Salted Caramel Apple Bourbon Pie Filling

The Apple of Autumn’s Eye

Years ago, I started volunteering for dessert duty for Thanksgiving. Since Autumn calls for apple pie, I bought over a dozen apples to experiment with different recipes. I sifted through the internet, but I couldn’t find the perfect one. Those filling recipes just covered basics: apples, butter, flour, sugar, etc. Where is the love? Where is the booze? I surrendered my search and took to my kitchen with a mission: throw things together over and over again until something works.

 

Go the Extra Mile

If you want to add something extra special to this pie, try adding cooked bacon (just the meaty bits) and reduce the amount of salt when cooking the caramel sauce. After all, what’s more American than good old apple pie and bacon?

Get Started

Ingredients

• 3-4 large granny smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced
• 6 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 c
  up granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• Lemon juice
• Half-pint -7 tbsp heavy cream
• Splashes of Bourbon (more or less, depending on your preference)
• 3 tbsp all purpose flour

 

Baking Notes

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a medium-sized pot, whisk together the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Then, bring to a boil, splash in the bourbon and gradually add heavy cream (I usually end up adding the rest of the cream that was left o
   ver after making the crust from my previous post).
3. Cook until the sauce is bubbling. Test the caramel by dropping a bit in a cup of cold water. If it holds his shape but maintains the typical caramel-sauce-for-ice-cream texture, it’s ready.
4. Remove the caramel from the heat, mix in apples, and let it cool. Mix in the lemon juice, sprinkle in flour, then set aside.
5. Cover pie crust (without filling) with a sheet of foil and bake for 10 minutes.
6. Remove pie from oven, uncover, and add filling.
7. Cover the top of the pie with foil again, place pie plate on a baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes.
8. Remove foil from the top of the pie and lower temperature to 350. Bake an additional 40-50 minutes. Check the pie during the last 20 minutes of baking to see if the crust is getting too dark. If so, wrap foil around the edges of the pie and continue to bake.
9. Pie is done when crust is golden and filling is bubbly.

 

Mission complete

When I first started writing this recipe, it took at least 5 pies until I nailed the process, texture, and taste. I spent a day throwing it together last month and made sure to share it with some friends on campus. It takes time and effort, but it’s always worth it.

 

Try it out for yourself and let me know how it goes. Share the link, share the recipe, and, if you want to, share the finished product!