Caramel apple pie

[Skwerl]

I had a wonderful piece of apple pie at a restaurant last week that had caramel inside with the apples. The sweetness of the caramel was perfectly balanced with the tart apples, and I'd really like to learn to make this. I thought about just making caramel and drizzling it over the apples before putting the crust on, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the caramel would be dissolved. Naturally the flavor would still be there, but one of the parts I liked most about this pie is that the caramel was distinguishable as a discrete ingedient, still whole rather than just a flavor. Does anyone here have a recipe for this or a suggestion for what type of caramel to make that will "stay together" during baking? Thanks in advance!

Josh

[Darcie B]

I don't particularly like regular apple pie (I guess it's not gooily sweet enough for my huge sweet tooth), so I came up with the following recipe, which sounds similar to what you ate. To avoid a soggy crust and make sure the apple filling is cooked to the consistency I like, I pre-bake a pie crust and make the filling on the stovetop. Not at all traditional, but I like it.

Apple Pie Filling

5 large (fist-sized) baking apples

1/3 cup sugar (more if apples are very tart)

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 tablespoon butter (more if desired)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup dulce de leche or caramel apple dip (NOT caramel ice cream topping)

Peel, core and thinly slice the apples. Place apples, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in large saucepan. Cook over medium heat until apples are mostly tender. Stir in butter, vanilla and caramel apple dip. Heat just until bubbling. Pour into pre-baked pie crust.

[little ms foodie]

Emeril has a recipe for it

[JFLinLA]

I have a recipe for a caramel apple upside down cake from a caramel class I took. It was really delicious. You make a caramel base and coat the bottom of your cake pan. Then layer the apple wedges on top of that. Then top with the cake batter. Once baked, let cool in the pan for a little bit and invert while still warm. Yum!!

[nightscotsman]

Tyler Florence has a Caramel Apple Pie recipe over on the Food Network site. Is has a red wine caramel, so it may not be exactly what you're looking for, but it does sound good.

[Patrick S]

Sherry Yard's The Secrets of Baking has a recipe for Mile-High Apple Pie that is copiously caramel-laden and sounds amazing. I haven't made it myself, but its near the top of my to-do list.

[Skwerl]

Thanks, everyone. I'm going to try a couple of these recipes tonight. Just for kicks, I made Bo Friberg's caramelized apple pie last night. It was basically pan-caramelized apples (Grannies, cinnamon, sugar, orange liquer, lots of butter) with heavy cream added at the end, put into a pate brisee shell. It's very tasty. Let me know how the mile-high pie turns out, Patrick.

[KatieLoeb]

A pastry chef I worked with in the past taught me the best trick. You fill a pyrex measuring cup with Kraft Caramels and melt them in the microwave. Then pour this into the bottom of your fruit pie crust or better yet, as a bottom layer of a cheesecake!

You could probably cheat and use the jarred Caramel Apple dip in a pinch.

[pyrguy]

Tyler Florence has a Caramel Apple Pie recipe over on the Food Network site. Is has a red wine caramel, so it may not be exactly what you're looking for, but it does sound good.

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We tried that one here. Make sure to cook the caramel a little longe than you think it needs. Otherwise it turns out too watery. Good flavor. I need to try that one again.

[Patrick S]

I don't know necessarily if it fits what you're looking for, but a slice of warm tarte tatin covered with warm caramel sauce is the best apple/caramel combo I've ever had.

[Swisskaese]

Here is a recipe from Williams-Sonoma. They never let me down:

Caramel-Apple Lattice Pie