As the saying goes… a caramelized apple pie a day (we wish!)). It’s apple picking season and time to cook and bake in the delicious crisp fruit of autumn.We turned to the queen of all things fresh and delicious(with a twist)t, Katzie Guy-Hamilton, to get her take on her favorite apple treat. Below, the author of Clean Enough and co-owner of Cassata Bakery (we’re eyeing their holiday gift case complete with crisp butter cookies dipped in chocolate and peppermint and honey chocolate truffles) shares her go-to autumn pie recipe.

Katzie’s Kitchen: Katzie enjoying a delicious snack and her  Clean Enough book.

The best apple pies (in my opinion) start with the best apples that are pre-cooked so that the pie can be stuffed to the brim with flavorful apples before baking. A variety of sweet and tart apples, browned butter, salt and a touch of cream piled into flaky crust for a bake. This will make your holiday table swoon and makes the fall and winter months very much in touch with the season. Growing up my Nannie could often be found near the bin in the kitchen hand peeling apples with a small paring knife. We would have pie all of the time and always with heavy cream poured straight on top of the slice. The cream was never whipped and there was never ice cream at the table. My Nannie’s pies were different and I used to think that it was because it was the Canadian or more British way of making them, without cinnamon, sans ice cream and always with vanilla.  My Thanksgivings however were always in the United States where Apple Pie always had cinnamon, New England was bursting with apple orchards and a tub of ice cream was ever present. My pie includes both vanilla and cinnamon and appreciates a great glug of good cream before serving.

1.  Peel apples and cut into quarters. Cutting on an angle remove the core and then cut the quarters in half to make 1/8ths.

2.  In a large wide pot, melt butter and brown.

3.  When butter has browned, add 100 grams of sugar, cinnamon and the vanilla bean seeds and pod.

4.  Add all of the apples and then sprinkle the brown sugar on top of the apples

5.  Sear the apples and then sautee to caramelize until softened, approximately 10 minutes.

6.  Remove apples and place in a bowl to cool.

7.  Place the remaining liquid on high heat, whisk in heavy cream, salt, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil.

8.  Combine the salt and flour and whisk into the apple caramel, boil for another minute, whisking.

9.  Pour liquid over apples and allow to cool.

To Bake

1 Egg

1 Egg Yolk

1 double crust Pie Do Recipe

Preheat oven to 375F Convection

1.  Place one dough circle in pie dish, with edges hanging over.

2.  Pile in cooled apples.

3.  Place additional pie crust on top and press the edges to seal.

4.  Trim the edges so that they are even, but still hanging over the pie dish.

5.  Tuck the edges under to create the crust and pinch between your thumb and forefinger to create a border.

6.  Whisk together the egg with the egg yolk, creating an egg wash and brush evenly over the entire pie crust.

7.  Cut slits on the top crust to allow steam to escape.

8.  Place pie on a sheet tray to catch any bubbling juices and place in oven for 55 minutes to an hour, turning halfway through.

Enough for a Double Crust Pie

Know your dough. Sure there are a lot of sweet opportunities out there and the secrets to them are all in the foundations. If you can get your hands on great fruit and can make this pie dough well, then in turn you can be an excellent pie maker!  The possibilities are boundless with a great dough and great fruit.  Double crusted, crumble topped, lattice topped, open face, free form,  you name it. Great pie dough starts with great butter and great flour and a cold, deliberate environment.  Manipulating your tough to create pockets of fat that is flat against pockets of hydrated dough will in turn give you that flaky dough that we all crave.  Doing a rough lamination, where you fold dough and butter layers on top of each other further assist in that layered puff pastry feeling. The acid from the vinegar also helps in the texture of the cooked flour in the final product. Get to know this dough and then get creative!

1.  Place Kitchen-Aid bowl and paddle attachment in the fridge.

2.  Chop butter into 1 inch cubes and place in the fridge.

3.  Remove bowl and paddle from fridge. Place floru, cornstarch, salt and sugar in the bowl and paddle to combine.

4.  Add butter and continue paddling on low until the butter becomes the size of walnuts.

5.  Pour water over ice cubes to chill and then measure out 125 grams of water.

6.  Add vinegar to water and add to flour mixture in one shot.

7.  Pulse dough in the mixer until it is very “shaggy” or loose.

8.  Dump the mixture onto a large work surface lined with a large piece of parchment and gather together into a shaggy rectangle.

9.  Using the parchment paper to assist, fold the dough in half.

10.   Pat the dough into another shaggy rectangle. Using the parchment to assist, fold the dough in half.

11.   Repeat this process four times until the dough comes together.

12.   Divide the dough in half and wrap into two parcels.

13.   Place dough in the fridge for four hours, allowing the flour to hydrate and the dough to rest.

For Double Crusted Pie

1.  Place flour on the corner of your rolling station, this is called your bench flour.

2.  Place dough on the cool counter or board and dust with “bench” flour

3.  Using the rolling pin, hit the dough a few times to soften in up.

4.  Roll in a forward motion, turning the dough and flipping it over as you go to create a circle.

5.  Roll both dough packs into large thin circles so that they can hang over a 10-inch pie dish.

6.  Place the dough between pieces of parchment and store in the freezer until ready for use.