DEEP DISH CARAMELIZED APPLE PIE
Ingredients:
4 tbsps butter
1 ¾ cups sugar
¼ cup water
1 cup apple juice or cider
3 tbsps apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground allspice
½ tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp salt
12 Gala, Spartan or granny smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced.
½ cup flour
Streusel
1/3 cup flour
3 tbsps brown sugar
4 tsps butter
Pastry for 12-inch double piecrust
1 tbsps cream
Sugar for sprinkling
Directions:
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the sugar and water and cook until the sugar caramelizes to a medium amber colour. Carefully add the apple juice and cider vinegar stirring to dissolve. The mixture will sizzle so hold the pan away from you. Mix in the cinnamon, salt, allspice and nutmeg. Then gently fold in half of the apple slices, stirring to coat with the caramel sauce.
Sprinkle the flour over the apples and mix with the apples and sauce. Cook for about 10 minutes. Stir in the remaining apples coating with the sauce and cook for about 8-10 minutes or until the apples are just tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from heat and let cool.
Combine the flour, brown sugar and salt and cut in the butter to make coarse crumbs. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 425F. Butter a 2-inch deep 12-inch pie plate. On a lightly floured board roll out half of the pastry into a 16 inch round. Fit into pie plate and trim the pastry to extend 1 inch over the edge of the plate. Sprinkle the streusel over the bottom of the pastry. Add the apples, layering and piling them high in the center.
Roll out the remaining pastry into a 16-inch round. Fit the pastry over the apples and trim to extend 1 inch over the edge of the plate. Roll the two crusts together around the edge of the pie plate. Flute the edge of the crust. Cut vent holes in the crust. Brush the cream over the crust. Sprinkle with sugar. Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven to 350F and bake for 40-45 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
Let cool 2 hours before serving.
