Home Care Recipes: Caramel Apple Pie

Home Care in Franklinton, NC

There are some flavors that just make you think of the holidays, and one of them is caramel apple. This recipe takes that favorite fall combination and puts it into a dessert perfect for your holiday buffet. Encourage your aging loved ones to make this with their referred caregiver so that they can feel that they are making a meaningful contribution to the holiday celebration, and so that they can enjoy the extra benefits of stimulating their minds, triggering memories, and keeping their cognition sharp.

Because this recipe uses a store bought caramel topping, it is simple and approachable. If desired, you can use a favorite homemade recipe for caramel topping in place of the jarred version.

What You Will Need

Crust

• 3 cups of all-purpose flour, plus more set aside for flouring surfaces
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon of distilled white vinegar
• 3/4 cup of vegetable shortening
• 12 tablespoons of salted butter, cut into pieces
• A mixing bowl
• A pastry cutter
• A large plastic bag
• A rolling pin
• A metal spatula
• A 9 inch pie pan

Filling

• 6 to 7 cups of peeled and sliced Granny Smith apples
• 1/2 of a lemon, juiced
• 1/4 of a teaspoon of salt
• 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup of granulated sugar
• A mixing bowl

Crumb Topping

• 1/2 jar of caramel topping, plus more to taste
• 1/2 cup of chopped pecans
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 cup of quick oats
• 1 cup of packed brown sugar
• 12 cup of all-purpose flour
• 12 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• A mixing bowl

What to Do

• In the pie crust mixing bowl, combine the cinnamon, flour, salt and nutmeg
• Add the butter and vegetable shortening and continue to mix
• Work the butter into the flour using the pastry cutter
• Continue to work the butter in until the mix resembles small pebbles
• Add the white vinegar, 5 tablespoons of cold water and egg
• Stir until just combined
• Form 2 equal sized balls
• Place each ball into a plastic bag and lightly flatten with a rolling pin
• Seal the bags tightly
• Place in the freezer for 20 minutes
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F
• Remove one bag from the freezer, saving the other for another use
• Remove the dough from the bag and place it on the lightly floured work surface
• Roll the dough, beginning at the center and working away, outward
• Gently roll the dough, using the metal spatula to loosen if it begins to stick to the surface, until fully rolled out
• Loosen with the spatula and lift into the 9 inch pie pan
• Gently press down on the dough against the corner of the pan and tear off any excess
• Tuck the edges under and go around the pie pan in a circle pinching the dough to crimp the edges
• In the filling mixing bowl, combine the apples, lemon juice, granulated sugar, salt and flour and mix
• Set the filling bowl aside
• In the topping mixing bowl, cut the butter into the flour with the pastry cutter
• Add in brown sugar, salt and oats
• Add the apples to the prepared pie shell
• Top the apples with the crumb topping
• Place in the oven and allow to bake for 1 hour, making sure to cover the edges with foil if they begin to brown too fast
• Sprinkle the chopped pecans over the top of the pie and bake for another 5 minutes
• Remove the pie from the oven
• Pour 1/2 a jar, or more to taste, of the caramel topping onto the top of the pie
• Allow to cool slightly and serve