Salted Caramel Apple Pie
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Video
Read this before you begin
Measure by weight, if possible.
Measuring by weight is the best way for you to replicate my recipes. I develop recipes using ingredients (even liquids) measured in grams, which is why you see them listed first in the recipe cards. For measurements under 5 grams, I will typically only list the volumetric measurements (teaspoons, etc.), as most home scales are not precise for such small weights.
In most cases, I have converted grams to volumetric measurements (aka US customary units) for bakers who prefer this method. However, the measurements are not as precise and may have awkward proportions. The recipes should still work, but for the ultimate precision, try to use weight.
This is the OXO scale I use daily. I also purchased this budget version of a good scale, which I keep at my Mom’s house for baking. If you’re interested in other tools I use for my baking, I’ve compiled a list here.
Use room temperature ingredients.
All my ingredients should be used at room temperature, or 65-75 °F/18-24 °C. I will always indicate if you need something outside this range. If no details are given, room temperature is the default.
Pay attention to the ingredient descriptions.
I try not to be brand-specific, but I will always note an interesting result from a type of ingredient, be it negative or positive.
A specific note regarding salt: I use Diamond Crystal Kosher salt for everything on this site except for frostings. In frostings, you want the salt to dissolve more easily, and kosher salt tends to leave granules behind. If you substitute table salt (more finely granulated) for recipes that list kosher salt, you must use half the volume indicated in my recipes.
Substitutions are hard.
That’s not to say they’re impossible, though. For instance, in many cases, substituting reduced fat for whole milk (and thus reducing fat by less than 2%) will probably be fine. Using applesauce for oil or even Greek yogurt when sour cream is listed will definitely alter the fat content and adversely affect the crumb texture and density of the cake.
I experiment for hours to get these recipes to work for us. First, try to make them as written or use one of my tested substitutions, which I often dedicate a section to. Then, if necessary, you can make modifications afterward. Even then I would be pretty cautious, as substitutions are one of the hardest things to investigate in recipe development.
Read all the recipe instructions before beginning.
I’m in the “Pre-read the Chapter before Class Lecture” club... and I invite you to join! Baking new recipes can be intimidating, so let’s set you up for success. I want you to think about timeframes. Most fillings and frostings can be made ahead of time, and give you an extra day for mental space. Also, as you become a more proficient baker, you can anticipate and recognize steps. (“Oh, this has a meringue step, so I’ll need an extra clean bowl…” etc.) Ensure you go down the ingredient list and have everything at the right temperature.
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Ingredients
All-butter pie crust (bottom crust + lattice top):
- 16 TB (226g/8 oz) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
- 2.25 cups + 2 TB280g10oz all-purpose or pastry flour
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp baking powder-
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 7-9 tablespoons ice water
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2-3 teaspoons coarse sugar (optional)
Apple filling:
- 11 full cups (1.5 kg/3.5 lbs) Granny Smith apples
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2.5 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salty Caramel Sauce:
- 3/4 cups (187g/6oz) granulated sugar
- 1/8 cup (30g/1oz) water
- 3/4 cup (174g/6oz) heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon (14g/0.5oz) unsalted butter
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Watch my tutorial on how to make pie crust here
Ingredients
All-butter pie crust (bottom crust + lattice top):
- 16 TB (226g/8 oz) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
- 2.25 cups + 2 TB280g10oz all-purpose or pastry flour
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp baking powder-
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 7-9 tablespoons ice water
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2-3 teaspoons coarse sugar (optional)
Apple filling:
- 11 full cups (1.5 kg/3.5 lbs) Granny Smith apples
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2.5 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Salty Caramel Sauce:
- 3/4 cups (187g/6oz) granulated sugar
- 1/8 cup (30g/1oz) water
- 3/4 cup (174g/6oz) heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon (14g/0.5oz) unsalted butter
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Watch my tutorial on how to make pie crust here
1 - FOR THE PIE DOUGH:. Place your cut butter in the freezer while you measure/prep your other ingredients.
2. Add the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder to the processor. Pulse about 10 times to combine.
3. Add the cold butter to the flour mixture and pulse about 8-10 times. Lift the lid, and use a fork (or CAREFULLY with your fingers) to sift the mixture. It should look and feel like very coarse breadcrumbs. There should be large butter pieces remaining about the size of large peas.
4. Pour the flour and butter mixture into a large mixing bowl. Add the vinegar to the smaller amount of water in a small bowl and pour onto dough. Use a spatula to press and mix the water into the dough, making sure there are no dried bits of flour on the bottom of the bowl. Pick up some dough with your fingers. Press it together. Does it stick together easily? If not, add more water, a half teaspoon at a time, until you can form the dough into a large ball.
5. Pour the dough out onto plastic wrap, form it into a disc. Cover tightly and let it rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. For best results, let it rest overnight.
1 - FOR THE APPLE FILLING. Peel and core your apples. Cut into half inch slices and place in large mixing bowl.
2. Add lemon juice, sugars, cinnamon, and nutmeg to apples and stir.
3. Allow the sugar to draw out the water from the apples, at least one hour at room temperature.
4. Pour the apples and juices into a pan. Cook over medium low heat until the apples have just started to soften but are still crispy in the centers. It should still be firm when you try to cut a slice with a fork, and will feel uncooked on the inside when you bite into it. Stir in the cornstarch and unsalted butter.
5. Set aside to cool completely before adding to the pie crust. (Adding it while hot or even warm will make the crust soft and impair its ability to get crispy during baking.) I like to cool my apples in the fridge. Also this can be done ahead of time and used whenever you want to make apple pie!
1 - FOR THE CARAMEL. In a heavy, deep saucepan, combine sugar and water until the sugar is moistened. Heat over medium-low, stir until sugar dissolves and mixture is bubbling, about 2-3 minutes.
2. Do not stir any further and instead swirl the saucepan occasionally to evenly heat.
3. Boil until the sugar mixture is a deep amber color, about another 5 minutes, depending on your stove. Remove from heat.
4. The next step entails adding the heavy cream into the sugar mixture in the saucepan, which will cause it to bubble up and potentially spatter. I like to move my saucepan to the back burners, if possible, and wear my long oven mitts for safety.
5. Slowly and carefully pour the heavy cream into the sugar mixture. Allow the bubbling to subside, and add the butter and salt. Set aside to cool completely at room temperature.
1 - ASSEMBLE AND BAKE. Place a rack in the lowest position in your oven and preheat to 425.
2. Pour 3/4 cup of your cooled caramel sauce into your cooled apple filling and toss. Set aside.
3. Roll out your bottom dough, and line your pie pan. Place in fridge to keep it cool. Roll out your top dough. You can do a lattice, braids, a full cover, or cut some decorative shapes.
4. Take your lined pie pan out of the fridge and pour in the apples. Cover the pie with your top dough designs. Brush off any excess flour you see with a pastry brush.
5. Place in freezer until your oven has preheated at 425 for at least 20 minutes.
6. When you're ready to bake, remove from the freezer and brush with beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse sugar, if you like. Place pan on a foil-lined baking sheet and cover the edges with foil.
7. Bake for 10 minutes at 425, then turn the oven down to 400. Bake for 50-70 minutes, until the top is a gorgeous toasty brown and you can see the juices bubbling inside the pie. Let it cool for at least 2 hours before cutting.
Recipe Card - Adriana's Notes
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