I Am Thankful for Salted Caramel Apple Pie
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 tbsp sugar
- 2 sticks (16 tbsp) unsalted butter chilled*
- 1 cup ice water
- 2/3 c heavy cream
- 3 lbs apples peeled and thinly sliced
- 1/4 c sugar
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup caramel sauce
- 2 tsp fleur du sel
- turbinado sugar (optional)
- Carbohydrate 501.24296668224 g
- Cholesterol 200.066666805154 mg
- Fat 63.6867167042647 g
- Fiber 7.05206647632399 g
- Protein 8.13934333603701 g
- Saturated Fat 38.3429616900034 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (2453g)
- Sodium 19950.2260507668 mg
- Sugar 494.190900205916 g
- Trans Fat 5.51717233535398 g
- Calories 2507 calories
Step-by-step
- Place the sugar in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan over medium low heat and cover until the sugar melts, gently swirling the pan occasionally to ensure even melting.
- Since this is a dry-method caramel, the melted sugar will immediately show a rich brown color, so watch it carefully. It will burn quickly after the sugar has melted.
- Once all the sugar has melted, remove from the heat and slowly pour in the heavy cream, whisking constantly to incorporate. Be careful as the sugar will bubble and the pan is very hot!
- If lumps appear, return the pan to the burner over low heat and stir constantly until they dissolve.
- Transfer the caramel to a glass dish or jar for storage. Allow it to come to room temperature before refrigerating. This caramel will harden in the refrigerator, so you will need to microwave it a few seconds to soften before using if not using immediately.
- Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Cut the chilled butter into 1 tbsp-sized squares
- Using a pastry cutter or a food processor, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it's at pea-sized chunks. Don't over-mix, you'll warm the butter! It must stay very very very cold.
- Pour in about ¼ cup of your ice water (not the ice), and mix with a spatula. Slowly add more water, about a tbsp at a time, until your dough just comes together.
- Knead briefly with your hands to create a ball. Then split the ball in two, wrap each half in plastic wrap and refrigerate while you prepare your filling.
- If you haven't already peeled, cored, and thinly sliced your apples, do so now. I usually use a mix of tart and medium sweet firm apples to provide variety in flavor.
- Mix the apple slices with the sugar and cinnamon, set aside.
- Take one of your pie crust discs out of the refrigerator, unwrap, and place on a lightly floured surface.
- Lightly flour your rolling pin, and starting from the center of the disc and working out, roll the crust to about 12" in diameter (for a 9" pie dish). Roll in one direction only, rotating the crust as needed. Work quickly to keep it cold.
- Carefully transfer the crust to your pie plate and gently guide it to fit into the corners. Don't pull.
- Add your filling to the pie dish and spread evenly. If your filling goes above the edge of the dish, mound the extra in the middle. ??
- Pour your caramel over the apples, then sprinkle on your fleur du sel.
- Roll out the second pie crust in the same manner as the first. If cutting into a lattice, do so. I just used some mini leaf cookie cutters I had to add vents.
- Place the pie in the refrigerator.**
- Preheat the oven to 400 F.
- Whisk an egg with 1 tbsp water and brush over the pie crust. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar if desired.
- Place the pie on a baking sheet and put in the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 10 minutes at 400, then without opening the door, lower the temperature to 350 and bake an additional 40-45 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool at least 2 hours before cutting and serving.
Removing dry sugar from heat the instant it liquefies into a rich brown syrup prevents scorching, as caramel burns rapidly past its melting point. Achieving a flaky pastry relies entirely on keeping the butter solid; cutting chilled fat into pea-sized pieces ensures steam pockets form during baking, creating distinct layers instead of a dense crumb. Mixing tart and sweet apples together balances moisture levels inside the crust, preventing excess liquid from dissolving the bottom pastry layer before it bakes.
- Keep butter at refrigerator temperatures throughout mixing; warming the fat ruins flaky texture by melting it into the flour before baking.
- Roll pastry dough from the center outward in a single direction to maintain uniform thickness across the entire twelve-inch circle.
- Bake the pie at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for ten minutes initially to set the crust before lowering the heat to 350 for the remainder of the cooking time.
- Substitute regular granulated sugar with brown sugar in the filling, though expect a denser texture and deeper molasses flavor profile.
- Allow the baked pie to cool for at least two hours so the filling and caramel thicken fully before slicing.
Proper cooling solidifies the interior starches and sugars so the slices hold their shape. Storing the homemade caramel in a glass jar permits easy reheating in the microwave for a few seconds when extra sauce is needed.
