Apple Pie....The Perfect Comfort Food

I had something else planned for today, but I wanted to be sure to get this to you before you finish planning your holiday meals. This is the absolute best apple pie I have ever had, and trust me, I love apple pie. The recipe belongs to Marsha Brooks, the 2001 Apple Pie contest Winner on Good Morning America. If your family loves a good apple pie, give this one a try!

Crunchy Caramel Apple Pie

Ingredients:

1 pastry crust for a deep-dish pie 9-inch (homemade or store-bought)
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt
6 cups thinly sliced peeled apples (golden delicious or fuji)
1 recipe crumb topping (see below)
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup caramel topping

Ingredients for Crumb Topping:

1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick cooking rolled oats
1/2 cup butter

Directions for Crumb Topping:

1) Stir together brown sugar, flour, rolled oats
2) Cut in 1/2 cup butter until topping is like course crumbs. Set aside.

Directions:

1) In a large mixing bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt.
2) Add apple slices and gently toss until coated.
3) Transfer apple mixture to the pie shell
4) Sprinkle crumb topping over apple mixture.
5) Place pie on a cookie sheet so the drippings don't drop into your oven.
6) Cover the edges of the pie with aluminum foil.
7) Bake in a preheated 375 oven for 25 minutes. Then remove foil and put back in for another 25 to 30 minutes with the foil.
8) Remove from oven. Sprinkle pie with chopped pecans then drizzle with caramel on top.
9) Cool on a wire rack and enjoy warm or at room temperature

My tips: Slice your apples really thin...they bake up nice and tender that way. A frozen crust works fine. You can take it out of the aluminum pan it comes in and transfer it to a glass pie plate if you like. The pie will drip, so put it on a cookie sheet. Serve the pie warm with vanilla ice cream...so good!