Caramel Apple Pie

Ingredients:

Caramel and apples

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing the pan
• 3 tbsp. sugar
• 5 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 4 large Golden Delicious apples (0.8 - 1 kg)

Dough

• 3 cups premium flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 0.5 tsp of soda
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
• 0.5 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 110 cups unsalted butter, softened
• 1.5 cups of sugar
• 3 large eggs

Preparation:

1. Grease a 22 x 7.5 cm round cake pan with butter.
2. Cook the caramel: In a large skillet, heat the sugar and corn syrup over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture turns deep amber, 7 to 10 minutes.
3. Reduce heat to medium. Gently whisk in the cream and 4 tablespoons of butter (the mixture will splatter) and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and let it sit for 1 minute. Pour 1.5 cups of caramel into a measuring cup and set aside. Pour the remaining caramel into the prepared pan and set aside until set, about 30 minutes.
5. Cut 3 apples into quarters and core them with a small knife. Arrange the pieces skin-side down in a baking dish (slightly overlapping) in a ring about 1 cm from the edge. Reserve any remaining pieces.
6. Cut the remaining whole apple in half crosswise. Scoop out the core with a melon baller or measuring spoon, leaving the stem on the top half. Cut the bottom half and the remaining apple quarters into pieces.
7. Place the apple tops, stem side down, in the center of the pan. If the apple quarters shift, simply push them back into place.
8. Preheat oven to 175°C.
9. Knead the dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
10. In a small bowl, combine sour cream, orange juice and vanilla.
11. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
12. Crack the eggs into a small bowl.
13. Add them one at a time to the mixer bowl and beat until pale and creamy, about 5 more minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the mixer attachment. With the mixer on low speed, add half the sour cream mixture, then half the flour mixture. Repeat.
14. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula; then mix by hand.
15. Spread the dough over the apples in the pan. Top with apple slices.