The Apple Pie

And one more cooking post...

I wanted to make an Upside Down Caramel Apple Pie.  I've made it a dozen times and never had any problems, but something about crossing the ocean changed that whole story.

From the beginning:

• I don't have a pie plate so I borrowed two pie pans (thinking the two would equal the volume of my large Pampered Chef pie plate)
• I bought two boxes of pie crust - after using my dictionary to translate both Spanish and french to be  sure I had pie crust and not phyllo dough or pizza crust (got at two different stores after deciding I would make two instead of one - one was a french brand and the directions were in french instead of Spanish)
• I went to the outdoor market and bought apples.
• I pulled out the recipe ready to attack it - 
• Problem #1 - the recipe calls for white Karo syrup - there is no syrup in Spain, much less a specific type.  
• Google to the rescue - searched for how to make homemade Karo syrup and did so
• Made the caramel sauce that calls for brown sugar - brown sugar is not the same over here - it is dry and granular like white sugar in the states - doesn't cook the same because of the lack of moisture
• Open the pie crusts - and discover one box has two in it and the other has one - I need four - this recipe has a top and bottom crust.
• No problem - my pans are small and I can cut off some crust and make a fourth crust
• Make flavoring for inside of pie - calls again for brown sugar and cinnamon and nutmeg - no nutmeg in Spain either, so just used all cinnamon
• Go to put the 2 pies in the oven that took 30 minutes to preheat and discover only one pan fits.
• Cook first pie and right after putting the 2nd pie in to cook the oven turns off - if it stays hot for longer than it thinks is acceptable it turns off (I am sure I am doing something wrong with it, but the knobs and directions are not in English) - I didn't notice it had turned off so had to take pie out of oven and reheat the oven and then finish cooking the 2nd pie
• Dump pies out on plate and enjoy as well as deliver one to friends

Never a boring moment in the Hunter's kitchen!

UPSIDE DOWN CARAMEL APPLE PIE

This is a Pampered Chef recipe.

Glaze and pastry

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tbl butter, melted
1Tbl corn syrup
1/3 cups pecan halves, coarsely chopped
1 package refrigerated pie crusts (2 crusts)

Filling

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3Tbl all purpose flour
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Dash of ground nutmeg
4 large Granny Smith apples
1 Tbl lemon juice

Preheat oven to 425°F. For glaze, combine brown sugar, butter and corn syrup in Stoneware 9" Pie Plate; spread evenly onto bottom. Chop pecans using Food Chopper; sprinkle over sugar mixture. Top with 1 pastry crust; set aside. 

For filling, combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg in 1-Qt Batter Bowl; mix well. Peel, core and slice apples using Apple/Peeler/Corer/Slicer; cut slices crosswise in half. Place apple slices in Classic 2-Qt Batter Bowl; sprinkle with lemon juice. 

Layer half of the apples in pastry-lined Pie Plate; sprinkle with half the brown sugar mixture. Repeat layers. Place remaining crust over filling. Fold edge of top crust under edge of bottom crust; flute edge. Cut several slits in top crust. 

Bake 50-60 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes. Loosen edge of pie from Pie Plate; carefully invert pie onto heat resistant serving plate. Scrape any remaining caramel topping from pie plate onto pie. 

Cool at least 1 hour before serving.