Pie Series post #3-Upside-Down Pecan Apple Pie!

       Before we get to today's pie, I promised to show you the blackberry pie from yesterday.  It was so delicious.  I am going to be a blimp by the time this pie series is over.  What was I thinking?  I need to sign up for Bulu Box!  I keep shoving pie off on my son's friends.  I am going to have to start giving them away.  This blackberry pie was really a good idea because it tastes so good.  I used some of the leftover blackberry juices to spoon over the ice cream on top. Here is a delectable slide show.

          Today's pie is a special one.  I have been looking forward to sharing it with you. It is a recipe I have had  for many years.  When my husband and I were first married, I took second place in a pie baking contest with this pie.  So of course, wouldn't you know that it is the pie that would give me trouble.  It is called Upside-Down Pecan Apple Pie.  It is the upside down part that gave me trouble.  It tasted wonderful though, with caramelized pecans, ultra flaky crust and the apples were perfectly cooked.  The only problem is it fell apart when I flipped it and I couldn't show you what a pretty presentation it has when it is served.  I had to make another one today and I figured out a trick to get it to flip perfectly every time and I was able to get my pictures.  While the second pie was good, it just didn't quite measure up to the first one.  I think I pulled it out of the oven a little too soon which caused the apples to be not quite tender enough and the crust not quite flaky enough.  I was nervous after the first pie and I blew it.  But, the second pie did look beautiful, so between the two pies, I think I can give you good directions for making this wonderful pie.  
      Don't let my struggles discourage you.  Over all the years that I have baked this pie, this is the one time it has given me any trouble, and I am going to give you tips to solve the problems that I had.  First of all, here is a picture of the finished product.

Look at this! You get the best of both worlds, apple pie and pecan pie all rolled into one.

      Being organized in the kitchen will help you to be successful when you make this pie.  You need a 9" pie plate to start.  Spray the bottom of it with cooking spray, then line it with a circle of parchment paper cut to fit the bottom.  Then, you spread 1/4 c. of butter over the bottom of the plate, on top of the parchment paper.  Next, place the pecan halves into the butter in a design radiating from the center, rounded side against the plate.  It will look like this. 

      Now place the dish in the refrigerator until you need it again.  The butter needs to stiffen up.
          Next, prepare your apple pie filling.  I will give you the details for that in the printable recipe, but here is a gallery of how it works.

I have one of those fancy peeler/corers, but when you only need 5 apples I feel like hand peeling is easier.

Mix the apples, spices, cornstarch, sugar and water all together in the pot.

Cook them until the apples start to get tender and the juices begin to thicken.

          While the filling cools for a bit in the pot, make a batch of the pie dough.  The recipe is found here.

         Now it is time to pull the pie dish with the pecans out of the refrigerator.  Spread 2/3 of a cup of brown sugar over the pecans and press down lightly.

It will look like this.

       Now you lay the bottom crust over the brown sugar.

Fit it in, then trim the edges.

        Next, pour in the pie filling, dot the filling with butter and sprinkle on more cinnamon.  Then put on the top crust.

Just dot a few tsp. of butter on the apples and sprinkle with more cinnamon.

Crimp the edges well! This will become the bottom and you don't want too many leaks. It will leak a little, but it will be fine.

       Remember to crimp around the edges.  Also, the top crust is going to become the bottom crust, so you don't want to put big slits in it or all of the juices will run out when you flip the pie over.  I put a few fork pricks in it to let steam escape.
       Your oven is going to be set at 450 degrees to bake this pie for the first 10 min.  Then you turn it down to 350 for another 30 min.  

This was my first pie when it came out of the oven. The crust is already not looking stable, but the main problem was that the caramelized pecans on the bottom would not budge from the pie plate.

       The crust was so good and the apples were so perfectly cooked and the pecans were tender and caramelized.  I just couldn't get the presentation that I wanted and that is major impact of this pie.  That is when I decided that parchment paper on the bottom was the way to go.  Years ago when I started making this pie, I knew nothing about parchment paper! What a genius invention.  It worked like a charm.

       Now I will give this pie its own slide show!

       So, what are you waiting for? Give this pie a try! Click the button to find the recipe.

Upside-Down Pecan Apple Pie