Caramel Apple Pie that was supposed to look totally different

This blog entry is not about the challenges of gluten-free baking, but how a recipe can turn out totally different from what you see in the cookbook. I wonder if any of my readers have that when they recreate one of my recipes. Do they look completely different from the pictures I post with the recipes? And how the hell does that happen?

I was making a grocery list this morning and I had one of my many Jamie Oliver books open. You all know I love and adore him, right? Like, borderline worship... Anyway...my oldest son leafed through it and asked me if we could make this pie today. 

Jamie Olivers Toffee-Apple Pie

I told my son: "Sure" and we wrote down all that we needed for this recipe. But while I was reading it I thought: I'm not going to boil the 2 cans of  of condensed milk for three bleeding hours. What does he think? That I have all day? I'm going to make caramel my way. I guess that is where the whole thing went south. Well, sort of... because when my pie came out of the oven, it looked nothing like the picture above, but like this....

Errmmm... a bit different, but very lovely none the less. 

So here's the recipe to my gluten-free version of Jamie Olivers Toffee-Apple Pie, that I call Caramel Apple Pie. Because it sure isn't anything like Jamie's gorgeous pie, but lovely (and gluten-free) none the less. If you want to make Jamie's version and boil 2 cans of condensed milk for 3 hours, check Jamie's Dinners. 

Ingredients:

For the pie base

• 1 vanilla pod
• 125 grams (4.5 oz) of butter
• 100 grams (3.5 oz) of powdered sugar
• a pinch of bakers salt
• 250 grams (9 oz) of gluten-free flour (I used Schar C for cakes and cookies)
• 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum
• the zest of half a lemon
• 3 egg yolks (Jamie uses 2 but i used three to make sure the gluten-free base wouldn't crumble underneath your hands)
• 2 large spoons of chilled milk

For the filling:

• 2 cans (400 ml/ 14 fl oz each) of condensed milk
• 200 grams (7 oz) of butter
• 100 grams (3.5 oz) of light caster sugar
• 2-3 large apples 
• some powdered sugar and cinnamon to sprinkle on top of the apples

Instructions:

1. First you make the pie dough, because that needs to be refrigerated for an hour (I was impatient (as always) and refrigerated it for 40 minutes and it turned out just fine). Put the seeds of the vanilla pod with the butter, powdered sugar, salt, the gluten-free flour, xanthan gum, lemon zest and egg yolks and mix it all together with your mixer until it looks a bit like breadcrumbs. Then add the milk and mix till the breadcrumbs have become a combined dough. Make a sort of a sausage from it, wrap it into cling film and refrigerate it as long as your patience allows you.
2. When your patience is up, line and butter a spring cake tin and slice the dough into slices (duhhhh) and cover the bottom and the sides, and press the slices together to make one base. Put it into the freezer for about an hour. (I didn't make it longer than 45 minutes again... I have no patience whatsoever)
3. Now peel the apples, slice into quarters, remove the core and slice them thin. Dust them with ground cinnamon. 
4. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees centigrade (350 degrees fahrenheit).
5. Make the caramel as follows: put the butter, condensed milk and sugar into a pan with a thick base, put it on a low heat and let it all melt together. Then bring it to a boil, and do not stop stirring! Keep stirring for about 5 minutes as soon as the caramel starts bubbling and then take it off the heat. Take your pie base out of the freezer, pour on the caramel and then place the apple slices neatly on top. Dust with powdered sugar and pop it in the hot oven for about 40-45 minutes till the crust is all golden and your house smells divine. 
6. Leave it to cool completely (I even put in the fridge for 2 hours till the caramel was completely set.) Before you cut it and serve it to your guests. And as long as you do not show them Jamie's version, they will ooohh and aaahhh at your genius! 

Enjoy!