Sticky Caramel-Apple Pie

This apple pie is rich and full of gooey caramel and soft, sweet apples and it's nowhere NEAR healthy. I love to make it in fall on a cold day and serve it warm. The recipe was adapted roughly from the New Joy of Cooking, apple pie 11, but it was my decision to make the caramel for the filling. I don't know if there's any other recipes for apple pie that include caramel (probably is), but I know this is good, and it's usually better the next day (for breakfast, of course.)

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 8
• Yields: 1 pie

Ingredients

• Crust

• 1  cup vegetable shortening
• 2  cups flour
• 1  tablespoon salt
• 1  tablespoon sugar
• 1⁄4 cup  ice water

• Filling

• 8  large apples, peeled (Galas or Fujis do fine)
• 6  tablespoons butter
• 2  cups brown sugar
• 1  teaspoon cinnamon
• 1  teaspoon nutmeg
• 1  teaspoon baking soda

Directions

1. Combine the flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Add the shortening in large chunks and blend with a pastry blender. Drizzle the ice water over the flour mixture and cut into/across the dough repeatedly with a rubber spatula. The quicker the pastry is made, the better. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Slice the apples a 1/4 inch thick. Heat 2 tbsp of butter in a large frying pan and sauté the apples until soft on the outside. Add 1 cup sugar and the cinnamon and nutmeg. Cover and cook for about 15 minutes. Take the apples out of the pan and arrange them on a plate or cookie sheet to cool.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F.
4. Add the remaining 4 tbsp of butter and 1 cup brown sugar and cook, (medium heat) for 2 minutes. Add 1 tsp of baking soda and stir. Don't be afraid of he colour it turns, that's because of the baking soda, it's keeps it from hardening. The great thing about this caramel is it tastes like caramel apples because the apples were cooked in the butter.
5. Take the pastry dough out of the fridge and role it out into 2 12 inch circles. place one in a 10 inch pie pan.
6. Combine the caramel and the pre-cooked apples in a bowl and transfer into the pie crust. Place the second round of pastry over the pie and seal around the edges, rolling up any excess dough. Using a sharp knife, cut 4 slits in the top layer of pastry, to prevent explosion. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.
7. When the pie comes out of the oven, make sure you let it cool for at least 4 hours before eating it so it can set.