Description
This classic Caramel Apple Pie combines a flaky homemade crust with tender, cinnamon-spiced apples and a luscious caramel drizzle, baked to golden perfection. Perfect for cozy fall evenings or as a delightful dessert for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Pie Crust
- 2 cups plain (all-purpose) flour
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 6 oz (175g) very cold butter, diced
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 4–5 tablespoons iced water
Filling
- 850g apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 2 tablespoons cornflour (cornstarch)
- ½ cup soft light brown sugar
- â…“ cup store-bought caramel sauce
Topping
- 1 beaten egg (for sealing and glazing)
- 1 tablespoon demerara or caster sugar
- Extra caramel sauce for drizzling (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the Dough: In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and white sugar. Rub in the cold diced butter using your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, ensuring small pea-sized butter pieces remain for a flaky crust.
- Form and Chill the Dough: Add the apple cider vinegar and iced water gradually, mixing gently until a rough dough forms. Divide the dough into two equal parts, wrap each half tightly in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour to firm up.
- Prepare the Filling: In another bowl, toss the peeled, cored, and sliced apples with ground cinnamon, salt, cornflour, and soft light brown sugar until the apples are evenly coated for a flavorful and thickened filling.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Base Crust: Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Roll out one portion of the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to fit a 9-inch pie plate. Transfer the dough carefully to line the plate, then chill it again while you prepare the filling to ensure the crust stays firm.
- Assemble the Pie: Spoon the apple filling evenly into the chilled crust. Drizzle the â…“ cup of store-bought caramel sauce over the apples for added sweetness and richness.
- Seal with Top Crust: Brush the edges of the base crust with the beaten egg to help seal the pie. Roll out the second dough portion and place it over the filling. Trim any excess dough and press the edges together to seal tightly.
- Glaze and Sugar the Top: Brush the entire top crust with the beaten egg for a golden finish and sprinkle with demerara or caster sugar to add crunch and sweetness.
- Bake: Bake the pie in the preheated oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot. This ensures the apples are tender and the crust is perfectly cooked.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the pie to cool for at least 30 minutes to set the filling. Optionally, drizzle extra caramel sauce over the top before slicing and serving to enhance the caramel flavor.
Notes
- Use very cold butter to ensure a flaky pie crust.
- Chilling the dough before rolling helps prevent shrinking during baking.
- If apples are very juicy, you can sprinkle a little extra cornflour to prevent a runny filling.
- Store any leftover pie covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- For an extra crisp topping, use demerara sugar instead of caster sugar.
