Caramel Apple Pie

Ingredients

For the Caramel

• 1 cup sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

For the Pie

• 3 pounds baking apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt 

Topping

• Milk
• Sugar (for dusting) 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees with a rack in center and a large sheet of foil on rack below. Bring 1 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring and brushing down sides with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming, until sugar dissolves. Cook, swirling occasionally, until mixture is deep golden brown. Remove from heat. Stir in butter, then heavy cream (it will bubble up) and salt. You will have about 1 cup. Let cool while preparing pie.
2. In a large bowl, combine apples, sugar, lemon juice, flour and salt. Add 3/4 cup cooled caramel, and toss to combine.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disk of dough to a 13-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. Fit into a 9-inch pie dish. Pour filling into shell. Roll out pie crust for top.
4. Lay 8 strips across pie. Fold back every other strip, and lay a horizontal strip across the center of the pie. Unfold folded strips, then fold back remaining strips. Lay another horizontal strip across pie. Repeat folding and unfolding strips to weave a lattice pattern. Repeat on remaining side. Brush with milk and sprinkle with sugar.
5. Bake until crust is golden on bottom and juices are bubbling in center, 1 hour, 20 minutes to 1 hour, 30 minutes. If browning too quickly, tent top or edges with foil. Let cool completely on a wire rack, about 4 hours. Serve slices with vanilla ice cream drizzled with remaining caramel. 
   
   
   **Tip: Microwave apples prior to making pie as to make them softer