Brown Butter + Maple Caramel Apple Pie
Serves: serves 8-10
 
Makes one 9" pie.
Ingredients
  • FOR THE CRUST:
  • 2½ cups White Whole Wheat Flour or all-purpose Flour
  • 3 tablespoons fine Cane Sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon Sea Salt
  • ¼ cup Shortening
  • 12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) Butter, cold and cut into small cubes
  • ¼ cup + Ice Water
  • 1 Egg, beaten
  • FOR THE APPLE FILLING:
  • 4 ounces (8 tablespoons) Salted Butter
  • 1 cup Maple Syrup
  • ½ cup Heavy Cream
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • 1 Vanilla Bean
  • 3 pounds Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored, and cut into somewhat thick wedges/slices
  • 2½ tablespoons Tapioca Starch (or 2 tablespoons Cornstarch)
  • 4 tablespoons Water
  • 1 Egg, beaten
Instructions
  1. FOR THE CRUST:
  2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  3. Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with an 's' blade. Pulse the mixture a few times until blended together.
  4. Add the shortening to the food processor and pulse once. Add the cubes of butter, one at a time, pulsing a few times after the addition of each cube.
  5. With the processor running, drizzle in the ice water until the mixture starts to form into large clumps. Do not add too much water. Dough should not be sticky or wet, but should come together to form a nice dough.
  6. Divide the dough in half, wrap up one half and set aside.
  7. Roll the other half of dough into a ball and place in between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll to a circle that is 1½-2 inches larger in circumference than your pie dish.
  8. Place the sheet of dough over the top of your pie dish and remove parchment paper. Press the dough in to fit the bottom and sides of the dish. There should be a little bit of dough left hanging over the edges. Trim dough around the edge of the pie.
  9. Roll the other half of the dough into a circle as large as your pie dish in between two sheets of parchment paper.
  10. Place both of the crusts in the fridge and make the pie filling.
  11. FOR THE APPLE FILLING:
  12. Place the butter in a saucepan and melt over medium/high heat. Continue cooking until butter begins to foam. Swirl the pan every few seconds and continue cooking until the butter becomes a light golden brown and gives of a nutty aroma. Remove from heat and set aside.
  13. Place the maple syrup in a large pot and bring to a boil over medium/high heat. Continue cooking for another minute or two, until the syrup turns a slightly darker amber color and gives of a caramelized scent (dip a spoon into the syrup if you are unsure if it has caramelized - it should harden on the spoon when dipped in water).
  14. Add the cream and salt to the syrup and stir until smooth and saucy (caramel may size at first - keep cooking and it will melt down again and cream with meld into the syrup).
  15. Add the apples to the caramel sauce and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until apples area soft.
  16. Add the browned butter to the apple mixture. Scrap the seeds of the vanilla bean into the apple mixture and stir until combined.
  17. Add the tapioca starch and water to a small bowl and whisk until combined. Pour the mixture into the pot of carameled apples and stir in quickly. Continue to cook for another 30 seconds to one minute, or until mixture thickens a bit.
  18. Remove from heat and let cool for 30 minutes to 45 minutes.
  19. Pour the apple mixture into the dough covered pie dish.
  20. Use the chilled circle of dough to cover the pie in any manner desired.
  21. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Brush the top of the pie crust with the beaten egg.
  22. Cover the top of the pie in a layer of tin foil - this will prevent the crust from browning too soon.
  23. Bake the pie in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. At the end of 45 minutes, remove the tin foil from the pie. Place the pie back in the oven and cook for another 15 minutes, or until crust is browned and filling is bubbling.
  24. Serve warm with ice cream =)
Recipe by The Kitchen McCabe at https://www.thekitchenmccabe.com/2016/11/21/brown-butter-maple-caramel-apple-pie/