Friday, August 21, 2015

SALTED CARAMEL Apple Pie - BEST APPLE PIE EVER! - 52 Church PotLuck Dishes Catering Cakes and Pies

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It's still the middle of August, but just the other night we slept with the windows open and an extra blanket on the bed.  Lows got into the low 50;s and there was a nip in the air.  Almost Fall...

Almost time for APPLE PIES!!!

And I do love apple pies!  But I also recall days of yore (50 years of yore) when Maurie's of Pekin Illinois  (local card shop, comic book store, book store PLUS an AMAZING selection of hand made candies) featured Caramel Apples for a limited time during the fall.  I just did a quick google search and was excited to see that Maurie's was not only still in business, but still had that amazing candy counter!  Once again, slapped in the face with nostalgia!  They even featured a photo of the process... same 50 year old kitchen I remember.  And except for the big copper pot gives me hope of one day trying to replicate the culinary nostalgia... But I digress.


My Days of Yore fondest memories were of the rare occasions when I could get my hands on one of their taffy apples... Thick layers of caramel around some of the biggest and best apples of the season.  What a treat!

Well, this pie comes close.  LOADED with caramel sauce inside wrapped around wonderfully seasoned apples.  Then comes the modern(?) addition of Sea Salt to bring out the flavor even more!

This recipe makes two pies, or do as I like to do and bake the "Pies" as one large casserole dish.  Works perfect and is easier to serve.  I have added this to my catering menu plus taken these to more than one Church PotLuck style event.

I have even just loaded a tray up and taken this to a FootBall Tailgating event.  I was grilling.  When the coals were done cooking the meat I simply plopped the already cooked and cooled casserole dish on the grill the cooling coals were still hot enough to heat the pie just enough.  This was a HUGE hit at the tailgate!  Of course would have been just as good cold, but I imagine I will be taking and serving this warm in colder football weather.

Just can not recommend this enough... in fact, in my  opinion, this is indeed the

WORLD's BEST APPLE PIE!



 OK... Here's what I did...


Salted Caramel Apple Pie - WORLD's BEST 

APPLE PIE



Ingredients
  • FOR THE PIE CRUST
  • Use your favorite (2 Crust) Butter Pie Crust recipe (Divided, save 1/4 for decoration)
  • FOR THE SALTED CARAMEL
  • 2 Cups White Sugar
  • 1/2 Cup Water
  • 2 Sticks (1 Cup) Butter
  • 1 CUp Heavy Whipping Cream
  • 3 tsp Coarse Sea Salt
  • FOR THE APPLE PIE FILLING
  • Zest and Juice from 6 Medium Lemons
  • 12 Medium to large Apples
  • 2/3 Cup Sugar in the Raw (Can use Brown Sugar)
  • 1/4 Cup Flour
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1 tsp Allspice
  • 1 tsp Nutmeg
  • Optional - Several Dashes Angostura Bitters
  • FOR THE ASSEMBLY
  • 1 Large Egg (Beaten)
  • Raw Sugar for sprinkling on top
  • Additional Coarse Ground Sea Salt for sprinkling on top
Cooking Directions
  1. FOR THE PIE CRUST...
  2. Prepare your pie crust recipe (Use THIS ONE if you don't have a favorite). Cut about 1/4th off and save for the accent topping.
  3. Roll the crust flat in a rectangular shape (use plenty of flour so nothing sticks to the rolling pin or mat). Prepare a large 9X13 Casserole dish (Spray). Transfer the pie crust to the Casserole Dish. Press to evenly distribute. across bottom. No need to worry about the sides.
  4. FOR THE SALTED CARAMEL
  5. Cook the sugar and water together over low heat until just dissolved. Add the butter and bring to a slow boil. Continue cooking at a low boil until the mixture turns a deep, golden brown color, almost copper.... This process can take awhile depending on the heat source (mine took 45 minutes). Keep an eye on it, keep stirring every couple of minutes. If the caramel begins to smoke, you've burned it and you'll have to start over. You will feel like it never turns, but it will.
  6. Once the mixture has turned a copper color, remove it from the heat and immediately add the heavy cream - the mixture will bubble rapidly and steam - be cautious as the sugar will be very hot. Whisk the final mixture together well over low heat and sprinkle in the sea salt. Set the caramel aside while you prepare the apple filling.
  7. FOR THE PIE FILLING
  8. Zest and Juice the lemons into a large mixing bowl.
  9. Core, peel, and thinly slice the apples.
  10. Dredge all the apple slices in the freshly squeezed lemon juice to prevent browning and to add flavor. Set the prepared apples aside.
  11. Next, In a large measuring cup or small mixing bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and Angostura bitters. Sprinkle this mixture over the apples in the mixing bowl. Use your hands to gently mix and coat the apple slices.
  12. TO ASSEMBLE THE PIE
  13. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  14. 1/3 of the apples in the bottom of the crust so that there are minimal gaps. Pour 1/3 of the caramel over the apples. Add 1/3 of the apples and caramel for a second layer, and then add a third layer of apples, and then the caramel again.
  15. Roll out the remaining pie dough. Use your favorite decorative cookie cutter and cut out 12 medium large shapes. Arrange these on top of the apples. Brush with the egg wash, sprinkle mix of Salt and Sugar on the shapes.
  16. Bake the pie on a baking sheet bigger than the dish. The caramel will bubble up and spill over and burn on the bottom of your oven. Bake at the high 400 degree temperature for 20 minutes. THEN REDUCE THE TEMPERATURE to 325 and bake for an additional 40 minutes.
  17. Let pie cool for 20 minutes before slicing. Serve warm with fresh whipped cream or Ice Cream and ENJOY!

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This simple recipe has been added to my growing list of "52 Cakes and Pies at Home"!

These are the desserts you make for your family.  No fancy amazing wedding cakes, just the rustic beauty of the classics.  From pumpkin pie to cheesecakes to layer cakes, these are what your family craves for dessert.  You may even see a few unusual crusts and frosting ideas to try.

You get the idea. These recipes are simple, delicious and will have your family wanting dessert first...

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This recipe has been added to my growing list of "52 Church PotLuck Dishes"!

A list of something NEW worthy of being shown off at a neighborhood BYODish (Bring Your Own Dish) Party, a Family special occasion dinner, Any Big Holiday Gathering or of course that glorious day when you bring a dish to share with your Church family...

Ages ago, literally almost a half century ago I was listening to our pastor talking about a PotLuck Dinner. It happened to be scheduled around a church work day when we were expected to weed, polish and do general cleaning and maintenance around the church (you know, back in the day when there were no no-wax floors and church pews smelled of Old English furniture polish). I am of course paraphrasing, but as I recall the pastor said,

"A potluck, like a church requires work. At a potluck everyone is expected to contribute.. At a church no one should come empty handed and no one should leave unfed".
I will confess that in my youth I brought more store bought plastic spoons and forks than I ever brought covered dishes and crock pots of fresh made love and caring delights. But now that I have become a hobbyist cook, I occasionally am reminded of those days and people from my youth. I reminded and I do wish that I could drop a dish of some new creation on those old tables at my fondly remembered Liberty Baptist Church.  Tables covered with newspapers and loaded with God's bounty prepared with love and caring... Enjoy

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