Caramel Apple Pie

A few weeks back, we went to visit some of Michael's family that lives about an hour away from us. While there, we were served slices of apple pie--but not just any apple pie--caramel apple pie. After indulging in that slice of heaven, I decided that for Thanksgiving this year, I would put a twist on my traditional apple pie and find a recipe that included caramel. Once again, Google to the rescue.

I made and baked the pie the night before Thanksgiving, then warmed it up in the oven prior to serving on Turkey Day. And oh my... it was awesome. Loaded with apples and creamy caramel, this is exactly what every apple pie should be. As it turns out, the leftovers are really good cold as well (not that I would know anything about that).

Caramel Apple Pie
(Source: Adapted from Allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:

For taffy:
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

For pie filling:
- 5-6 cups thinly sliced apples
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 6 tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 4 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. lemon juice
- approximately 1 cup caramel dip (We find this by the apples in our produce section. You can also use caramel ice cream topping)

For crust:
- 1 recipe your favorite recipe for a 9-inch double crust deep dish pie (ummm, I may or may not cheat and buy store-bought refrigerated crust. *wink*)
- 2 tbsp. milk

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. To Make Taffy: In a small bowl combine brown sugar, melted butter or margarine, and flour. Mix well and set aside.

3. To Make Apple Filling: Place apples in a large bowl. Add white sugar, 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. Spread caramel on top of apple filling (I just did a generous coating--not too much), then top with half of taffy mixture. Repeat process with remaining apple filling, more caramel, and remaining taffy mixture.

5. 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.

6. 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 30 minutes, until crust is golden. Serve warm.