Best Caramel Apple Pie

I've been making this pie for years and it comes out perfect every time. 

Ingredients: 

Pie crust dough for two crust pie

5-6 apples peeled, cored and thinly sliced

1 tbls corn starch
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

3 tbls flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup water

1/2 tsp McCormick apple pie spice 

1 tsp pure vanilla or 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste

Directions:

I admit I usually use Pilsbury ready made rollout pie crusts. They are cheap and fast and taste exactly like the ones I make from scratch anyway. But feel free to use you favorite from scratch pie crust. Place first pie crust in pie pan pressing down so that there are no air bubbles. 

Toss sliced apples and corn starch. This keeps the pie from getting watery when the apples release their juices.  The best apple pies use a variety of different types of apples. I usually grab a few each of Granny Smith, Gala, and Fuji. Pile apple slices on top of crust. You want to have enough apples to create a mound.  As they cook down they will shrink so you want them to create a mound taller than the top of the dish. 

Take second crust and roll it out. Using sharp knife or pizza cutter cut into 1/2 inch slices keeping them as even as possible. Use a straight edge if necessary. Create basket weave top. This looks difficult but it is actually quite easy. There are many youtube how to videos on how to create a lattice top or basket weave top pie crust. Pinch the ends of the dough to finish out the pie crust. Preheat over to 425 degrees. 

In small sauce pan melt butter over medium heat. Add flour sugar and water. Heat to a boil while continuously stirring. Allow to boil while still stirring for just a few minutes. Remove from heat and stir in apple pie spice and vanilla. 

Very slowly pour over lattice weave pie crust allowing the caramel to drip down into the apples. Try to simultaneously cover all lattice crust so that as it bakes the crust will be caramelized. Do not pour too fast that the sauce drips over the sides. I usually double this sauce and put some in a small jar in the fridge. It makes an excellent dip for fresh cold apples and can be reheated for a hot caramel over vanilla ice cream. 

Now bake at 425 for 15 min, then reduce heat to 350 and bake an additional 35-40 minutes. I've been making this pie for years and it is hands down the best apple pie recipe I have ever tried. Enjoy!

Adapted from allrecipes.com-grandma ople's apple pie