Spiced Caramel Apple Pie for #SundaySupper

Yesterday marked the first day of Fall. My absolute favorite season. I love the crisp morning air, the changing color of the leaves, cozy sweaters, scarves, and boots. But most of all I love the food! The month of September marks the beginning of apple season, so we took a trip to the apple orchard. When I got home I had so many ideas for what to make with all of our fresh picked apples. Lucky for me, this weeks #SundaySupper theme just so happens to be an Autumn Apple Party!

So what did I decide to make? This pie...

Not just any ordinary apple pie, but a Spiced Caramel Apple Pie with all of the tastes of Fall!

Ingredients:

Dough:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 sticks cold butter, diced
1 large egg
3 to 4 tablespoons very cold water

Filling:
1/2 lemon
3 pounds baking apples (about 6 apples), such as Golden Delicious
2/3 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling on the pie
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup soft caramels, cut into pieces

Directions:

Dough:
Whisk the flour, sugar, and salt together in a medium bowl. Rub 1/4 cup of the butter into the dry ingredients with your fingers until completely absorbed. Then rub in the remaining butter until it looks like cornmeal mixed with pea-size bits of butter. If it gets warm and sticky, refrigerate it to chill.

Beat the egg with 3 tablespoons of the water, then drizzle it evenly over the dough. Lightly stir the dough together with a fork. The dough should just hold together with some dry crumbly bits. If the dough is really dry sprinkle it with 1 tablespoon of water.

Divide the dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap and shape into disks. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Filling:
Finely grate the lemon zest, and set aside. Peel, core and slice the apples into 1/2-inch slices. Squeeze the lemon juice over the fruit (this will help it from getting brown), then toss with the sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt.

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fruit and cook, stirring until the sugar dissolves and the juices simmer, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, and cook uncovered until the fruit softens and the juices evaporate some, about 10 minutes. Evenly mix the flour into the fruit, then cook about a minute more till the juices thicken slightly. Stir in the vanilla and lemon zest, and remove from the heat. The filling should look similar to a tight compote. Cool completely.

Assemble the pie:
Lightly dust the work surface with flour. Roll a disk of dough into a 12-inch circle. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie pan, trimming so it hangs about a 1/2-inch over the edge of the pan. Fill the crust with the prepared fruit so that it mounds slightly in the center. Top the fruit evenly with the pieces of caramel. Roll the remaining dough into a 12-inch circle. Brush the rim of the crust with some egg.

Roll the dough onto the rolling pin and unroll it over the fruit so it hangs over the edge of the pie pan by about 1/2-inch. Trim the crust if needed. Fold the top crust edge under the bottom one, then press the edges together to seal. Flute the crust by pressing a finger into the crust against the other hands finger and thumb to make an impression. Repeat around every 1/2 inch of the pie to create a ruffled edge. Refrigerate the pie for about 20 minutes.

Place a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees.

Brush the pie with egg and sprinkle with sugar. Cut 6 to 8 small steam vents into the top of the dough. Place the pie on a baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 375 degrees. Bake until the crust is golden brown, about 50 minutes more. If the edges begin to brown too quickly, cut a pie shield out of a piece of aluminum foil and cover the edges.

Allow the pie to cool on a rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Recipe Adapted from BHG

Check out the rest of the Autumn Apple Party menu for even more ideas for how to use up your fresh apples!

Soups, Salads, Starters and Breads
Cinnamon Apple Chips- Shockingly Delicious
Apple Celery Salad- In the Kitchen with Audrey and Maurene
Mini Apple Pumpkin Pancakes – The Daily Dish Recipes
Overnight Apple Cinnamon French Toast- In the Kitchen with KP
Curried Apple and Leek Soup-Soni’s Food for Thought
Endive Spears Topped With Apple, Blue Cheese and Hazelnut Salad- The Hand That Rocks the Ladle
Homemade Apple Jam – My Trials in the Kitchen
Caramel Apple Butter Cheesecake Dip- Chocolate Moosey
Caramel Apple Bread – famfriendsfood
Apple Pie Bread Baker Street
Apple, Bacon & Brie Popovers- I Run for Wine
Apple and Almond Brie Puff Pastry- Family Foodie
Apple, Leek and Gruyere Tarts- There and Back Again
 
Main Meals
Slow Cooker Honey Apple Pork Loin- The Meltaways
Apple-Glazed Meatballs- The Messy Baker
Apples & Buttons (Ham, Apples and Dumplings)- Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
Skillet Pork with Sweet Spiced Apples- Mama Mommy Mom
Chicken Apple Meatloaf with Tarragon Tomato Sauce – Diabetic Foodie
Baked Tilapia Apple Crisp- Daddy Knows Less
Pork Tenderloin with Calvados Cream Sauce Sustainable Dad
#SundaySupper Pulled Pork Sandwich With Pickled Red Onions Kwistin’s Favorites
 
Sides
Harvest Rice- Webicurean
Wild Rice with Apples, Dried Cranberries, and Walnuts – Ruffles and Truffles
Apple Topped Sweet Potato Mash- Momma’s Meals
Warm Spice Pecan Raisin Apple Chutney- Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
 
Desserts
Double Apple Pot Pie- What Smells So Good?
Apple Walnut Coffee Cake- The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
Apple Streusel Cobbler- Big Bear’s Wife
Apple & Moroccan Cinnamon Gooey Sticky Buns- Crispy Bits & Burnt Ends
Spiced Caramel Apple Pie-Chelsea’s Culinary Indulgence
Apple Pear Kuchen for #SundaySupper (Apfel Birnen Kuchen)- Galactosemia in PDX
Apple Strudel - Magnolia Days
Old Fashioned Apple Crisp with Caramel Sauce-Noshing with the Nolands
Apple Cheesecake- Vintage Kitchen
Caramel Apple Crumble Bars- Hezzi D’s Books and Cooks
Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting- From Fast Food to Fresh Food
Cinnamon Apple Dessert Chimichangas- Juanita’s Cocina
Nutella Apple Quesadilla- Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts
Apple Crisp Ice Cream- Cravings of a Lunatic
Bavarian Apple Torte- The Lovely Pantry
Streusel Apple Crumb Pie + Pie Freezer Kits- Meal Planning Magic
French Apple Cobbler with Cinnamon-Maple Whipped Cream Weekend Gourmet
Chunky Apple-Apricot Bread Pudding- Comfy Cuisine
Apple Butter Spice Cake – Home Cooking Memories
Apple Pie and Custard- Happy Baking Days
#GlutenFree Deep Dish Carmel Apple Pie- Cooking Underwriter
Apple Brownies That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Country Apple Dumplings- Mom’s Test Kitchen
Apple-Gingersnap Cookies- Tora’s Real Food
Apple and Cranberry Turnovers- Flour on my Face
Applesauce Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake with Caramel Glaze- Hip Foodie Mom
Caramel Frosted Apple Cookies- No One Likes Crumbley Cookies
Apple and Pecans Cake- Basic N Delicious
Apple Pull Apart Monkey Bread- Gotta Get Baked
 
Beverages
Spiced Apple Ale Small Wallet Big Appetite
Apple Chia Tea- Pippi’s in the Kitchen Again