I'll be honest. Apple pie has always soothed my soul. Until I had caramel apple pie. Now I find myself pining for caramel apple pie every year without fail, searching grocery stores and snatching up a piece at any bakery that has the decency to include this delicacy in their supply. So of course, I had to try my hand at making my own. My only obstacle was attempting the perfect homemade caramel sauce. I've never made caramel from scratch because I assumed it would be time-consuming, tricky and probably messy, but then I looked through some recipes and was annoyed at how simple it really was! So here she is, salted caramel apple pie.

First, make a fresh pie crust. You can use your own favorite recipe, a pre-made crust, or a single crust recipe I've previously posted.

Pie Crust

Prepare the crust into a cast iron skillet or pie dish and set aside.

Now you'll need to make the salted caramel. Don't be intimidated if you have never made it before. The key to this simple sauce is just to watch it closely and let it do its thing!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 C sugar

1/4 C water

1 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 C heavy cream

1 tsp sea salt

In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, pour in granulated sugar, water, lemon juice and vanilla extract and stir together. Stir continuously for 2-3 minutes with a wooden spoon, and then let it bubble on its own. Swirl the pan around about every other minute after this to ensure even cooking. Let it bubble vigorously. It will eventually turn a nice amber color, after about 9 minutes total. Make sure it doesn't over cook! Let it turn a dark golden brown and immediately remove from heat, as it can burn within seconds. With the pan away from direct heat, begin to pour in the cream very slowly, as it bubbles up quickly as a reaction. Stir until cream is fully incorporated, then add salt and mix that in too. Let caramel sauce sit to cool until just warm.

For the filling, you'll need:

10 large green apples peeled, cored and sliced (I used Roxbury Russets. They are like a Granny Smith, just not quite as tart, and slightly sweeter)

1/2 C packed light brown sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

2 Tb fresh lemon juice

3 Tb cornstarch

1 tsp sea salt

Preheat oven to 400F. After you've prepared the apples, throw them into a large pot and then add brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon juice. Cover and cook over medium heat until the apples are just tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, then add the cornstarch and sea salt, stirring everything well.

Pour the filling into prepared crust and spread evenly.

Drizzle about 3/4 C of your prepared caramel sauce over the top of filling. Using your wooden spoon, push the apples around a little to let the caramel work its way into the crevices. Save the remaining caramel sauce for serving! And for topping ice cream, adding into your latte, the possibilities are endless...

Roll out the other half of your pie crust and cut into lattice strips, or however you like to design it! This is the best part of the process in my opinion. Make a quick egg wash by adding 2 Tb water to an egg, beaten and brushed over the top of the pie crust. Put the pie in the oven on a center rack. I like to place a baking sheet on the lower rack anytime I bake pies to catch any filling that might bubble over. Bake for about 1 hour. Halfway through, check on the pie to ensure even browning. Turn it if needed, and cover edges with aluminum foil if they're getting too brown. As you can see, I like a darker crust just as my own preference, but bake it to your liking. Let cool for atleast 30 minutes, until the caramel has stopped bubbling and the pie filling has had time to set. I finished the pie with a light sprinkle of sea salt.

For the past week, I've asked Lumen what she wants for dinner every afternoon, thinking she'd offer up her rolodex of usual requests like Goldfish, strawberries, string cheese or just chocolate. She's got exquisite taste, folks! My kind of girl. But to my surprise, she suggested chicken pot pie. Every single day. So I figured I should comply. It's got your meat, seasonings, and delicious veggies all wrapped together in a flaky, buttery crust. Initially, I kept brushing off her request because of the idea of making pie crust and rolling it out. It's just so much easier to roast some veggies and grill some chicken! But the more she suggested it, the more it sounded too good to pass up. This pie crust actually took me less effort than crusts I've made in the past, and it was even more delicious! So here is my version. Lumen scarfed her entire adult-sized piece (as did we!) It's soul-satisfying, easy, and most importantly, toddler approved.

For the filling, you'll need:

2 chicken breasts, or about 3 cups shredded

1/2 C butter (1 stick)

1 C chopped onions (I used 1/2 C red + 1/2 C green)

3 medium carrots, or about 2 C

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 1/2 C broccoli

1 1/2 C sweet potatoes

1 C celery, or about 2 large stalks chopped

1 C fresh parsley

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 Tsp dried rosemary

1/2 Tsp dried thyme

1/2 C flour

2 C chicken broth

For the crust, you'll need:

1 1/4 C flour (I used Bob's Red Mill Whole Wheat Pastry Flour)

1 Tsp sugar

1/2 Tsp salt

1/2 C cold butter, sliced

3 to 5 Tb ice cold water

1 egg, for wash

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F. First, make your crust. Whisk together flour, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Add your cut butter pieces and blend them thoroughly with a pastry cutter (or a fork) until it resembles coarse meal and no large chunks of butter remain. Add your ice water, a tablespoon at a time, and stir until it starts holding together when squeezed. Don't over mix! Form dough into a ball, wrap, and refrigerate while you make your filling.

I like to prepare all my ingredients at once. Dice all of your vegetables, then throw your chicken in a frying pan to cook. I like to cook them over medium-high heat in a tablespoon of olive oil for just about 2 minutes per side. It will keep the chicken really juicy. Once it's finished cooking, shred it. In a medium to large pot, melt the butter. Add carrots, broccoli, sweet potatoes and onions and sauté for about 2 minutes, until they've softened a little. Then add your garlic, salt, pepper, and flour. Mix well. Pour in the chicken broth slowly and stir. Now add your celery, parsley, rosemary and thyme, and stir continuously for about a minute or two, until the sauce has thickened a little. Add your shredded chicken to the pot and remove from heat.

Take out your pie crust and knead it to break it in a little. Split it in half and roll out each half circle as large as you can make it. Fill your pie pan or skillet with one half and push the dough into the sides and up to the top. Take your filling and pour it all into the dish, spreading it to fill. Now take the top half of the dough and cover the filling. Because this recipe makes for a light, flaky crust, it's very delicate. I just took extra pieces hanging over the edge and patched them onto the exposed parts of the perimeter, until the whole top was covered. Next, make an egg wash by whisking an egg and a tablespoon of milk or water together, and brush it over the top. This will keep your pie crust from drying out too much and give it a nice glaze to brown.

Bake your pie on a center rack with a baking pan below (in case of bubbling over) for about 25 minutes. Take it out when the top is a nice golden brown. The filling is already cooked, so it's really just up to you to bake it to your liking, whether its more doughy or crispy! When it's ready to come out, let it cool for about 10 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!

Tyler had to sneak Ever into my shot, and I quite like how it came out. This face was too cute not to throw in here...