Instructions

Make the Pie Crust

• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Add the butter and toss in the flour mixture to coat. Cut the butter into the flour mixture until it is the size of walnut halves.
• Make a well in the middle of the butter-flour mixture and add the ice water, one tablespoon at a time. Mix after each addition just until the dough comes together.
• Separate the dough into two equal balls. Roll out the dough balls into small rounds, wrap them in plastic wrap, and chill well before rolling to their full size for baking.

Make the Maple Caramel Sauce

• In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the maple syrup and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Stir frequently. This should take 6-10 minutes.
• Stir in the butter, one tablespoon at a time, stirring frequently. The butter will bubble as it hits the hot sugar-syrup mixture. Continue to heat for another 2 minutes, stirring a few times.
• Pour in the cream and sea salt and cook for another 10-15 minutes, continuing to stir a few times a minute. You can make this as thin or thick as you like, but the caramel is done cooking when it becomes thick and doesn’t slide off of a spoon. If you prefer thinner caramel, reduce the cooking time. I cooked mine for the full 15 minutes and the resulting caramel was deliciously thick.
• When the caramel is done, let it cool for a few minutes in the pot before transferring it to a jar. If the sauce thickens too much while you make the apple filling, reheat it in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time.

Make the Apple Pie

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a pie plate with butter and set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine apples and lemon juice. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt and flour and stir to evenly coat the apples. Set aside while you prepare your crust.
• On a floured surface, roll out one of your pie dough disks into a 10 to 11 inch circle, so that it will drape over the edges of your pie dish. Gently place the rolled out dough into your greased pie dish and pat the edges of the pan into the bottom edge.
• Layer the apples onto the pie dough. Keeping the apples flat will help the pie as it cooks. Don’t pour the excess liquid from the apple bowl into the crust – it will make the pie soggy (and no one wants a soggy pie). Pour the maple caramel on top of the apple filling.
• On your floured surface, roll out the second pie dough disk into a circle large enough to touch all edges of your pie plate and the bottom pie crust. Cut the circle into strips to create a lattice pattern on the top of your pie. Re-roll any leftover pie dough scrap and cut out leaves to decorate the edges. When you are pleased with your design, crimp the edges all around your pie.
• Brush all of the dough with your egg wash, sprinkle with turbinado sugar, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the top is golden. Mine didn’t need the full hour, so begin checking at 45 minutes. Let the pie cool for at least 1 hour before serving. It can be served warm, room temperature, or cold. I find it most delicious when it is warm, but easiest to cut cleanly when it is cold. Enjoy with a generous scoop of ice cream!