A rich & nutty pie for your Autumn table.
……….
Butter Caramel Sauce
-6 Tablespoons butter
-3/4 cup sugar
-1 cup Heavy Cream
-1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
-Big pinch of Sea Salt
To make the caramel: Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add sugar and allow to cook with butter until a dark amber color. Remove from heat and slowly whisk in cream, then vanilla and a big pinch of salt. Allow to cool while you prepare your crust and apples.
Buckwheat & Pecan Crust
-2 cups buckwheat flour
-1 cup pecans
-1/4 cup arrowroot starch
-pinch of sea salt
-2 sticks unsalted butter, cold & cubed
-1/2 - 3/4 cup ice cold water (enough to bring your dough just together, but not sticky)
-1 egg
-2 Tablespoons sugar
To make the crust: In a food processor, blitz together flour, starch, nuts & salt until a fine crumble. Then add your cold cubed butter and pulse until fully incorporated into pea sized butter chunks. Slowly add your water and continue to pulse until it all just starts to come together, not too wet! Divide your dough into one slightly larger disc (this will be your base crust), and one smaller disc (this will be your top crust) and sandwich each disc between two pieces of parchment paper. Then roll out each disc to the about 1/4 inch thick round, or as wide around as will fit in your pie plate. Refrigerate both rolled out crusts keeping them sandwiched in the parchment while you prepare your apples.
Apple Filling
-8-10 medium to large Mac or Cortland Apples
-2 Tablespoons Cinnamon
-1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
To prepare your filling: Peel, core and thinly slice your apples in a large bowl. Then coat with cinnamon and lemon juice.
Time to Assemble
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove your chilled pie crusts, and gently peel back top layer of parchment from each crust, then flip larger crust onto your pie pan, and gently tuck it in to fit, allowing edges to lay outside the rim of the pan. Fill crust with your spiced apples, then pour all of your cooled caramel over the apples. Flip your smaller crust over the top of the pie and roll overhanging bottom edges of crust up and over your top crust, all the way around, sealing your pie in. Leave the crust round, or dimple it as you please! In a small bowl, whisk your egg, and then brush over the top of your crust, followed by sprinkling 2 tablespoons of sugar over egg wash. Cut decorative slits on the top of the pie so it doesn’t explode in the oven, and bake for about an hour or until crust in a dark golden color and filling is bubbling at the edges. Allow to cool for about an hour before cutting into it, enjoy with warm custard, whip cream, ice cream, or all three :)
