Candy Apple Pie

Autumn, Desserts, Pie / Monday, September 15th, 2008

One of the best things about living in a new city is the anonymity. In my hometown, I can’t make it through a trip to Walmart without seeing someone I know. During my last gynecological exam, my doctor called in her new assistant, who just so happened to be one of my high school classmates.

Oh, yes. Can I get a high-five?

No, it was totally insane.

And you know I had to tell my sister all about it over a slice of Candy Apple Pie.

This pie is ridiculously decadent. The perfect dessert for this hazy liminal period, between state fairs and harvest festivals, when you can’t keep yourself from lighting that Spiced Pumpkin candle even though it’s 90 degrees outside. The graham cracker crust and whipped cream remind you of summery icebox pies, but the caramel, pecans and caramelized apples are all about the fall.

And the cheesecake layer? Well, that’s just the genius of MiMi Hodge, who created this pie and won Good Morning America’s national pie contest in 2000.

This pie starts with a graham cracker crust topped with caramel and a cup of chopped pecans. Then you simmer your sliced apples in butter, brown sugar and cinnamon until they’re tender and give the house that “OMG, what’s cooking?” smell. Once you spoon the apple filling into the crust, you’re ready to add the fluffy cheesecake layer and bake the pie. Then, after it’s cooled, you add even more goodness: whipped cream, more caramel and more pecans.

It’s a showstopper.

The kind of pie you bring to a potluck, and people look at you like you’re a natural-born goddess with magic shooting through your fingers.

The kind of pie you share with people you love.

Especially when you have a good story.

Candy Apple Pie

Adapted from MiMi Hodge, winner of Good Morning America’s “Pie of Emeril’s Eye” Contest, 2000

    Crust:

  • 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/3 cup butter, melted
  • 3/4 cup caramel ice cream topping
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
    Apple Filling:

  • 5 Granny Smith apples (peeled, cored, sliced very thin)
  • 5 tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
    Cream Cheese Topping:

  • 8 ounces cream cheese
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup sugar
    Topping:

  • 3/4 cup heavy cream, whipped
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping
  • 1/4 cup chopped pecans
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. For the Crust: In a medium 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.
  3. Pour caramel into pie shell, and sprinkle with 1 cup of chopped pecans. Refrigerate pie shell while making apple filling.
  4. For the Apple Filling: 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.
  5. Reduce oven to 350 degrees F.
  6. For the Cream Cheese Topping: 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 minute or until fully blended. Pour over apple filling in pie shell.
  7. 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.
  8. Top with whipped cream, caramel and pecans, and serve.

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63 thoughts on “Candy Apple Pie”

  2. LOL – I can only imagine how awkward that would have been. My home town is the same way… population 1000. Everyone knew everything about each other. I miss it sometimes, but other times…not so much.
    This pie looks AMAZING!

  5. You do NOT have to wait for Nicole… YO MAMA does not want to hear about your Va-Jay-Jay.

    The pie looks so good…Please bring three slices on Thursday. I’ll trade you lasagna.

  7. Funny story about the doctor’s office! This pie is very interesting. I’ve never seen a cream cheese topping on a fruit pie like this but I’m intrigued. Is this a regional specialty or just your own ingenuity?

  10. Mmm, for sure, this is a must do. I already told my boyfriend that I want this for my birthday, but that’s not ’til May, so I will have to do it myself before then!

  15. Oh.My.Goodness. That pie is screaming at me to make it – It looks fantastic!

    I wonder how many weird google hits you’re going to get for this post?

  17. I never thought about it being a plus that I don’t know anyone at my OB/GYN, but I will feel grateful every time now!!

    This pie looks soooo good. Wish I had a slice for breakfast right now!

  18. Wow, you always post the best looking treats! And your GYN story is exactly why I hightailed it out of my hometown, WalMart was the ‘meeting’ place :)

  19. You know, after having three kids, I will pretty much talk to anybody about anything, even if I happen to be laying on an exam table in stirrups, but I totally see your point. The pie looks fabulous, and I might just make it this weekend!

  20. You will love Nicole, she is so nice. Your story was just too funny. If I was drinking anything I would have doused my computer screen, I laughed so hard. The pie is magnificent, great pictures!

  21. Holy cow. I couldn’t eat that… but I think I’d like to try. It’s not bad for you when there’s fruit in it, right?
    By the way… a little warning next time. I know I’m going to laugh when I read what you’ve written, but that just about got me thrown out of my office for obsence laughter volume.

