Apple Pie

I make a killer apple pie.  You can thank Hannah over at EttaGrace for that.  See, she asked me to make all the desserts for her wedding where I made enough pie, banana bread, cake and cookies to feed a small army.  Up until that point I hadn't spent too much time on apple pie but I became obsessed with finding the best apple pie recipe.  I tried many, and then I found this one.  This past weekend I was called upon yet again to make some pies for an event Hannah was hosting.  Apple pie was a no-brainer. (I also made pumpkin, but that's simple, everyone can make a good pumpkin pie!)

Part of the dessert spread at Hannah's wedding.

I don't follow the recipe exactly...I never follow recipes exactly.  Here are my changes:

First, I use a mix of Granny Smith and Honey Crisp apples which I peel and core.  Chop the apples in half then into slices.

Second, as you're slicing the apples, place in a large plastic bowl (I find the apples break more easily in glass bowls) and squirt a little lemon juice on them to prevent browning.

I sprinkle cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger on the apples and toss to coat.  I also sprinkle about 1-2Tbl of flour to help thicken the juices.  I don't ever measure the amounts, I can tell you that I use the most cinnamon, followed by about half as much ginger, half again of cloves and just a dash of nutmeg.

Place the apples into a pie pan with a bottom crust (I usually use the pre made and rolled kind from the store but since my pie plate is larger I have to roll it out a little to make it big enough) and arrange in a dome.

Place in fridge to chill while making the caramel.

Getting ready for the fridge while I make the caramel!

I follow the caramel from the recipe above but I pour 95% of it on the apples (the recipe calls for a lattice top then pouring the caramel over/through that) drizzling it somewhat evenly over the apples.  I then roll out the top crust and place to top the pie.  Cut a few slits in the crust to allow venting while baking then put back in to chill for 20 or so minutes.

The chilling of the pie before baking ensures that the crust won't fall.  Falling crust is due to the butter in the dough melting before the crust sets.  By chilling it, the butter re-solidifies and the crust will set before the butter completely melts and the crust falls.

After it's done chilling, heat up the last little bit of caramel and use a pastry paint brush to cover top crust, but DO NOT brush over edges of pie crust.  The edge bakes more rapidly and for a uniform color you'll want to just brush the crust that is covering the filling and not the edge.

Fresh out of the oven pie!

Bake as directed, cool, slice and top each piece with cinnamon honey whipped cream:

Again, I don't measure anything (sorry)

Place cold heavy whipping cream into your mixer bowl and start beating on low speed with your whip attachment.  As it starts to thicken, you can increase the speed and sprinkle in some powdered sugar to sweeten slightly (maybe like 1/4 cup max) and some cinnamon to taste.  Before it gets much thicker, drizzle in some honey as it's whipping.  Don't be afraid to stop the mixer and take a taste.  This is your dessert-make it just how you want it!  Remember, it's easy to add more of anything, but impossible to take away once you've added an ingredient.  Whip until you reach a medium peak.  You want the cream to form decent peaks but the sides to be smooth.  If you've beaten it too long, the sides of the peaks will be jagged.  Don't worry, simply add in a little more heavy whipping cream and mix by hand to combine.

The complete spread.