Salted Caramel Apple Pie
User Reviews
4.6
Salted Caramel Apple Pie
Description
This Salted Caramel Apple Pie features a homemade pie crust made with all-purpose flour combined with cold butter and vegetable shortening, creating a flaky texture when chilled and rolled. The crust uses vodka and ice water to help toughness. The filling combines a variety of peeled and sliced tart and crisp apples such as Granny Smith, Fuji, and Honeycrisp, tossed with lemon juice, sugar, flour, and warm spices including cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg. The addition of salted caramel sauce enriches the sweetness and introduces a subtle saltiness that complements the fruit and spices.
The pie is assembled with the apple mixture inside the crust, brushed atop with an egg wash mixed with coarse sugar to develop a golden, crisp surface on baking. This pie is well suited for holiday gatherings or as a comforting seasonal treat, offering a balance of textures from the flaky crust to the tender spiced apples. It stores well refrigerated for a couple of days and can be frozen either baked or unbaked for convenience. Reheating can be done in the oven to restore crispness.
The crust recipe is adaptable, allowing substitution with an all-butter version if preferred. The choice of apples can be tailored to taste or availability, maintaining balance between tartness and sweetness. Using store-bought caramel sauce is a practical shortcut without sacrificing flavor.
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons butter cold, cut into ¼-inch slices, unsalted
- ½ cup vegetable shortening chilled, cut into 4 pieces, solid
- ¼ cup vodka cold
- ¼ cup water ice
For the Pie Filing:
- ½ recipe Salted Caramel Sauce
- 5 apple peeled, cored and sliced ⅛-inch thick (I used a mix of Granny Smith, Fuji and Honeycrisp, tart-crisp
- ¾ cup lemon juice
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
For the Egg Wash Topping:
- 1 egg lightly beaten with a fork
- 1 teaspoon sugar coarse
Instructions
- Make the Dough: Process 1½ cups of the flour, the sugar and salt together in a food processor until combined, about 2 one-second pulses. Add the butter and shortening and process until a homogenous dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps, about 7 to 10 seconds (the dough will resemble cottage cheese curds with some very small pieces of butter remaining, but there should be no uncoated flour). Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula and redistribute the dough evenly around the bowl. Add the remaining 1 cup flour and pulse until the mixture is evenly distributed around the bowl and the mass of dough has been broken up, 4 to 6 quick pulses. Empty the mixture into a medium bowl.
- Sprinkle the vodka and water over the mixture. With a rubber spatula, use a folding motion to mix, pressing down on the dough until it is slightly tacky and sticks together.
- Divide the dough into two portions. Roll one out on a generously floured work surface to a 12-inch circle. Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate, leaving at least a 1-inch overhang on each side. Working around the circumference, ease the dough into the plate by gently lifting edge of the dough with one hand while pressing into the plate bottom with other hand. Dust off any excess flour with a pastry brush. With scissors or kitchen shears, trim the edge so that it overhangs by 1 inch.
- For solid top crust, roll remaining dough as before (into a 12-inch circle); for a lattice-top pie, roll it into a 9- by 15-inch rectangle instead. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Wrap both portions in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to one day in advance.
- Prepare the Filling: In a large bowl, toss the apple slices with the lemon juice, then drain in a colander. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg. Return the apple slices to the large bowl, add the sugar mixture and toss to combine.
- Assemble the Pie: Remove the dough-lined pie plate from the refrigerator. Use a slotted spoon to remove one-third of the apple mixture from the bowl and layer in the bottom of the crust so there are hardly any gaps. Top with one-third of the salted caramel sauce, then repeat twice more with layers of apples and salted caramel sauce.
- If cutting shapes out of the reserved dough round, do so now. If using a lattice-top, cut the rectangle of dough into 1-inch strips.Top the pie with either the dough round (or lattice-top) and trim the edges of the dough a ½-inch over the edges of the pie plate. Crimp the edges of the pie and then place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before baking.
- Bake the Pie: While the pie is chilling, place a rimmed baking sheet on the center rack of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
- When ready to bake, if you have not cut out shapes of the dough round or done a lattice-top, use a sharp knife to cut slits in the top crust. Brush the top of the pie with the egg wash and sprinkle with the sugar. Place the pie on the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until the edges of the crust start to brown. Remove the pie from the oven and cover the edges of the crust with a pie ring.
- Continue to bake for an additional 25 to 30 minutes, until the crust is golden brown. Remove the pie ring and continue to bake for an additional 5 minutes if the edges of the crust are a little pale compared to the rest of the crust. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before serving. The pie can be kept, covered, at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Notes
- This crust can be made using either butter and shortening or an all-butter version depending on preference.
- Tart and crisp apples such as Granny Smith, Fuji, and Honeycrisp provide the ideal texture and flavor balance.
- Salted caramel sauce can be substituted with store-bought caramel if desired.
- The fully baked pie can be stored at room temperature or refrigerated for up to 2 days.
- Freeze unbaked pies wrapped tightly and bake from frozen, allowing extra baking time.
- Baked pies freeze well once cooled; thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in a 350-degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 567 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 567kcal | 28% |
| Carbohydrates | 72g | 24% |
| Protein | 5g | 10% |
| Fat | 29g | 45% |
| Saturated Fat | 18g | 90% |
| Cholesterol | 96mg | 32% |
| Sodium | 329mg | 14% |
| Potassium | 209mg | 4% |
| Fiber | 4g | 16% |
| Sugar | 30g | 60% |
| Vitamin A | 985IU | 20% |
| Vitamin C | 14.1mg | 16% |
| Calcium | 32mg | 3% |
| Iron | 2.2mg | 12% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.6
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