Nothing says fall like apple pie. This “pie” is actually a rustic apple tart, to which we’re adding homemade salted caramel sauce. The pie dough and the caramel sauce can be made in advance.
Pie Dough:
2½ C All Purpose Flour
1 teas Salt
1 teas Sugar
1 C Cold Butter (2 sticks – refrigerate but don’t freeze) (You can use lard, or Crisco, or a combo, but make sure it’s cold!)
6 Tbsp Cold Water (you may need a little more)
1 Tbsp Vinegar or Fresh Lemon Juice
- Place flour, salt and sugar in a bowl and toss lightly to mix.
- Cut your cold butter into ½” cubes and add to flour.
- Using your hands, a fork or a pastry cutter, gently work the butter into the flour until it loosely resembles couscous. (If you “run warm” don’t use your hands. You want to keep the butter cold.)
- Add vinegar (or lemon juice) to water and then pour into flour/butter mixture.
- Using your hands or a wooden spoon, mix together very gently until you form a ball. Avoid overmixing – as soon as all the flour and water are mixed, stop!
Pie dough can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the fridge, or even frozen. Allow to come to room temperature before rolling.
Caramel Sauce
(If you don’t like or don’t want the salt, just leave it out.)
1 C Granulated Sugar
6 Tbsp Butter (you may use either salted or unsalted, depending on your preference)
Cut the butter into 6-8 slices.
½ C Heavy Cream
1 tsp Salt
Place the sugar in a medium stainless steel (or copper) sauce pan and place over medium heat.
Stir occasionally, but keep a very close eye on the sugar. As it begins to melt, stir more frequently. (The sugar will clump together, but it will melt as it cooks.)
As soon as the sugar is melted and amber colored, add the butter. (Be careful – it will sizzle a lot!)
You may have to whisk the butter in if it appears to separate from the sugar.
As soon as the butter has melted, SLOWLY add the cream. This, too, will sizzle a lot and bubble up because you’re adding cold to hot. Allow this to boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat.
Add the salt, if you want it, at this point, and set aside to cool. The sauce will thicken nicely as it cools, and can be warmed up for serving.
This can be stored in the fridge in a sealed container for up to a month. If it lasts that long.
Apple Filling
3 ea Large Apples, peeled, cored and sliced
¼ C Brown Sugar
1 ½ T Flour
2 teasp Lemon Juice
1 ½ teasp Apple Pie Spice Blend (Gryffon Ridge)
(or 1 teasp Cinnamon, ¼ teasp nutmeg, 1/3 teasp each Cloves and Mace)
Procedure
Mix up your pie crust and refrigerate while you make the caramel sauce.
Make a batch of caramel sauce and allow to cool.
Prepare your apple filling.
Preheat your oven to 375F.
Line a sheet pan with a silicone sheet or a piece of parchment.
Roll out your dough to about a ¼” thick, and about 12-14” in diameter. (It doesn’t need to be an exact circle.) Trim the edges if you want to have a cleaner, less rustic look.
Gently transfer the dough to the sheet pan.
Lay the sliced apples on the center of the dough, leaving about 2-3” border. (Do not use any of the juices from the apples that may have seeped out into the bowl.)
Gently fold the edges of the dough up around the apples and press down – you will have to make some pleats here and there.
Drizzle 3 Tbsps of the caramel sauce over the apples (but not onto the crust.)
Brush the crust with eggwash or a little milk, if desired. Sprinkle with granulated sugar.
Bake about 40-50 minutes, until filling is bubbly and crust is golden brown.
Allow to cool before serving – serve with more of the sauce – and don’t forget the ice cream!
It’s also time to play Fall for Bath Bingo! Download your board and learn more on Main Street Bath’s website.