Good Day Cafe: Perfect holiday pies - DC Breaking Local News Weather Sports FOX 5 WTTG

Good Day Cafe: Perfect holiday pies

Michele Albano, the owner of Michele's Pies, comes to the Good Day Cafe.

Here are tips and a recipe for the perfect holiday pie.

Crisco: Michele's Pies

MichelesPies.com

Caramel Apple Crumb Pie

Crust and Topping

1 recipe Traditional Pastry Piecrust dough for a 9-inch single-crust pie
¼ cup heavy creamy (to glaze the crimped pie edges)
Cinnamon Sugar Crumb Topping
½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Filling

¾ cup sugar
3 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Pinch ground nutmeg
8 medium apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch chunks
2/3 cup caramel sauce

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

To prepare the pie shell, on a clean, lightly floured work surface, roll out half a ball of dough with a rolling pin until it forms a 10-inch circle. Wrap the remaining half of the dough tightly in plastic wrap and reserve it in the refrigerator for future use for up to 5 days. Fold the circle in half, place it in a 9-inch pie plate so that the edges of the circle drop over the rim, and unfold the dough to completely cover the pie plate. Using your thumb and index finger, crimp the edges of the pie shell. Brush the edges of the pie shell with heavy cream to create a perfect, golden brown finish. Set the pie shell to the side while you make the filling.

To prepare the filling, in a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pecans or walnuts if desired. In a large bowl, toss the apples with the sugar mixture, making sure the apples are thoroughly coated.

To assemble the pie, spread 1/3 cup of the caramel sauce across the bottom of the pie shell. Place the apples in the pie shell, distributing them evenly. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar crumb topping over the apple filling, covering it completely.

To bake, place the pie plate on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 375°F and continue baking for 40 minutes, or until the apples are tender. Transfer the pie plate to a wire cooling rack and allow the pie to cool for 10 minutes. While the pie is still slightly warm, drizzle the remaining 1/3 cup caramel sauce over the crumb topping.

Apple pies are best served either at room temperature or warmed at 350°F for about 10 minutes. Caramel Apple Crumb Pie will keep at room temperature overnight and can be stores in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.