Ingredients
1 cup sugar such as Sugar In The Raw
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
3 pounds (6 to 7) baking apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
3/4 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more for top
Test Kitchen’s Favorite Pâte Brisée
1/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 large egg, beaten
Fine sanding sugar, for sprinkling, optional
Vanilla ice cream, for serving
Flaky sea salt, for serving, optional
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°F with a rack in center and a large sheet of foil on rack below. Bring 1 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring and brushing down sides with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming, until sugar dissolves. Cook, swirling occasionally, until mixture is deep golden brown. Remove from heat. Stir in butter, then heavy cream (it will bubble up) and salt. You will have about 1 cup. Let cool while preparing pie.
In a large bowl, combine apples, sugar, lemon juice, flour and salt. Add 3/4 cup cooled caramel, and toss to combine.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disk of dough to a 13-inch round, about 1/8-inch thick. Fit into a 9-inch pie dish. Pour filling into shell. Roll remaining disk of dough to a 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut into at least 16 1/2-inch-wide strips using a fluted pastry cutter.
Lay 8 strips across pie. Fold back every other strip, and lay a horizontal strip across the center of the pie. Unfold folded strips, then fold back remaining strips. Lay another horizontal strip across pie. Repeat folding and unfolding strips to weave a lattice pattern. Repeat on remaining side. Brush with egg and sprinkle with sugar, and salt, if desired. Freeze 20 minutes.
Bake until crust is golden on bottom and juices are bubbling in center, 1 hour and 20 minutes to 1 hour and 30 minutes. If browning too quickly, tent top or edges with foil. Let cool completely on a wire rack, about 4 hours. Serve slices with vanilla ice cream drizzled with remaining caramel (reheated in pan over low heat or in microwave) and sprinkled with flaky salt.
