Apple-Toffee Pie
makes one 9-inch pie
Ingredients
for the crust
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar (use more if desired)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (that's 2 sticks) unsalted butter, very cold and cut into bits
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
6-8 Tablespoons cold half & half cream
for the filling
3 lbs apples (I used about 8 Ida Red apples)
1/2 cup toffee bits
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar, loosely packed
for finishing
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
Preparation
Prepare the crust: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Toss in the cold butter bits - mix until coated in flour. Place everything into the bowl of a large food processor and pulse several times until you're left with a mixture that resembles cornmeal (it will look very dry). Place back into large mixing bowl and place the bowl into freezer - freeze for about 20 minutes.
Remove the bowl from freezer. Sprinkle with about 3 Tablespoons of the cream and, using a large rubber spatula, gently work the cream into the butter/flour mixture. Slowly start adding more cream (about 1/2 Tablespoon at a time) until the dough comes together and becomes cohesive. {Note: You probably won't need all 8 Tablespoons of cream. The dough should be slightly sticky, not "wet."}
Divide the dough in half, flatten each half into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight. Well-wrapped, the dough can be refrigerated for up to five days.
Remove one disk of dough from the fridge. Let it rest at room temperature for a few minutes if it's too stiff for rolling. On a floured surface, roll the disk out into a 14-inch circle that's about 1/4-inch thick. Gently place the circle into a 9-inch pie plate - trim the edges so there's a one inch overhang. Place plate into fridge.
Line a large, flat cookie sheet with parchment paper. Remove the second disk of dough and roll it out into another 14-inch circle. Carefully transfer the circle to parchment-lined sheet. Refrigerate as you prepare the filling.
Preheat the oven to 375 F.
Prepare the filling: Peel, core, and quarter the apples. Cut each quarter into slices that are about 1/4-inch thick (you can cut the apples into chunks too). Place apple slices into large mixing bowl. Add the toffee, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Stir everything together until the apples are coated in sugar and toffee bits. Set aside.
Remove both the pie plate and the rolled out circle of dough from fridge. To avoid any cracking, allow both to rest at room temperature for about 15 minutes. Fill crust-lined pie plate with the apple mixture. Drape the upper crust over the apples. Trim the top crust so it's slightly longer than the bottom - tuck it under the bottom crust. Pinch both crusts together to seal and use the tines of a fork to decorate the outer rim. Use a sharp pairing knife to make an "X" on top of the crust, make about five 2-inch slits around the rest of the pie. Brush entire crust with beaten egg and sprinkle with granulated sugar.
Bake for 45-58 minutes, or until the crust is deep golden brown. If the edges are browning too fast, cover them loosely with tin foil. {Note: My pie filling oozed out a bit onto the oven floor. If this happens to you just place foil-lined baking sheet on the rack beneath the pie.}
Remove the pie from the oven and place onto a cooling rack. Cool completely before enjoying!