the stud has done his job and moved on to another farm. The milk supply is starting to wane and will not return again until the babies are born in March.
I'll be posting again tomorrow to participate in the World Blog Hop put on by the blogger True Blue Canadian.
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