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I have a lot of “rules” when it comes to food.  I think that most of us do.  I guess that you can also call them “preferences,” but I a pretty solid set of guidelines for what I will and will not eat.  For the most part, cooked fruit is on the “will not eat” list, but there are exceptions.  I won’t eat cooked berries in a pie, but I might eat them in a sauce over cheesecake.  Cooked apples are on my “no” list, except when the dessert also includes caramel.  And, most fruit pies in general are off the table because the crust (which is the best part for me) is simply there to hold a mountain of hot fruit mush.  This is one of the many reasons why this caramel apple slab pie caught my attention.  Not only did it meet one of my exceptions (cooked apples are paired with caramel), but the apples are not piled high on a crust.  This makes the fruit to crust ratio more even, and a LOT more appealing to me.  I say this as the person that scoops out most of the apples in an apple pie or turnover so that she gets more crust.

Until recently, I didn’t even know that slab pies existed.  But, they are a novel idea.  They are great for potlucks, easier to cut and serve, and the leftovers are usually easier to store.  This caramel apple slab pie was a collaboration between myself and a few of my friends.  It is basically exactly what it says it is.  You get some chopped spiced apples and pour them into a crust-covered sheet pan, sprinkle with crumb topping, then drizzle with caramel after it has been baked.  Overall, I think we did pretty well!

We used premade pie crust, because it’s quicker than making our own and it guaranteed a more uniform crust thickness.  One package of refrigerated pie crust contains 2 round discs of crust, so we pieced them together the best way that we could to cover the entire pan.

After my apples were peeled, cored, and sliced, I tossed with in lemon juice.  Then, I added the sugar, flour, and spices and mixed until they were all combined.  Once that’s done, spread the mixture evenly in the prepare sheet pan.

The last step before baking is the crumb topping.  Get the topping ingredients into a bowl, then use a pastry cutter (or two forks) to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until you get a coarse, crumbly mixture.  Crumble this mixture over the apples, then bake for about 45 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.  Set the slab pie on a cooling rack while you make the caramel sauce.

Combine butter, brown sugar, and heavy cream with a pinch of salt in a small saucepan.  Cook them over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture starts to thicken, about 10 minutes.  If you drop some of the caramel in a bowl of ice water, the caramel should hold it’s shape somewhat instead of dissolving.  When it reaches this stage, remove it from the heat and stir in the vanilla.  Let it cool for 5-10 minutes before you pour it over the slab pie.

It’s not the prettiest dessert you’ll ever see, but it sure is tasty!  Let the slab pie cool just enough so that it doesn’t fall apart when you slice it, but it’s best served warm.  Unless you’re one of those weirdos that prefers cold pie.

And, if you are feeling indulgent, serve it with a scoop of ice cream.  A plain vanilla ice cream works, but we also learned that cream cheese ice cream also pairs wonderfully with a piece of this dessert.  The subtle cream cheese tang in the ice cream sets off the tang of the granny smith apples, but is tempered by the sweet caramel.

Make sure you refrigerate your leftovers!

Caramel Apple Slab Pie

(Adapted from The Recipe Critic)

Ingredients

For the pie filling

• 1 package refrigerated pie crust (or make your own pie crust)
• 3 1/2 lbs Granny Smith apples (or your favorite apple), peeled, cored, and sliced
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

For the crumb topping

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter, cut into cubes
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour

For the caramel sauce

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• a pinch of salt

Directions

Prepare the crust and filling:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F.  Unroll pie crust according to package directions.  Cover the bottom of an ungreased 15 x 10 inch cookie sheet with the pie crust, cutting and piecing together as needed.

Place your apples in a large bowl and toss with lemon juice.  Add the remaining filling ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined.  Spread evenly into prepared cookie sheet and set aside.

Prepare the crumb topping:

In a medium bowl, stir the rolled oats, brown sugar, and flour.  Using a pastry cutter or fork, cut the cubed butter into the dry mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Crumble over the apples in the cookie sheet.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until the crumb topping is golden brown and the apples are tender.  Remove from oven and set on a wire rack while you make the caramel sauce.

Make the caramel sauce:

In a small saucepan, heat the butter, brown sugar, cream, and salt over medium heat until the mixture comes to a soft boil.  Cook for 7-10 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture has thickened.  The caramel should stay together if you pour a little bit in a bowl of ice water.  Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.  Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes, then slowly drizzle over the slab pie.

Makes about 18 servings