Shelly's Recipe

CANDY APPLE PIE

Category: Pies - Fruit

For the Crust
1 1/2-cup graham cracker crumbs
3 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/3-cup butter, melted)
3/4-cup caramel ice cream topping
1 cup chopped pecans

For the Apple Filling
5 granny smith apples (remove peel and core and slice very thin)
5 tbsp butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon

For the Cream Cheese Topping
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar

For the Topping
3/4 cup heavy cream, whipped
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup caramel topping
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Crust: Preheat oven to 375. In a medium size bowl, combine the crumbs, sugar, cinnamon and melted butter. Mix well and press into a 10-inc pie plate, and up the sides. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes until golden in color. Remove pie shell from oven and cool completely. Pour caramel into pie shell and sprinkle with 1 cup of chopped pecans. Refrigerate pie shell while making apple filling.

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. Reduce oven to 350.

Cream Cheese Topping: Combine cream cheese and sugar for about 1 minute until smooth. Add egg, lemon juice and vanilla and beat from1 more minutes until bully blended. Pour over apple filling in pie shell. Bake for30 minutes until an inserted knife comes out clean. Remove pie from oven and let cool. Refrigerate for 4 ours. Let stand outside the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving.

Topping: Top with whipped cream, caramel and pecans and swirl with a knife. Slice and serve.