It’s the dessert edition this month! And boy do I have something delicious to share!! Hang on to your taste buds and kiss that summer diet goodbye, ’cause this apple pie recipe is the best ever!! I’ve made this pie several times. It takes a while to prepare, but it is worth every minute. This pie is four layers: the crust, the filling, the cream cheese topping, and the topping.

Candy Apple Pie
by Mimi Hodge (I have no idea who this is; I just copied this recipe from a cooking contest on Good Morning America about five years ago)

Make the Crust
Ingredients:
1 1/2-cup graham cracker crumbs
3 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/3-cup butter (melted)
3/4-cup caramel ice cream topping
1 cup chopped pecans (I usually leave out the pecans, but feel free to add nuts to your pie)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a medium sized bowl, combine the crumbs, sugar, cinnamon and melted butter. Mix well and press into a 10-inch pie plate, and up the sides. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes until golden in color. Remove pie shell from oven and cool completely. Pour caramel into pie shell and sprinkle with 1 cup of chopped pecans. Refrigerate pie shell while making apple filling.

Make the Apple Filling
Ingredients:
5 granny smith apples (remove peel and core and slice very thin)
5 tbsp. butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon

3. In a large (12-inch) skillet over medium heat, melt butter and add brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. Stir with a wooden spoon. Add apples and stir. Cook over medium to medium-high heat for 15 to 20 minutes until apples are softened and tender. Let cool for 10 minutes and pour into pie shell. Reduce oven to 350 degrees.

Make the cream cheese topping
Ingredients:
8 oz. package of cream cheese
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar

4. In a medium bowl, using a hand held mixer on low speed, combine cream cheese and sugar for about 1 minute until smooth. Add egg, lemon juice and vanilla and beat for 1 more minute until fully blended. Pour over apple filling in pie shell. Bake for 30 minutes until an inserted knife comes out clean. Remove pie from oven and let cool. Refrigerate for 4 hours. Let stand outside the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving.

Make the topping.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup heavy cream, whipped
2 tbsp. sugar
1/2 cup caramel topping
1/4 cup chopped pecans (again, I don’t use them, but you can if you like nuts in your pie)

5. Top with whipped cream, caramel, and pecans, and swirl with a knife. Slice and serve.

For more delicious dessert recipes, click over to simply…a musing blog.