  23. i agree with mimi :]
    this looks amaaaazing!
    and i can relate to the appreciation of anonymity…definitely. i’m from la but i go to school in delaware and i actually enjoy not running into kids from high school. it’s like having two separate lives.

  26. Too too funny Rebecca! Yes. I suppose it is not exactly “kosher” to talk about… what was your word?? Cute… never heard that one before. But hey! It’s your blog and it was funny and not graphic so I think you’re okay. Don’t know if I could handle that kind of familiarity myself.

    This pie looks absolutely decadent!

  29. […] thing I can’t wait to try is this gem…a candy apple pie! I also want to give this appled pork a go. We love doing pork in the crock […]

  31. You should know that I starred this recipe in my google reader to remember to make. I just have to come up with a party to serve it at- I’m thinking my annual pumpkin carving party!
    Thanks for stopping by my blog, I love your recipes.

  32. This is an extremely impressive variation of the apple pie! Looks perfect for Halloween too. And I totally know what you mean about seeing too many people you know while out and about.

  33. Such a great post. Did you hit the publish button with a satisfied smile? Seriously, it all ties in so well, down to the last line. Not to mention the pie, which of course goes without saying. Never heard of it until today, but I’ll think of nothing else till I get some.

  36. Hi, I found your blog on this new directory of WordPress Blogs at blackhatbootcamp.com/listofwordpressblogs. I dont know how your blog came up, must have been a typo, i duno. Anyways, I just clicked it and here I am. Your blog looks good. Have a nice day. James.

  38. Not sure how I found your blog, but I am psyched that I did. I will totally make this pie this weekend. I learned the hard way a couple of weeks ago about the dangers of not wearing lipstick (or clean clothes in my case) to WalMart. I wrote about it on my blog.

  41. OMG! I think I might have experienced a brief diabetic coma reading your blog! I have a movie night coming up and this might just be the thing to take.

  42. I read this on Friday,and knewthat I wasted to try the recipe. Kismet? You tell me. Saturday, the apples at the Farmers Market looked fantastic, so I bought a bunch, assorted kinds. On the way home, was invited to a dinner party, and “volunteered” to bring dessert…Mmmmm. Not onyl did the house smell fantastic, everyone loved the pie! I only changed one thing – the topping layer. I spread the whipped cream, then sprinkled nuts, then drizzled it with the caramel, Forget the “swirl with a knife”! It looked fantastic, and quite professionally done. Great recipe, thanks for posting it!

  44. Will you please come to my house and take pictures of my cooking. You make everything LOOK SO GREAT! Can’t wait to try the pie.

  45. Your recipe appeared on recipe BB at Taste of Home site. I clicked the link given and here I am. Don’t have a 10″ pie plate but as soon as I get one, will make. Pics really sell the recipe. Thanks so much. Now I’m going back to look at the rest of your site more closely. Thanks

  46. Oh geez. I wish I could reach into the screen and grab that slice! I love this take on apple pie–it seems very nontraditional but it also sounds, and looks, amazing. I definitely want to give this a try!

  47. Wow, just saw this. Think I’ll give it a try this weekend.
    I’m a psychiatric nurse and its sometimes just a bit uncomfortable when someone you know gets dragged in to be admitted to my unit! Yikes…sticky situations for sure….

  48. […] – I found this recipe and these sinful photographs over here.  She’s the owner of one of my new favorite blogs.  I might have to try to see how to get […]

  50. Holyyy! I think I just put on 5 lbs. reading the recipe. Definitely gonna try this one, though. Looks like heaven in a pie plate!

  51. Oh my gahhhh. This pie is also on my list of Things To Blog About At Some Point. I made it for a Christmas party and it was a smashing hit. Are you sure we aren’t evil twins?

  53. […] Candy Apple Pie Recipe from Ezra Pound Cake […]

  54. […] adapted from Ezra Pound Cake, originally from Mimi Hodges, the winner of Good Morning, America’s “Pie of […]

  56. […] Annie’s Eats who adapted it from Ezra Pound Cake, originally from Mimi Hodges, the winner of Good Morning, America’s “Pie of Emeril’s Eye” […]

  58. The pie looks really good! That's a funny story about the Dr. office! Thats why I moved away from the small town I lived in, everyone knew everybody else and their business…

  62. […] from Ezra Pound Cake, originally from Mimi Hodges, the winner of Good Morning, America’s “Pie of Emeril’s Eye” […]

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