For the dough:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1/2 cup cold sour cream

For the filling:

• 2 large Cortland apples, peeled and cut into corn kernel-sized pieces
• 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp. all-purpose flour
• Large flake sea salt
• 1 egg lightly whisked, plus 1 tbsp. water

For the caramel sauce:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 5-6 tbsp. salted butter, cut into cubes for easy melting
• 1/2 cup cold whipping cream (I used 36%)
• 3/4 tsp. salt

Method

For the dough:

In a large bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder. Once well mixed, add in butter a few cubes at a time, massaging into the dry mixture with your hands until you get the texture of wet sand. Mix in sour cream and knead dough together until well combined—the dough will be very wet and sticky at this point.

Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface, working and kneading the dough until it comes together, adding more flour, 1 teaspoon at a time, if the dough is too sticky to handle.

Roll the dough into an 8×10-inch rectangle* and dust with flour before folding it into thirds as if you were folding a letter.

Rotate the dough 90º and roll it out again into an 8×10-inch rectangle. Fold the dough again into thirds, then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate it for 30 minutes while you make the filling.

*If you have trouble visualizing sizes, picture a regular sheet of paper. When the dough is rolled out, it should look about the same size.

For the filling:

Toss together apple pieces, lemon, cinnamon and sugar in a bowl. Mix until all apple pieces are well coated. Add in flour to thicken the mixture. Set aside until ready to use.

Making the pies:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and carefully unfold it onto a lightly floured surface, rolling it out into a 14×14-inch square. Using a palm-sized circular cookie cutter or glass, cut out as many circles as you can from the dough. Gently remove the circles to a dry work space, then re-roll out remaining dough and continue the same process until all the dough is used up.

Place 6 circles on a baking sheet with a silicon baking mat or parchment-lined baking sheet, and spoon in a small portion of the apple filling. Be careful not to overfill because the dough could rip in the process. Place a second dough circle on top of the filled circles, then crimp the edges using a fork to seal the exterior.

Using a pastry brush, lightly coat the top of each pie with the egg wash. Cut 3 slits in the top of each pie with a sharp knife, then sprinkle a small pinch of sea salt on top of each one. Bake pies for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool on the baking sheet or on a wire cooling rack for 5 minutes.

For the caramel sauce:

Add sugar to a medium-sized saucepan on low heat. Stir frequently with a rubber spatula to prevent burning. After 2-3 minutes, you should notice that the sugar will begin to clump together and melt. Once all the sugar is melted down to a golden-liquid, add in butter cubes and stir with spatula until all the butter has melted and it is well mixed with the melted sugar. Next, add in the cold whipping cream—the temperature difference will make the sauce sputter a bit, don’t be alarmed! Allow to boil for 60 seconds or so, then remove from heat and stir in the salt. Drizzle over the cooling pies and you’re ready to eat!**

**If you plan on serving the pies later, store them in an airtight container for 3-4 days. You can re-heat the caramel sauce and drizzle it on top of them before serving.