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Holiday Apple Pie with Dried Fruit & Caramel Sauce

ByDavid Murphy Updated on
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Holiday Pie

Who doesn’t love having pie for dessert during the holidays? How about Apple pie with dried fruit and caramel sauce!? Yeah…that’s the same exact reaction that I had when I read the recipe! This is another amazing recipe that the Wolfgang Puck Online Cooking School gave to me to share with you all! Here’s what Wolfgang has to say about this amazing & delicious pie:

In this recipe, I share with you my secrets for one of the most festive pies I know, a perfect dessert to end your Christmas dinner or any holiday celebration. You’ll learn how to make a delicious apple filling decorated with jewel-like dried fruit that glisten through a latticework top crust that I’ll also show you how to make easily—especially since you can use convenient store-bought, rolled-up rounds of pie dough, if you like, instead of my own delicious, cookie-like Sugar Dough, for which you’ll also find a lesson here in my Cooking School.

A world-renowned master in the kitchen and a charismatic personality, Wolfgang Puck revolutionized the American food scene with his combination of classic techniques and the modern fusion cuisine he pioneered in his iconic restaurants across America and around the globe. Driven by a genuine love of his craft and a passion to share his lifetime of professional knowledge with as many home cooks as possible, Wolfgang has created the new Wolfgang Puck Online Cooking School, a comprehensive and ever-growing online collection of instructional recipe-lessons, how-to techniques, and always engaging video cooking courses—all in beautiful, original, entertaining, and inspiring videos that capture Wolfgang’s expertise and joy in the kitchen.

Yield: 8

Holiday Apple Pie with Dried Fruit & Caramel Sauce

Holiday Apple Pie with Dried Fruit & Caramel Sauce
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour

Ingredients

  • 10 medium apples (4 to 5 pounds total) apples such as Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Gala, or Pippin, peeled, cored, quartered, and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or 2 vanilla beans
  • 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1/2 cup diced dried apricots
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons Calvados or other apple brandy, or regular brandy, optional
  • kosher salt
  • all-purpose flour for rolling out pie crust
  • 1 recipe good-quality store-bought refrigerated pie dough
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg white beaten
  • Homemade Caramel Sauce (recipe follows)

Instructions

  • Heat 2 large heavy skillets over high heat. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in each. When the butter bubbles, add the apples and sauté about 3 minutes.
  • Add the sugar, vanilla, 2 teaspoons of the cinnamon, and the ginger. Stir or toss to coat the apples. Cook, stirring or tossing, frequently, until the apples are brown and juicy, 7 to 8 minutes.
  • Add the apricots, raisins, 1/2 cup of the cream, and the Calvados, plus a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring or tossing, until the apples are caramelized and the juices form a thick sauce, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet to cool.
  • Dust a work surface with flour. Roll out the round piece of dough to a 12-inch-diameter round, dusting lightly if sticking and turning often. Press together any tears. Transfer to a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate.
  • Dust the work surface with flour again. Roll out the second piece of dough to dimensions greater than the top of the pie and about 1/4 inch thick. Using a pizza wheel or a sharp knife, cut the square into even 1/2-inch-wide strips.
  • Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Transfer the cooled filling to the dough-lined pie dish. Press the filling slightly to compact. Trim the bottom dough to overhang about 1/2 inch around the edge.
  • Arrange 6 or 7 dough strips evenly across the filling. Arrange 6 or 7 strips at right angles to the first ones. Trim the ends. Fold the overhang over the lattice ends and crimp together into a neat border, rolling the rim toward the filling.
  • In a small bowl, stir together the remaining 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon with the granulated sugar. Brush the lattice strips with beaten egg white. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the strips.
  • Place the pie on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the crust is deep brown and the filling is bubbling, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Leave the pie at room temperature to cool completely, at least 2 hours.
  • Whip the remaining 1 cup cream to soft peaks. Cut the pie into wedges and transfer to serving plates. Drizzle the Caramel Sauce over and around each slice and add dollops of whipped cream.
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    © David Murphy

    And here’s that delicious recipe for the caramel sauce:

    Homemade Caramel Sauce

    Makes about 1 cup

    Let me show you in this lesson how easy it is to make rich, delicious, creamy caramel sauce that you can serve with cakes or pies, like the Holiday Apple Pie for which you’ll also find a lesson here in my Cooking School, or just drizzle over your favorite ice cream. Even though the recipe is simple, it is always very important that you remain cautious at all times to avoid coming into contact with any kind of hot sugar syrup. Use a heavy saucepan to ensure that the syrup cooks evenly.

    Ingredients:

    1 cup granulated sugar

    1/4 cup water

    3/4 cup heavy cream

    1 tablespoon unsalted butter

     

    Directions:

    1. Making the sugar syrup

    Sprinkle the sugar over the bottom of a deep, heavy medium saucepan. Pour the water evenly over the sugar. Over medium-high heat, cook without stirring, tilting the pan gently once or twice to insure that all the sugar is dissolved, until the syrup begins to bubble, 2 to 3 minutes.

    1. Caramelizing the syrup

    Cook at a vigorous boil, watching attentively, until the syrup just begins to turn golden, 5 to 6 minutes. Gently move the pan from side to side, without stirring, so the syrup continues to color evenly. Reduce the heat to medium.

    1. Reaching the deeply caramelized stage

    Continue to cook the syrup, reducing the heat slightly, until the color becomes a very dark amber and the syrup gives off slight wisps of smoke and smells almost burnt, 1 to 2 minutes longer.

    1. Finishing the sauce

    Immediately pour in the cream to stop the cooking. The caramel will bubble up vigorously, so keep your hands clear but do not be alarmed. Immediately reduce the heat to low. Whisk the sauce to blend evenly. Add the butter and simmer a minute or so longer, whisking until smooth.

    1. Serving & storing the sauce

    Pour the caramel into a heatproof container. Use immediately or cover and store for up to several days in the refrigerator, where the sauce will thicken as it cools. Reheat gently in a double boiler, in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over very low heat, or in the microwave.

    David Murphy

    I love creating fun, easy, and delicious recipes for everyone in the family to enjoy and make. With my family of 9 (11 if you count my two pups!), I have to make meals for all different tastes and in a short amount of time. When I'm not busy cooking, I'm taking care of my special needs sister, Angela..which you can read all about our journey!

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