Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Salted Caramel Apple Pie

The best bakeries in the city have tiny, tiny storefronts and offer only a few sweet treats. Four and Twenty Blackbirds falls into this category. The Brooklyn shop sells only slices of (AMAZING) pie and coffee/tea... Nothing more.

The one exception: the earliest of risers may get their hands on a whole pie, if luck is in their favor. A limited number are made each day.

Not long ago, Four and Twenty Blackbirds shared their famous recipe for Salted Caramel Apple Pie. I've been wanting to make it ever since, and could think of no better occasion than Canadian Thanksgiving!

(The Mr. and I are very lucky to be able to celebrate this loving holiday twice each year!)

Earlier in the weekend, we ventured to the Tribeca Greenmarket to pick up fresh apples. For baking, the best varieties include: Crispin, Granny Apple and Cortland.


Now, let's get started...

The key to a good pie is a good crust. I've tried several variations and the best is Martha Stewart's rendition of Pate Brisee. The end result is soft and flakey, with the perfect amount of buttery richness.

Pressing the dough into a disc rather than shaping it into a ball allows it to chill faster. This will also make the dough easier to roll out.


I tend to like everything in small portions, so I chose to make several mini pies. While it's a little more time consuming to form each pie individually, I think it's a prettier way to serve this dessert.


Once the pastry dough is shaped nicely, it's important to layer the apples and caramel sauce in thirds. This allows the sweetness of the fruit and the saltiness of the candy to combine evenly.



The end result is almost too pretty to eat... Just kidding! It's best served with a heaping scoop of vanilla bean ice cream!

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