The Ultimate Hot Toddy Apple Pie with Caramel Sauce

Are you ready to create the ultimate, show-stopping, “grown-up” dessert for your next holiday feast? What if a classic, comforting apple pie and a cozy, warm Hot Toddy cocktail had a delicious baby? It would be this incredible, sophisticated, and completely unforgettable Hot Toddy Apple Pie, complete with a luscious, homemade whiskey caramel sauce.

This isn’t just a recipe; it’s a rewarding baking project that is destined to become the grand finale of your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. We’ll show you how to create an impossibly flaky, whiskey-infused pie crust from scratch. We’ll guide you through the professional technique of poaching apples and reducing their liquid to create an intensely flavorful filling and a separate, decadent caramel sauce. This is the pie that will make you a holiday legend.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Recipe Overview: The Ultimate “Grown-Up” Apple Pie

What makes this Hot Toddy Apple Pie so spectacular is its incredible depth of flavor and its commitment to classic, from-scratch techniques. The pie is infused with the warm, boozy, and spiced notes of a classic Hot Toddy at every stage: a splash of whiskey in the crust, a long poach for the apples in a whiskey-honey-lemon bath, and a final, rich caramel sauce made from that same poaching liquid. It’s a true labor of love that results in a complex, sophisticated, and deeply satisfying dessert.

Metric	Time / Level
Total Time	5 hours (plus chilling and cooling)
Active Prep Time	1 hour 15 minutes
Difficulty Level	Advanced
Servings	8-10 slices

Your Make-Ahead Holiday Game Plan

The secret to this seemingly complex dessert is to make it in easy, manageable stages.

• Up to 3 Days Ahead: Make the Hot Toddy Caramel Sauce. Let it cool completely and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
• Up to 2 Days Ahead: Make the flaky pie crust, wrap the two discs tightly in plastic wrap, and store them in the refrigerator.
• Up to 1 Day Ahead: Prepare the Hot Toddy Apple Filling and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
• On Serving Day: Assemble the pie with your pre-made crust and filling, chill it, and bake it fresh so your home is filled with the most incredible aroma!

The Essential Ingredients for This Showstopper

This recipe is built from three perfect, from-scratch components.

• The Flaky Whiskey Pie Crust: A rich, flaky, and incredibly flavorful pâte brisée.
  • The Fats (Butter & Shortening): This recipe uses a classic, foolproof blend. Cold unsalted butter provides a rich, delicious flavor, while cold vegetable shortening has a higher melting point, which creates an incredibly tender and flaky texture.
  • Whiskey: A tablespoon of whiskey in the dough is a fantastic touch that adds a subtle, warm flavor and can help to create an even more tender crust.
• The Hot Toddy Apple Filling:
  • The Apples: For the best pie with a complex flavor and a texture that is tender but not mushy, it’s essential to use a mix of different firm baking apples, as the recipe suggests. A combination of a firm-tart apple (like Granny Smith) and a firm-sweet apple (like Honeycrisp or Braeburn) is a fantastic choice.
  • The “Hot Toddy” Poaching Liquid: A beautiful, aromatic blend of whiskey, honey, fresh lemon juice, whole cloves, and cinnamon sticks creates the poaching liquid that infuses the apples with incredible flavor.
• The Hot Toddy Caramel Sauce: Made from the reduced apple poaching liquid, this sauce is liquid gold. It’s enriched with heavy cream and butter, and finished with a splash of apple brandy (Calvados) for a deep, buttery, and apple-infused flavor.

Step-by-Step to a Show-Stopping Apple Pie

Let’s break this incredible project down into simple, manageable parts.

Part 1: The Flaky Whiskey Pie Crust

Step 1: In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the 3 cups of all-purpose flour, the 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar, the baking powder, and the salt to combine.

Step 2: Add the 1/4 cup of cold shortening and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Add the 2 sticks of cold, cubed butter and pulse 8-10 times, until you have pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.

Step 3: Add the 1 tablespoon of whiskey. While pulsing, add the 8 to 10 tablespoons of ice water, one tablespoon at a time, just until the dough holds together when you pinch it.

Step 4: Turn the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap, divide it in half, and gently pat each half into a disc. Wrap each disc tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Part 2: The Hot Toddy Apple Filling & Caramel Sauce

Step 1: In a large pot, add the 1/2 cup of granulated sugar and 4 cups of water. Cook over high heat until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the 2 cups of whiskey, the 1 cup of honey, the 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice, the 3 whole cloves, and the 2 cinnamon sticks. Bring this poaching liquid to a boil.

Step 2: Stir in half of the sliced apples. Bring the liquid back to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for about 7 minutes, until the apples are tender but not mushy. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the poached apples to a large bowl. Repeat this poaching process with the remaining half of the apples.

Step 3: Once all the apples are in the bowl, add the 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and the 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger and stir to combine. Set the apples aside to cool completely.

Step 4 (Make the Caramel!): Remove the cinnamon sticks and cloves from the poaching liquid in the pot. Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat. Cook, whisking occasionally, for 30 to 35 minutes, until the mixture is syrupy and has reduced to about 1 1/4 cups.

Step 5: Add the 1/4 cup of heavy cream and 2 tablespoons of the butter to the reduced syrup. Cook, whisking constantly, for about 2 minutes, until the butter is melted and the mixture is slightly thickened.

Step 6: Stir 2 tablespoons of this hot toddy caramel into the bowl with the cooled apples. Let the remaining caramel cool completely in a separate bowl, then cover and refrigerate it.

Part 3: Assembling, Chilling, and Baking Your Masterpiece

Step 1: On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc of the chilled dough into a 12-inch round. Ease it into a 9-inch pie plate.

Step 2: Spoon the cooled apple filling into the prepared pie crust and dot the top of the filling with the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter.

Step 3: Roll out the remaining disc of dough into a 12-inch round. Lay this dough round over the filling. Pinch the overhanging dough together and fold it under itself, then crimp the edge decoratively with your fingers.

Step 4: Cut a few slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape. Brush the entire crust with the beaten egg and sprinkle it generously with coarse sugar.

Step 5: Refrigerate the assembled pie for 1 hour. This crucial step chills the pastry fat, resulting in an extra-flaky crust.

Step 6: Position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Put a baking sheet on the rack and preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).

Step 7: Bake the chilled pie on the hot baking sheet for 60 to 70 minutes, until the crust is a deep golden brown and the filling is bubbly.

Step 8 (The Most Important Step!): Let the pie cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before slicing. This allows the hot, jammy filling to set up properly.

To serve, gently reheat the reserved caramel sauce and drizzle it over each warm slice of pie.

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Storage and Make-Ahead Tips

• The Caramel Sauce: The caramel sauce can be made up to a week in advance and stored, covered, in the refrigerator.
• The Pie Dough: The raw dough can be stored, well-wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• The Apple Filling: The cooked apple filling can be made a day in advance and stored, covered, in the refrigerator.
• Storing the Pie: Store the finished, cooled pie, covered loosely, at room temperature for up to 2 days.

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Enjoy The Ultimate Holiday Pie!

You’ve just created a truly special, from-scratch dessert that is the very definition of a holiday showstopper. This Hot Toddy Apple Pie is a perfect harmony of flaky pastry, tender, boozy fruit, and a rich caramel sauce that is guaranteed to impress. It’s a rewarding baking project that is well worth the effort for a truly spectacular result.

We hope you enjoy every last, perfect, and delicious bite!

If you enjoyed making this recipe, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend who loves to bake for special occasions!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)