Deep Dish Carmel Apple Pie

What You Need:

For Crust:

1-1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 TBLs. Sugar

1/4  tsp salt

1/2 (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 pieces

About 4 TBLS ice water

For Streusel:

3/4 cup all purpose flour

6 TBLS sugar

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/4 tsp. salt

6 TBLS (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter cut into small pieces

For Filling:

3 pounds apples (about 8), peeled, cored, cut into 1/2 inch slices

1/4 cup all purpose flour

For Carmel:

1-1/4 cups sugar

1/4 cup plus 2 TLBS water

3 TBLS unsalted butter

what you do:

Make Crust – I make my own recipe but this is the one they give with the recipe!

Mix 1-1/2 cups flour, 2 TLBS sugar and 1/4 tsp salt in food processor. Add butter and cut in using on/off turns until mixture resembles coarse meal. Blend in enough ice water by TBLS to form large moist clumps. Transfer dough to work surface. Gather dough into ball. Flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic. Chill dough 30 minutes.

Make Streusel:

Mix flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice and salt in medium bowl to blend.  Cut in butter until mixture is thoroughly blended. (Dough and Streusel can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate streusel. Keep dough chilled. Let dough soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.

Make Filling:

Combine apple wedges and 1/4 cup flour in large bowl and toss to coat. Let stand while preparing Carmel.

Make Carmel:

Stir sugar and 1/4cup water in heavy large saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil until syrup turns deep amber color—about 5 – 7 minutes. You may wish to wipe down the sides of the pan occasionally with a wet paper towel to keep the sugar crystals off. Remove from heat, add butter and remaining 2 TBLs water (mixture will bubble vigorously). Stir until smooth.

NOTE: (Use stainless steel or something similar. Do not use aluminum!  I used that originally and the syrup kept turning to big clumps of sugar. When I switched to my Revere ware stainless, I had no trouble from then on).  

Pour Carmel over apple and flour mixture, toss to coat. Let stand until apples release juices, tossing occasionally. I sometimes let them sit as long as an hour but don’t worry if the Carmel hasn’t dissolved, as the whole sticky mess will all dissolve as the pie bakes. 

Preheat oven to 375’. Roll out dough on floured work surface to a 14-inch round. Transfer to 9-1/2 inch-diameter deep dish pie dish with 1-3/4inch high sides. Crimp edges decoratively. Spoon apple mixture into prepared crust. Sprinkle streusel over pie. Bake pie until apples are tender and streusel is golden, covering crust edge with foil if browning too quickly. (I always do this.) Bake about 1 hour and 10 minutes. It will bubble through the streusel topping when it’s done. Cool on rack for about 1 hour if serving warm or serve at room temperature.