Tips From Pips
Dark Chocolate Caramel Apple Pie

(With my Nana’s best double pie crust recipe)
Ingredients:
· 10 oz. dark chocolate salted caramel squares (reserved for the top)
· 3 ½ pounds granny smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into ¼-inch thick slices
· (About 8 apples)
· 2/3 Cup Sugar
· 1/3 Cup all-purpose flour
· 1 tsp cinnamon
· Crumb Topping:
· 1 Cup quick-cooking rolled oats
· 1 Cup packed brown sugar
· ½ Cup all-purpose flour
· ½ cup butter - softened
· My Nana’s Home- made Pie Crust:
· 3 Cups flour
· 3 tsp sugar
· 1 Cup Vegetable or Canola Oil
· 4 T ½ & ½ or regular milk
· ¼ tsp salt
Directions:
1.) In a large bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon and apples. Toss until all coated and set aside.
2.) To make the crust, combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Using a fork combine the ingredients together and then form into a ball with your hands. Spread into a pie plate, spreading it up the sides and on the rim. (This is a very flaky, moist pie crust – handed down generations)
3.) To make the crumb topping: In a large bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar and flour together. Add the softened butter and mix together with a fork, until you have soft crumbs.
4.) Assemble the Pie: Add the apples to the pie crust and sprinkle the crumb topping to cover the whole pie.
5.) Bake in a 375-degree oven for 40-45 minutes, until the crust is slightly browned, and apples are bubbly and soft. If the crust starts to brown too quickly, cover the rim with tinfoil or a pie plate rim cover.
6.) Place on a rack to cool.
7.) Once the pie is removed from the oven, melt the dark chocolate salted caramel squares in a microwave safe bowl for 1 minute and stir. Pour over the top of the just baked pie with a spoon or fork in lines or any pattern. (This will harden upon cooling.) Cool pie completely and serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream on top. (if desired) Yum!