Last Updated on March 28, 2022

Note: the filling and the crust can be made several days ahead and kept covered and chilled in the fridge. Just assemble and bake the pie about 25 minutes before you want to eat it. The caramel sauce can also be prepared ahead and then reheated.

Start to finish: 1 hour 10 minutes (40 active)
Servings: 6

For the apple filling:
2 ½ pounds mixed apples (your choice, but avoid apples that fall apart like Macintosh) peeled, cored and sliced ¼-inch thick
¼ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup fresh apple cider
3/4 cup dried cranberries

For the topping:
150 grams Walker’s Pure Shortbread Cookies (1 sleeve, 8 cookies) broken into quarters
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
¼ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
¼ teaspoon table salt
¾ cup old fashioned oatmeal

For the drizzle:
11 ounces caramel squares, wrappers discarded
2 tablepoons water
1/3 cup half and half
2 teaspoon vanilla extract

vanilla ice cream

Make the apple filling: In a medium bowl toss together the apples, brown sugar, lemon juice, salt and cinnamon. In a 10-inch skillet melt the butter over medium high heat. Reduce to medium and add the apple mixture (reserving the bowl) and the cider. Cover and simmer, stirring frequently, until most of the apples are tender but still hold their shape, 12 to 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Transfer the apples with a slotted spoon to the reserved bowl leaving all the liquid in the pan. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until the liquid is reduced by half and syrupy. Add the apples and cranberries to the skillet and stir well.

Make the topping: In a food processor pulse the cookies until they are coarsely chopped. Add the butter, sugar and salt and pulse until well combined. Add the oatmeal and pulse three times. Distribute the topping evenly on top of the filling, pressing it down gently.

Bake the pie on the middle rack of the oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Make the caramel drizzle while the pie is baking: In a small saucepan combine the caramels with the water and bring the water to a boil over medium high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook, stirring frequently until the caramels have melted and the mixture is smooth. Carefully add the half and half (it will bubble up) and whisk until the sauce is smooth. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

To serve: scoop the pie onto each of 6 plates, top each portion with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzle generously with the sauce.