Cider Caramel Apple Pie

It's October 10th which is my sister's birthday, so Happy Birthday Amelie! I asked her if she wanted cake and her answer was yes, but not necessarily our traditional birthday cake which is a marble cake covered in chocolate. As autumn is in full swing I decided to go with the season. I have a go-to apple pie recipe, but I was itching to try a different recipe I had come across some time in summer browsing the Food52 website. 
It's one of my favorite sites for their beautiful pictures and creative recipes. I am always looking for new quinoa salads and new combinations for my lunches and this site has been a great help a dozen times.

Here's the link to the recipe: http://food52.com/recipes/31911-cider-caramel-apple-pie

The recipe asks you to use your own favorite crust recipe, so I decided to play it safe and take the crust from my go-to apple pie which is from Cynthia Barcomi's first book "Backbuch". 

Here's the full recipe for the pie:

For the dough:
420g (3 cups minus 1 tablespoon) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
240g (2 sticks) unsalted butter
90g palm butter
160ml (1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons) cold water

For the filling:
1l (1 quart, 4 cups) apple cider
80g (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 large apples (the recipe called for Honeycrisp, I used Elster, Granny Smith would work)
175g (1 cup) brown sugar
50g (1/3 cup) all-purpose flour
pinch of cinnamon

1 egg, to brush
brown sugar for sprinkling if desired

1) Start by placing the apple cider into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Let it reduce until it has reached a caramel-like consistency. This will take 1-2 hours, depending on the size of your pan. It took a little over an hour for me. Be patient - the cider will almost be gone before you can add the butter and vanilla.  

Cut the butter for the dough in small pieces. I didn't use palm butter, but substituted regular butter which works just fine. Place the butter in the freezer for about 30 minutes.

2) While the butter is freezing, mix the flour, salt and sugar in a bowl. Then add the butter  and mix with an electric mixer until the dough gets crumbly. 

3) Add 1/2 cup of the water and mix again until the dough comes together. If it's a little dry, add one tablespoon at a time, if necessary. 

4) Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll out to about 3mm thick. Divide the dough in half. Half of the dough will be to cover the pie. Grease a 26cm (10 inch) pie dish or springform tin and place the dough in it. The return to the fridge for chilling, at least 30 minutes. I like to roll the dough before chilling because it's easier to work it at that point.

5) While the dough is chilling, make the filling. Cut the apples into quarts. You can either slice them now. I like cut the apples into 8 pieces and slice sidewise, not lengthwise, because I like smaller pieces in the pie. Measure the flour, sugar and cinnamon (I used half a teaspoon) and mix with the apples. 

6) When the cider has reduced, stir through the butter and vanilla extract. Add to the apples and mix thoroughly. 

7) Fill the apples into your crust. For the top crust, you can get creative. You can try a traditional lattice, you can simply roll the dough to a large round and top the whole pie with it as is shown in the recipe. I wanted to make this pie a little more special - hey, it's supposed to be a birthday cake! - and tried my hand at a braided lattice. Here's the link to the Food52-direction: http://food52.com/blog/13572-master-the-traditional-lattice-top-pie-then-try-7-fun-riffs. Brush the lattice or top crust with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar, if desired.

8) Preheat the oven to 225°C (437°F). When placing the pie in the oven, reduce the temperature to 210°C (410°F) and bake for 15 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 190°C (375°F), cover lightly with aluminium foil and bake for 50 more minutes. 

Yield: 12-16 slices
Active preparation time: about 45 minutes
Total preparation time: a little over 3 hours.

Here's how mine turned out:

I really like how this turned out. Braiding the dough is a little tricky, because the dough can't be too cold or it will be too hard to work with and if it's too warm, the braids will easily tear.

The cider brings a very distinct, slightly bitter note to the pie balancing the sweetness from the sugar. Not so much form the apples, as they're already tart. The dough is not sweet, which helps balance the whole pie as well. The apples are baking softly, but still keep a little bit of bite. 

I really love this pie and will most likely make it again a few more times in autumn in winter. It is a nice variation if you want something other than "regular" apple pie without adding a ton of work. And it is great fun to keep your eaters guessing the "secret" ingredient, cider. 

Have fun trying and have a great weekend!