Red Wine Caramel Apple Pie

 Ingredients

CRUST

3 cups all-purpose flour

Pinch salt

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold, cut in chunks

1 egg separated, (yolks for the pastry, whites for the glaze)

1 Tbs white vinegar

3 tablespoons ice water, plus more if needed

Caramel:

½ cup (1stick) butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup heavy cream

1/2 tsp vanilla flavoring

4 Tbs red wine

 

Apples:

6 to 7 cups apples (recommended: Granny Smith and Gala)

¼ cup flour

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp apple pie spice

1 tbs lemon juice

1/4 cup unsalted butter

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

PREPARE PIE CRUST

1.      Combine Flour & salt

2.      Add cold butter (should look like cornmeal)

3.      Add egg yolk & ice water

4.      Blend just enough to moisten

5.      Form dough into a ball

6.      Separate and flatten into disc and store in separate plastic bags

7.      Rest in freezer for 15 to 20 minutes

 

 PREPARE FILLING

Red Wine Caramel Sauce

1.      Melt 1 stick butter

2.      Add 1 cup brown sugar & 1/3 cup heavy cream

3.      Whisk until sugar is dissolved

4.      Bring to boil (no more than 3 minutes)

5.      Add vanilla

6.      Add 4 TBS red wine

APPLES

1.      Peel apples and cut into thin slices

2.      Toss apples with lemon juice, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, apple pie spice

CRUST

1.      Use one half of pie crust

2.      Let dough rest – 15 minutes

ASSEMBLE

1.      Layer apples in prepared crust

2.      Pour 2 ounces of caramel sauce over apples

3.      Repeat layers until all apples are used

4.      Top with butter slices

5.      Brush edges of crust with egg white

6.      Top with other half of crust and crimp to seal

7.      Cut slits in top of pie

8.      Place on sheet tray and tent with aluminum foil to keep crust from burning

9.      Bake for 25 minutes

10.   Combine ¼ cup sugar and cinnamon

11.   Remove pie and brush top with egg white

12.   Sprinkle Cinnamon sugar evenly on top of pie

13.   Continue baking without tin foil for 25 minutes

14.   Pie should be golden brown and bubbling

15.   Let rest at least 1 hour

Alternate topping

Ingredients

1.      ½ cup AP flour

2.      ½ cup butter

3.      1 TBS cinnamon

4.      ½ cup brown sugar

5.      1 cup toasted and chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)

Directions

Mix all ingredients except for nuts until crumbly looking and add topping to pie.

Add nuts for the last 5 minutes of cooking.