Caramel Apple Pie

Baking with apples always make me feel so happy. I'm not sure what it is but it just comforts me. The smell, the peeling, the whole procedure... It makes me think that all is well. And after tasting this pie...everything really is more than fine! :) haha!

I know there are millions of apple pie recipes and frankly, I've tried so many of them but neither of them convinced me to make it again. Until I came to my senses and realized, I can make my own pie! I mean, the filling... :) I used a real existing recipe (from a cookbook) for the crust. Oh my...Okay, I promised myself not to use exaggerating words like the best, perfect anymore. But my oh my, this crust was just fabulous, might I say! Not dry at all, not sticky and blends completely with the filling! First, it frightened me that it requires yeast. I was puzzled, why do I need yeast in a crust?? But it really worked! No idea, what exactly it did to the dough but tasted awesome. So I don't even bother figuring out why. :)

This recipe is easy, family-friendly (kids can join and help out) and will please everyone's taste buds! Just think about the apple-caramel-walnuts and crust combo...Hmmm...Unbeatable! :)

Oh and it is quite impressive that me being a vegan can eat this cutie pie, as well!!

Caramel Apple Pie

for the filling

3 cups apple - cut finely

1 lemon's juice

salt

1 cup sugar

cinnamon

nutmeg

50 gram butter

1/2 package vanilla pudding powder

1/2 cup toasted and peeled walnuts

for the caramel

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon butter

vanilla

for the crust

3/4 cup sour cream

11 gram dry yeast

370 gram flour

165 gram butter

43 gram powder sugar

1 egg

a pinch of salt

First, let's prepare the filling because it is ought to cool down. Mix the lemon juice with the finely cut apple so it wouldn't brown. Heat a pan and pour in the sugar. When it starts melting, add the apple, the cinnamon, nutmeg and butter. Cook it for 6 minutes. Stir the pudding powder in 1/2 deciliter cold water and add it to the apple. Stir it together and bring it to a boil. When it's done, let it cool down. 

For the crust put the sour cream in the microwave and heat it just so it would be lukewarm. Mix in the dry yeast and the egg. In another bowl add the diced butter to the flour, add the powder sugar and the yeast-sour cream mixture. Knead it together. Divide the dough into a smaller and a bigger ball. 

Grease a pie pan. Roll the bigger ball into thin and put it in the pan. Poke the dough with a fork. Now add the toasted walnuts, after that add the apple.

Roll the smaller ball into the same shape and cut thin lines that will fit on your pan.

Now it's time to make the caramel. Add the brown sugar to a saucepan and when it starts melting add the vanilla and heavy cream. When there is no hard sugar in it anymore take it off the heat and add the butter. 

Pour the caramel on top of the apple and layer the dough lines on top. Plaster a beaten egg yolk on the dough and bake it for 50 minutes on 180C.