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The toughest question ever pondered by mankind was "Should I have the apple pie or the pumpkin pie" (after Thanksgiving Dinner). Well, have I got a surprise for you!!! Why not both? This is a great recipe I first came across from Penzey's Spices. Penzey's may be a household name where you're from. But, if not, they are an awesome little company here in Wisconsin that not only delivers high quality spices for a reasonable price, they also publish a magazine that is chock full of amazing recipes from cooks around the country. For many years I subscribed to the magazine and this was one of the recipes that I tried. It's absolutely delicious.
To my friends and family I call this Caramel Apple Pumpkin Pie. The apple part of the pie is prepared with a caramel sauce that is absolutely essential. However, Penzey's call it Apple Pumpkin Pie, so that is what we shall call it. I've included the entire recipe below, but please spend some time on their website, if you're looking for any spices to round out your cabinet. Also, this crust recipe is super easy and provides good results. But, if you are looking to cut corners, as I suggested in How to Host the Perfect Thanksgiving, please feel free to buy a frozen pie crust from the store.
Enjoy,
Don
Apple Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients Crust: Makes one 9 inch crust 1/2 Cup butter or shortening 1 Cup all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp. CREAM OF TARTAR 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 Cup milk
Filling:
1/3 Cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 TB. cornstarch
1 tsp. CHINA CINNAMON, divided
1/4 tsp. NUTMEG
1/4 tsp. ALLSPICE
1/2 tsp. salt, divided
1 tsp. PURE VANILLA EXTRACT
1/3 Cup water
2 TB. butter
3 Cups Granny Smith, Cortland or McIntosh apples, peeled and sliced about 1/8-inch thick (about 3 apples)
3/4 Cup canned solid packed pumpkin
3/4 Cup evaporated milk
1/3 Cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
Directions
Preheat oven to 375°. To prepare the crust, cut the butter into small pieces; it doesn’t have to be cold, but it should not be warm to the point of melting. Add the flour, CREAM OF TARTAR, and salt, beat or mix by hand to combine. Add the milk in a thin stream, mixing until thoroughly blended. Sprinkle a wooden board or counter top with flour, place the dough on the board, and sprinkle the top of the dough with flour. Using short strokes with a rolling pin, roll it from the center to the edges until it is 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. You will want to turn the dough over and re-dust with flour halfway through. Roll until the crust is about an inch larger than your 9 inch pie pan when inverted. Fold the crust in half and in half again so that it looks like a triangle. Place it in the ungreased pie pan with the point in the center. Unfold the crust and ease it into the pan. Roll the edges of the overhanging crust under so that you have a nice rim around the pie plate. Set aside.
In a roomy skillet, combine the brown sugar, cornstarch, 1/2 tsp. CINNAMON, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Add the PURE VANILLA EXTRACT, water and butter and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. The mixture will thicken, creating a caramel sauce. Add the apples and continue cooking over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour the mixture into the unbaked pie crust and set aside. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, egg, 1/2 tsp. CINNAMON, NUTMEG, ALLSPICE and 1/4 tsp. salt. Pour over the apple layer. Bake at 375° for 50 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean. Check the crust occasionally; if it looks too brown, cover the edges with foil. Cool completely before cutting. This pie should be refrigerated.
Prep. time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 50 minutes
Serves: 8
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