Caramel Apple Filling:
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (juice from 1 large lemon)
3 ½ – 4 pounds (8 cups) tart apples, such as granny smith or Macintosh, peeled, cored, and cut into ¼ inch slices
¼ cup (53 grams) dark brown sugar
2 ½ tablespoons (17.5 grams) cornstarch
1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon salt
2 cups (473 ml) salted caramel sauce, divided
1 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
For the Crumb Topping:
1 cup (120 grams) all-purpose flour
¼ cup (28 grams) whole wheat flour
¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
¼ cup (53 grams) dark brown sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
8 tablespoons (½ cup/ 4 ounces/ 113 grams) butter, melted
½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
Instructions:
Line a pie plate with pie crust dough, crimping the edges of the crust so that it extends about ½-inch above the pie plate (see video and pictures above). Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C).
Squeeze the lemon juice into a large, heavy bottom saucepan and toss the apple slices with the lemon juice as you slice them to prevent the slices from browning.
Add the brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt to a small bowl and stir to combine. Sprinkle the mixture over the apples and toss with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to coat the apples.
Stir 1 cup (236ml) salted caramel sauce into the apples and set the pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture begins to boil. Continue to cook and stir for 1 minute longer. Remove from the heat and stir in the almond extract, if using.
Pour the apple pie filling into the pie crust, creating a slight dome of apples in the center of the pie. There will be a LOT of apples. Pile them on; the apples will shrink as the pie bakes. Place the pie plate on a aluminum foil lined cookie sheet (to catch any drips). Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
While the pie begins to bake, make the crumb topping, then keep baking:
In a medium size bowl, add all the topping ingredients except the butter and almond extract, and stir to combine. Pour in the melted butter and almond extract (if using) and mix with your hands just until all the dry ingredients are moistened. It should be the consistency of wet sand. If you squeeze it together in your hand, it should clump together. If it’s too dry, add a bit more butter, 1 teaspoon at a time.
Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Remove the pie from the oven and cover the apple pie filling with the crumb topping, squeezing the topping with your hands to create some large clumps.
Return the pie to the oven and bake for an additional 35 minutes.
Cover the pie loosely with aluminum foil (this will prevent the streusel from burning) and bake for another 20 minutes, until the filling is bubbling, and the bottom crust is baked through.
Remove the apple pie from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours. Pour the remaining 1 cup salted caramel sauce over the top of the pie and serve. (This pie is best served slightly warm or at room temperature)
