Recipe: Caramel Apple Pie

As I set out to share recipes with you regularly, I have a disclaimer, if you will.

1. I am not good at presentation. Pretty food isn’t exactly my expertise. But it tastes good and that’s what matters around here.

Now on to the good stuff!

Caramel Apple Pie

6-7 – Granny Smith apples
3/4 cup – Brown Sugar
3 TBSP – All purpose flour
1 TBSP – Cinnamon
1 tsp – Nutmeg
1 tsp – Allspice
Bag of caramels (I found these awesome little round caramels at the store last time. Usually I have to unwrap the whole bag and dice them up.)

Deep Dish pie crust
Regular pie crust (for the top)

(As I’m getting back to making my own things instead of buying premade, I’ll start making pie crust again. I have a delicious pie crust recipe from my momma!)

First, the apples. Wash them real well. I do not peel my apples for pie. I just leave the skin on. I quarter them, core them, and then slice the quarters into quarters and chop. Sometime I leave them in slices. Depends on how I’m feeling that day.

Wait, did I say first the apples? First the oven. Heat to 350 degrees.

Apples are ready and waiting in a big mixing bowl. I start adding the other things. Brown sugar, then the flour, then the spices. Don’t forget the caramels! And then I mix it all up. I was surprised the first time I made apple pie that I didn’t have to add any liquids, but you really don’t. Now comes the pie crust.

Here is where I struggle, honestly. I scoop the apple mix into the deep dish pie crust (thawed), spread it around, pack it down (and I always heap it in there). Then, I turn the other pie crust over upside down on top of it, and I peel the edges away from the pan, and press it down onto the edges of the deep dish crust. I slit the top crust, and put it all in the preheated oven.

Listen, pretty doesn’t go well for me. I always make a bigger mess and end up crying because it didn’t come out pretty. I’m going for knock-your-socks-off taste here.

Put something under your apple pie, to catch the bubbling extras (Maybe I overfill my pies? No matter, there is always bubbling extras when I make a pie). I bake my pie for

45 min to an hour – depending on the golden brown-ness (not a word, but let’s just say it is) of the top crust. Then I pull it out. Now, if I’m being good, I let it rest. Until it cools completely. So that it sets up and is really a sliceable pie…but if it smells too good to resist, I scoop it hot, right out of the pie pan, into the bowl, dollop some vanilla ice cream on top, and indulge.

Enjoy!