Bake Something Fun, share it with the world, and you could win a set of tart pans!
Thank you to all of you who participated in last month's Bake Club Challenge and sent in pictures of your Funfetti Cakes and Cupcakes! This might have been the most fun challenge for me so far because so many of you decorated your cakes and cupcakes with tremendous creativity and whimsy. I mean, how is getting to look through pictures of cakes packed with sprinkles not the best thing ever???
I hope you all had as much fun baking and eating your Funfetti cakes as I did looking at the photos. THANK YOU, from the bottom of my heart, for participating. It makes me feel that, in some small way, I get to bake with you.
The winner of the October challenge is Annette. Earlier in the month, when she submitted the photo of her pie, she included this message, which I think perfectly sums it up...
"My husband said that this pie would be in discussion for his favorite pie ever, that there is nothing you could do to make it any better, and he asked if I could make four of them at a time so there is always one available. He looks so happy eating it."
And, isn't that the point of baking? To share something delicious with people we love and enjoy their happiness. So grateful for all of you who participate in the bake club and spread the love. ❤️
Ready for the next challenge????
The October 2019 Bake Club Challenge Recipe:
It's apple season, friends and this is the pie I want to eat every single day until January. Here's what you need to know...
The Bottom Crust: You'll see a link in the recipe for my favorite pie crust recipe - Fool Proof Pie Crust. It's the pie crust I've been making for over 20 years because it really is fool proof. Having said that, there's no requirement for you to use that recipe for your crust. If you have a favorite recipe, use that.
You could even use a frozen prepared crust if making one from scratch doesn't fit your schedule or inclinations. Having said that... if you've never, or rarely, made pie crust from scratch, this is the perfect excuse to challenge yourself.
The Caramel Sauce: This pie uses salted caramel sauce in both the filling and to pour over the top of the pie. The caramel aspect of the pie is pretty important, so the quality of the caramel sauce needs to top notch. In the recipe, you'll find a link for Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce, and I'm not exaggerating when I say that the stuff is liquid gold. If you've never made homemade caramel sauce, please don't be intimidated. Watch the step-by-step video and read through the recipe instructions before you begin and you'll be totally fine.
The best part is that the recipe makes more caramel sauce than you'll need for this pie AND it keeps for up to 6 months in the refrigerator. So - you're efforts will pay off long after the apple pie is a distant, delicious memory.
The Streusel Topping: I decided to go with a streusel topping for this caramel apple pie instead of a double crust because I wanted a wide variety of textures and flavors. In this pie, you'll get the flakiness of the bottom crust, the tender-crisp crunch of the apples, the buttery melt-in-your-mouth streusel, and the creaminess of the caramel sauce. The variety of textures and flavors makes the pie more delicious, and I think, more interesting and impressive looking.
The Apple Filling: One of my goals with this pie was to keep it from being overly sweet. To accomplish that, it's important to use tart, crips apples, like Granny Smith or Macintosh. Also, there's some lemon juice, salt, and only a tad bit of sugar in the filling in addition to the caramel sauce. The filling will be sweet - but not overly so, and the tartness of the apples and lemon juice balances out the sweetness of the streusel and caramel sauce.
Another thing you'll see in the recipe is the addition of almond extract. This is optional, but highly recommended. The touch of almond extract in the filling and the streusel adds a bit of nuttiness that also provides a lovely balancing effect to the sweetness of the pie.
If you haven't ever participated in a Bake Club challenge, scroll down for all the details.
The October Bake Club Prize:
A 9 ½-inch Chefmade tart pan with a removable bottom AND a 14-inch Rectangular Tart Pan with a removable bottom.
Already own these tart pans? Have more tart pans than you know what to do with? If you're selected as the winner, just let me know and I'll send you a couple of other prize options.
Follow the instructions below to participate in the October Bake Club Challenge and you'll be automatically entered in a random drawing to win these tart pans.
Want a bonus entry? Leave a comment and a rating for Caramel Apple Pie, Fool Proof Pie Crust, or Salted Caramel Sauce to receive up to three bonus entries!
How To Participate in the October Bake Club Challenge
- Click Here to Sign Up to Join the Bake Club. (If you've signed up in the past, you're golden. There's no need to sign up every month.) You'll receive an email each month when a new recipe challenge and prize is announced. This is also how I'll know how to get ahold of you if you win. When you sign up for the Bake Club, you'll be required to put in your name and email address. If you're selected as the winner, I'll send you an email to let you know and ask you where to send your prize.
- Bake this month's challenge and show it off! Snap a picture of your masterpiece and post it to Instagram, tagging it with #OfBatterAndDoughBakeClub. You can also upload your photo to the Of Batter and Dough Facebook Page. Or, send your photo to me in an email: rebecca@ofbatteranddough.com. By sharing your photo you'll be automatically entered to win this month's prize. Bake the challenge recipe and submit your photo by November 1st.
- Want a bonus entry? Leave a comment and a rating for Caramel Apple Pie, Fool Proof Pie Crust, or Salted Caramel Sauce to receive up to three bonus entries!
Questions about the Bake Club or this month's challenge?
Leave a comment below or send an email to rebecca@ofbatteranddough.com and I'll get back to you just as soon as I can.
Ready, Set, BAKE!
Suzanne says
I made this for the bake club and I’m so glad I did. I made the caramel one weekend and the pie the next. Lots of leftover caramel for ice cream and apple dipping! My family begged me to make the pie for thanksgiving and co-workers said it was the best thing I’ve made yet (which is something because I make a LOT of things from Rebecca!) Can’t wait to make this again. Another solid recipe!
Rebecca Blackwell says
Hi Suzanne! I am so happy to hear that you - and your family and coworkers - liked this pie! Having leftover caramel sauce is the best thing ever. 🙂 Your coworkers are the luckiest people ever to have you in their office. ❤️ Thank you so much for participating in the Bake Club! xo