Apple Pie

Last weekend I went apple picking in Vermont. It was such a fun activity! I mean I really can't remember the last time I felt so young. It was like being in Disney World haha! Anyway, I picked tons of apples, some big and some small but all northern spies as they are called. When I got back to the city I searched through a ton of apple pie recipes online. If I was going to take on a pie, which I usually consider too much work for the reward, I was going to choose the perfect recipe. Okay so here's the recipe I chose and it's definitely a keeper!

Vermont Caramel Apple Pie

Ingredients

1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust deep dish pie (I used pillsbury, works great!)

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

5 cups thinly sliced apples

2/3 cup white sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon lemon juice

20 caramels, halved

2 tablespoons milk

Directions
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees (that's farenheit people, no one in America cooks using celcius)
2) To Make Taffy: In a small bowl combine brown sugar, melted butter or margarine, and 1/3 cup flour. Mix well and set aside.

3) To Make Apple Filling: Place apples in a large bowl. Add white sugar, 3 tablespoons flour, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Toss until all ingredients are mixed well and apples are thoroughly coated.

4) Spoon half of apple filling into pastry-lined deep-dish pan. Top with half of caramels and half of taffy mixture. Repeat process with remaining apple filling, caramels and taffy mixture. Place top pastry over filling and seal well (this is very important--if edges are not sealed, caramel will leak out all over). Cut steam vents and brush top crust with milk or light cream.

5) Cover pie with foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove foil from pie and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, until crust is golden. 

The pie was beautiful and delicious!! I am used to shaving off a few minutes of baking time from most recipes to keep my baked goods moist, but this pie needed the full bake time listed in the recipe. Also I let mine sit overnight before cutting into it. I wanted the inside to set and not be runny when cut. Also I brushed my crust with milk and sprinkled some large sugar crystals on the top before baking it which is definitely a nice touch! It cut perfectly the next day and I warmed it in the microwave before serving each piece next to a scoop of vanilla ice cream! I'm not going to lie, it was a bit more work to make than your average cake, but definitely worth it. I am sure down the road it will be easier to make with time as is the case with most baked goods! Yummy, enjoy!