Marie Chatfield’s prize winning 4th of July Caramel Apple Pie

• 3 large apples, thinly sliced and peeled (green apples are best)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• double pie crust, unbaked

Preheat oven to 350F.
Melt brown sugar and butter in a cast-iron or oven-proof skillet. Boil one minute, whisking constantly.
Add apple slices and stir until evenly coated. Bake for 10 minutes.
Mix sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl. Add to the apples and stir. Spoon into one unbaked pie crust and top with the other. Sprinkle with a bit more sugar for garnish.
Bake for 40 minutes or until crust is crispy.

For the pie crust, I just used the single pie crust recipe my grandma taught me, which is:

• 1-1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 5 Tbsp cold water

Mix flour and salt in a medium bowl. Add half the shortening and mix with hands until it resembles the consistency of cornmeal. Add the rest of the shortening and mix until it resembles small peas. Sprinkle with the cold water and stir with a fork until dough follows fork around the bowl. Form into a ball with hands and roll out onto floured surface. Yields one crust.  I make two crusts individually, rather than doubling the recipe.