Caramel Apple Slab Pie

Instructions

Make the pie dough

In a large bowl, combine flour, confectioners’ sugar, and salt. Scatter the butter on a large flour-dusted plate. Measure the water into a 1-cup glass measuring cup. Refrigerate everything for 10 to 15 minutes. Set out a 15- by 10- by 1-inch (38- by 25- by 2.5-cm) jelly-roll pan. Butter it lightly with soft butter, unless it is a non-stick pan.

Dump dry ingredients into a food processor. Pulse several times to mix.

Remove lid and scatter all of the butter over the dry ingredients. Replace the lid. Pulse until the pieces of butter are roughly the size of small peas.

While pulsing the food processor, pour half of the water through the feed tube in a 5- to 6-second stream. Remove lid and fluff the mixture with a fork, loosening it up from the bottom of the bowl. Replace lid and pour in most of the remaining liquid, pulsing as you add it.

When you still have a couple of tablespoons of water left, remove the lid and check the dough; it should hold together easily when you press it between your fingers. If it’s still quite crumbly, add the remaining water and pulse a few more times. The dough should start to form larger clumps.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Shape and compact the dough into a rectangle roughly 1 1/4 inches (3 cm) thick.

Lightly flour a 24-inch-long (60 cm) sheet of plastic wrap. Put dough in the center of it. Dust the top of the dough with flour and gently--because the dough will be soft--roll it out a bit to increase the size of the rectangle. It should still be pretty thick, perhaps 3/4 inch (18 mm) thick. Square up the sides and corners as best you can.

Wrap the dough, slide it onto a small baking sheet, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before rolling.

Make the crumb topping

While the pie dough is chilling, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, nuts, coconut, and salt and mix briefly.

With the mixer on low speed, add the warm butter in a steady stream to the dry ingredients. When all the butter is added, beat on medium-low speed for 1 minute more. The topping will form small, coarse crumbs.

Spread crumbs evenly on a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate until they become firm, about 1 hour. Either use them the same day or transfer the crumbs to a freezer bag and freeze until needed.

When you’re ready to roll the dough, unwrap it and dust the top lightly with flour. Put dough on a 24-inch-long sheet of wax paper or a fresh piece of plastic wrap. Roll out dough into an 18- by 13-inch (45- by 33-cm) rectangle and invert or slide it into the jelly-roll pan. Center dough, then tuck it down into the creases of the pan so it fits like a glove. If excess dough hangs over the edges, fold it over and press it against the sides to beef up the edge of the pastry. Refrigerate the shell for at least 30 minutes before filling and baking. Keep it cold until right before filling.

Make the caramel apple filling

Adjust oven racks so one is in the lower position and another is in the middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).

In a large bowl, combine apples, raisins, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, salt, cream, and lemon juice and mix well. Spread evenly in the pie shell, taking care to smooth over any apple tips, which have a tendency to scorch in the oven.

Spread crumb topping evenly over the apples.

Place pie on the lower oven rack and bake for 25 minutes. Lower heat to 375°F (190°C) and move the pie up to the middle rack, rotating it 180 degrees. Bake until the juices are bubbly and the topping is golden brown, about 30 minutes more. If the crumb topping starts to get too brown, cover it with aluminum foil.

Move pie to a rack and cool for at least 1 hour before serving.

Dessert