Caramel Apple Pie

All the flavor of a caramel apple, minus the mess - this pie is SO good.  The basic idea is to nestle the apples in a pie shell, add a lattice top, then pour a rich creamy caramel sauce over the top.  The caramel seeps down into the apples  - tenderizing them.  The lattice top is coated with caramel too.

A week ago, when the weather was still “fall-ish” - I felt my annual craving for apple pie begin.  The leaves had turned a beautiful red & gold, and I had a sack of Jonathan apples from my sister-in-law Nancy just waiting to fulfill their purpose.

This pie has been called everything from Caramel Pie, to Grandma Ople’s Apple Pie.  It has all kinds of variations, but I decided to use the same caramel sauce and put it together my own way.  I learned a few things I'll try next time I make this.

It really did turn out perfect - so delicious.  All the recipe variations out there don’t call for cinnamon - so I tossed my apples in a bit of cinnamon before turning them into the pie crust.  

Making a standard lattice crust is not worth the bother for me, so I used a handy-dandy kitchen tool called a lattice dough cutter.  It’s basically a roller with a pattern of cuts that are offset in a way that the pastry becomes a stretchy, airy lattice.  Kind of reminds me of fishnet stockings?  If you use such a tool, be sure to keep your crust cold and roll it a little thicker than normal so it won’t shred as you place it.  The only problem was I didn’t apply quite enough pressure to make the cuts go all the way through - but it still turned out well.

The caramel poured over the top was fantastic, but after - I wished I had poured about 2/3’s of it over the apples before placing the lattice on top.  Then pouring the remaining 1/3 over the top after would have contained the caramel a little better.  That would allow the caramel to seep all the way through the apples - clear to the bottom crust.  That’s my plan next time.

Be sure to place the pie on a baking sheet, just in case the caramel decides to overflow rather than seep into the apples.
  

When I took it out of the oven, the lattice top had become a firm “shell” over the top - and the apples had softened and settled, leaving an air pocket that can conveniently drink in melting ice cream, (or a little more caramel).

For the recipe, go to:
www.changeabletable.com