It's beginning to feel a lot like autumn...all through the town... Not quite the same ring as the traditional Christmas tune, but we've finally reached that phase in the seasonal calendar where the leaves start to fall, there's a crispness in the air, the sweaters and boots come out and the apples are ready for picking. I recently went apple picking and came back with a bunch of apples waiting to be turned into various treats.

This weekend, I've used some of the apples in a quinoa, carrot & almond side dish and some more in a honey mustard chicken dish (o-yum-g - the sauce in this recipe is out of this world!)

And then today, I found this recipe for a caramel apple pie. The recipe came via King Arthur Flour and a local baker who won first place in the county fair. It had so many things going for it: 1) buttery crust 2) caramel sauce 3) streusel topping AND 4) a lattice crust top.

And my goodness did it deliver! I probably could have gone with baking it a little bit longer for a crisper bottom crust (it was a tad on the "soggy bottom" side) - but still crazy delicious.

If you're thinking ahead about your Thanksgiving menu or are just hankering for a good slice of apple pie - you should definitely check this recipe out!

CARAMEL APPLE PIE (adapted from King Arthur Flour)

Crust

2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup cold butter
1/2 cup cold water

Filling

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp cinnamon
6 cups apples, peeled, cored & sliced
1/2 cup caramel bits, divided
2 Tbsp milk or cream
1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs

Topping

1 cup flour
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup cold butter

1. To make the crust, mix flour and salt together and cut in butter with until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add enough of the water so that the dough comes together. Divide the dough into two amounts, one slightly larger than the other and flatten into a disc. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

2. While the dough is chilling, peel, core and slice apples and place in a large bowl. Add sugar, flour and cinnamon. Toss to coat. Melt half of the caramel bits with the cream and stir until smooth. Pour over the apples and toss to coat. Set aside.

3. For the topping, mix together flour and brown sugar (you can use the same bowl the crust was made in) and cut the butter in until the mixture is coarse and crumbly. Set aside.

4. Preheat the oven to 375. Remove the dough discs from the fridge. Unwrap the largest disc and place on a floured surface. Tap the dough with rolling pin to soften the disc and make it pliable for rolling. Roll dough out into a large circle and place in a 9" pie plate. Sprinkle the bottom of the pie crust with the panko crumbs (these will help absorb some of the juices to prevent a soggy bottom). Place the apples in the pie crust, reserving the liquid. Cover the apples with the streusel topping. Roll out the remaining dough disc and cut into strips. Arrange on top of the pie in a lattice design of choice.

5. Place on top of a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet and bake in oven for 60-70 minutes. If crust is looking too brown, cover with foil for remainder of the baking time.

6. While the pie is cooling, place reserved apple liquid into a small saucepan. Reduce liquid until thick and glossy. Add in remaining caramel bits and cook over low heat until caramel melts, stirring constantly. Add milk or cream for desired consistency.

7. To serve, cut pie into slices and drizzle with caramel sauce. Enjoy!!