Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Caramel Apple Crisp Pie ... Oh, My!!


Two weekends ago, WEMU/89.1 FM in Ypsilanti -- where my friend Jessica Webster, head of the Food & Drink page for AnnArbor.com, is a DJ on Sunday afternoons playing "jazz and stuff" (as she once phrased it) -- was holding a pledge drive. (They still need to raise $300,000 to meet their Fall fundraising goal, so any contributions would be most gratefully appreciated; click here to donate.)

Somehow, before Tom and I tuned in, Jessica and others in the studio with her at the time had started a discussion of listeners' favorite pies. Well, that was easy -- Caramel Apple Crisp Pie! I had already been planning to make one, so the idea had been swirling around in my brain. First of all, it's just the proper thing to do in the Fall; but also, Tom is not an apple pie fan (gasp!), so I had to bake this in order to redeem the treasure that I believe the dessert to be.

Tom and I made a pledge to help the radio station, and I claimed Caramel Apple Crisp Pie -- combining a trifecta of desserts: apple pie, apple crisp and caramel apples -- to be my very favorite. It's apple crisp baked in a pie crust, topped off perfectly with a drizzle of caramel sauce ... an idea to which I give full credit to Jeremy, who suggested it several years ago in a moment of sheer brilliance.

And so, then it was necessary to bake this glorious specimen ... and bake I did. If I'd been at home rather than at Tom's, I'd have added a bit of cornstarch and a touch of cider to the apple mixture, then cooked it on the stovetop to give it a bit of a gel to bind the filling together better.

But since I didn't have either of those ingredients with me, I made it according to the instructions given below and that means the apple chunks have a bit of a tendency to fall out of the crust. Oh, well ... it hardly impacts the flavor, only the aesthetics. It's still luscious and sweet and slightly spicy and just wonderful!

So if you're tired of plain ol' apple pie, I invite you to bake this one. It's quick, it's easy, and it's absolutely divine ... :)

Caramel Apple Crisp Pie

1 crust for a 9" pie pan

Filling:
1 3-pound bag apples
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter

Topping:
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 packet instant oatmeal (I used Maple Nut)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
6 ounces caramel ice cream topping

Preheat oven to 425F. Place crust into a 9" pie pan.

Filling: Peel, core, and chop the apples into 3/4" pieces. Place into a large bowl and mix together with the sugar, nutmeg and cinnamon. Place the apples into the pie crust and dot with the butter.


Topping: Combine the butter, flour, brown sugar, oatmeal and walnuts in the same mixing bowl that you used for the filling ('cause there's no reason to wash extra dishes, right???). Spread over the apples. Drizzle the caramel sauce over the top of the pie.


Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350F and bake for 30-40 minutes more until apples are tender when poked with a knife. (There's a lot of variation for this last step, depending upon the type of apple used, the juiciness, etc.) Check on the pie mid-way through the baking; if the topping is getting too dark, cover it with a piece of foil.


Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream, if desired.

(Entering this recipe into the Kitchen Corners November Cook-Off: "I Love Apples.")




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17 comments:

Arlene Kaye said...

Yenta Mary,

I can't wait to try the added caramel topping on my next apple crisp. I already make the same recipe without the topping and Mikey,my husband loves it. I'm going to add your link to my website so my readers can follow you.

Thanks,

Arlene Kaye
http://holidayrecipeexchange.blogspot.com

Heather S-G said...

Well, I never tire of pie...I love all kinds...and this has DEFINITELY made my "to try" list...it has my mouth watering...if only I could have a slice for breakfast (my coffee is lonely). YUM! Thanks for sharing it w/ the hearth and soul hop this week, Mary!

Unknown said...

Love caramel and apple together, and what could be better than both in a pie? Scrumptious!

Unknown said...

Oh, that looks so incredibly good! Chris is not a fan of apple pie either...how strange!! :) Personally, besides chocolate pie, apple is my absolute favorite! Add the caramel to it and a crisp topping...SOLD!

Cranberry Morning said...

This pie is definitely going to be on the menu here within the next couple months. Sounds delicious, and I love the drizzle of caramel. What could be better than this pie with strong coffee with cream!

Unknown said...

I think this recipe is going to the baker - possibly for the holidays (although we have two diabetics at the table, so it's going to be a tough call...)

Karen Harris said...

How delicious doe this look?!

Kristen said...

How yummy does this look?!? Thanks for sharing!

We'd love to have you link this to our blog party - This Week's Cravings!

http://frommytinykitchen.blogspot.com/2010/11/this-weeks-cravings-thanksgiving.html

Kelly said...

That sounds so amazingly delicious! I love anything with caramel!

Unknown said...

I'm a new follower!This sounds so delicious! Can't wait to try it!!
Julz@ www.julzjewlz.com and
http://spookyjulz.blogspot.com/

Unknown said...

This is fantastic! Thanks for the post. Hope you enjoy your cook book! We can't wait to see what our favorite food bloggers cook!

Robin said...

Not much of an apple pie fan either, but I love caramel. So, I'm game.

Tina @ MOMS CRAZY COOKING said...

Thanks a million for linking up to THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS!

Leanne said...

Looks delish . . . yesterday Peanut Butter, today Caramel Apple Pie. Oh, dear! I'm in BIG TROUBLE this week!

Melynda@Scratch Made Food! said...

This has to be made, thanks!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the helpful post! I would not have gotten this otherwise!

Anonymous said...

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