- 1
- 150 mins
- 495 mins
Ingredients
- Caramel:
- 1 recipe for the Old-Fashioned Flaky Piecrust, unbaked (see recipe below)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel
- 12 tablespoon (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoon heavy cream
- Apple Filling:
- 2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 6 large apples, such as Granny Smith, Pink Lady, or Honey Crisps, or combination, cored, peeled, and thinly sliced (see Tip)
- 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup turbinado sugar, plus more for sprinkling
- 1 egg, beaten, for egg wash
- fleur de sel for sprinkling
- ice cream for serving (optional)
- old-fashioned flaky pie crust (makes 1 crust for a double-crust pie):
- 2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup plus 2 to 3 tablespoons ice water, plus more if necessary
- 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
- 1/2 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into cubes
- 8 tablespoon (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
Preparation
Step 1
To make crust: In large mixing bowl, whisk together flours, sugar, and salt; set aside
In large measuring cup or small bowl, beat egg with 1/3 cup water and the vinegar.
Add shortening and butter to flour and, using pastry blender, cut it in until butter resembles small peas. Add egg mixture, gently tossing and mixing with your hands or fork just until dough comes together in ball. If dough seems too dry, add little more ice water, about 1 tablespoon at a time as necessary.
Gather dough together on lightly floured work surface and divide it evenly into 2 balls. Wrap each half in plastic wrap and flatten with palm of your hand into disk. Chill for at least 1 hour. Dough can be stored in refrigerator for up to 4 days or in freezer for up to 2 weeks.
To roll out dough: Dust your hands and your rolling pin with flour. On lightly floured piece of parchment, roll out chilled dough into 12-inch round. Roll dough from center out, rotating it slightly as you roll to prevent sticking and to keep it round. Dust off any excess flour using dry pastry brush. Roll dough onto rolling pin and place it in pie dish. Carefully arrange dough to slump inside dish and press it into edges. Trim excess dough with kitchen shears, leaving about 1-inch overhang. Wrap and place pie dish in refrigerator to chill dough for at least 30 minutes.
Roll out remaining disk of dough on parchment and transfer it to baking sheet. Wrap in plastic wrap and return dough to refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes.
When ready to bake, position rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 400°.
To make caramel: Combine granulated sugar, fleur de sel, and 1/2 cup water in medium saucepan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved. Wash down any crystals from sides of pan with wet pastry brush. Turn heat down to medium and cook, without stirring, until syrup becomes medium-dark amber caramel, about 15 minutes; you can carefully swirl pan around to check the color.
Carefully remove pan from heat and immediately stir in butter and heavy cream. Be careful of hot steam when heavy cream is added, and do not worry if butter starts to separate--it will come together once caramel is cooled.
Transfer caramel to bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment (or to medium mixing bowl, if using handheld mixer) and beat on low speed until caramel cools and starts to come together. Set aside.
To make filling: Put lemon zest and lemon juice in large bowl. Add apples and toss gently.
In small mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cardamom, allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, and turbinado sugar. Gently toss apples with this mixture.
To assemble pie: Place bottom pie crust in 9-inch pie pan and prick bottom of crust gently all over with fork. Layer apple mixture in crust, making sure there are no gaps between apples. Pour 1/4 cup caramel mixture on top of apples. Reserve remaining caramel for serving.
Place top pie crust on work surface and cut 4 to 8 vent holes in center with mini cookie cutter in whatever shape you like. Reserve cutout pieces for decorating crust. Brush rim of bottom pie crust with egg wash to create seal. Place top crust over pie filling and seal and crimp edges, trimming excess dough. Decorate with cutout pieces, and brush entire crust with egg wash. Sprinkle lightly with turbinado sugar and pinch of fleur de sel.
Place on prepared baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Turn oven down to 375° and bake for additional 45 to 60 minutes, until caramel blossoms into big, thick, syrupy bubbles and crust turns golden brown; test apples with small paring knife to make sure they are tender but not mushy. Remove from oven and let cool for at least 4 hours before serving to allow juices and caramel to thicken. Pie is best served same day, but it can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
To serve, slice pie into wedges and top with drizzle of caramel sauce and, if desired, scoop of ice cream.