PIE #42 - Caramel Apple Pecan Pie

My September apple pie theme comes to an end, and I am practically speechless over this caramel apple pecan pie. I am a cream pie aficionado, but this gooey decadent concoction has me seriously considering my allegiance to my first love. It's a super sweet pie, and those with sweet teeth will certainly appreciate it. As store shelves are loading up on Halloween candy, it's a perfect time to pick up a few bags of caramels and give this pie a whirl.

The recipe is another of Ken Haedrich's with one slight alteration. I added more cornstarch to the filling to thicken it further. The golden delicious apples I used must have been extra juicy which warranted the extra cornstarch. Ken states that you may use another type of apple, but the Golden holds its shape well during baking. If you prefer, substitute 1 or 2 Granny Smiths or other tart apples in the recipe. Interestingly, as I plopped several golden apples into my shopping bag, the produce clerk bee-lined over to me and exclaimed what good pies the apples make as he had just baked one himself the day before. His assessment was spot on. The apples produced a phenomenal pie!

Serve the pie warm with a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream, and prepare to be wowed!

Crust:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1/4 cup cold water

Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter, tossing it with the flour. With electric mixer on low speed, blend butter into the flour until you have what looks like coarse, damp meal. Turning the mixer on and off, add half of the water. Mix briefly on low speed. Add the remaining water, mixing slowly until the dough starts to form large clumps. Do not overmix.

Test the dough by squeezing some of it between your fingers. Add water, a teaspoon at a time, if the dough seems dry and not packable. Using your hands, pack the dough in a ball. Knead once or twice, then flatten into 3/4-inch thick disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for an hour before rolling.

On a sheet of lightly floured waxed paper, roll the dough into a 13-inch circle with a floured rolling pin. Invert over a 9 1/2-inch pie pan, center, and peel off paper. Tuck the pastry into the pan, sculpting the overhang into an upstanding ridge. Scatter the caramel pieces in the pie shell and place in freezer for 15 minutes while preparing the filling. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Filling:
7 cups peeled, cored, and sliced Golden Delicious apples
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine the apples, brown sugar, and lemon juice in a large bowl. Mix well, then set aside for 5-10 minutes to juice. Mix the granulated sugar and cornstarch together in a small bowl. Stir the mixture into the fruit along with the cinnamon and vanilla. Scrape the filling into the chilled pie shell, smoothing the fruit with your hands. Put the pie on the center oven rack and bake for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, make the crumb topping.

Pecan Crumb Topping:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup pecan halves
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces

Combine the flour, pecan halves, granulated sugar, and salt in a food processor. Pulse several times, chopping the nuts coarsely. Scatter the butter over the dry mixture and pulse the machine again until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Transfer the crumbs to a medium-size bowl and rub the mixture between your fingers to make damp, gravelly crumbs. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Remove the pie from the oven and reduce the temperature to 375 degrees. Carefully dump the crumbs in the center of the pie, spreading them evenly over the surface with your hands. Tamp them down lightly. Return the pie to the oven, placing it so that the part that faced the back of the oven now faces forward. Just in case, slide a large aluminum foil-lined baking sheet onto the rack below to catch any drips. Bake until the juices bubble thickly around the edge, 30-40 minutes. If necessary, cover the pie with loosely tented aluminum foil for that last 15 minutes to keep the top from getting too dark.

Transfer the pie to a wire rack and let cool for about 1 hour.

While the pie is still warm - approaching the 1-hour mark - prepare the caramel.

Caramel and Garnish
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 tablespoon water
30 caramels
Large handful of pecan halves


Combine the butter, water, and caramels in the top of a double boiler. Melt the caramels over, not in, barely simmering water. This may take 10 minutes or more. To facilitate the melting, press down on them as they start to soften and melt. When melted, whisk the mixture until it is smooth, then drizzle the caramel over the entire surface of the pie. Immediately press the pecan halves into the caramel in a random fashion. Let cool for another hour before serving.