Caramelized Maple Apple Pie with Candied Bacon Crumble

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Place bacon on a baking sheet and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of dark brown sugar evenly over the top. (Prep: 2 minutes)

Bake in the preheated oven until crisp and the sugar is caramelized, 10-20 minutes. Let cool slightly, then chop into small pieces. (Bake: 10-20 minutes)

Carefully line a 9-inch springform pan with the pie crust pastry; refrigerate until needed. (Prep: 5 minutes)

In a large bowl, combine the apple wedges with the lemon juice, ensuring they are evenly coated to prevent browning. (Prep: 5 minutes)

Melt 1/4 cup of unsalted butter in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-low heat. Add the maple syrup and 1/3 cup of dark brown sugar. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the mixture is slightly reduced and thickened, about 5 minutes. (Cook: 8 minutes)

Carefully add the apple wedges to the caramel mixture in the skillet and stir gently to coat each piece. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples just begin to soften and take on a light golden color, about 5 minutes. (Cook: 5 minutes)

Remove the apples from the skillet with a slotted spoon and transfer them to a clean bowl, leaving the remaining syrup behind in the skillet. (Prep: 2 minutes)

Stir the apple cider vinegar into the remaining syrup in the skillet. Simmer over low heat until the syrup is further reduced and has a consistency similar to maple syrup, about 5 minutes. (Cook: 5 minutes)

Carefully pour the reduced vinegar-maple syrup over the apples in the bowl and let cool for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even coating. (Cool: 10 minutes)

While the apples are cooling, prepare the bacon crumble topping. In a food processor, combine the flour, brown sugar, softened butter, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Pulse until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. (Prep: 5 minutes)

Add the chopped candied bacon to the food processor and pulse a few more times, just until the bacon is incorporated into the crumble mixture. (Prep: 2 minutes)

Remove the prepared pie crust from the refrigerator. Gently tip the caramelized apple mixture into the pie crust in the springform pan, arranging the apples evenly. Fold the edges of the dough over part of the apple filling to form an edge. Crimp the edges decoratively between your fingers. (Assemble: 10 minutes)

Evenly distribute the candied bacon crumble over the top of the apple filling, covering as much surface area as possible. (Assemble: 5 minutes)

Brush the pie crust with heavy whipping cream and sprinkle with granulated sugar for a beautiful golden crust. (Prep: 2 minutes)

Bake the pie in the preheated oven until the juices are bubbling and the crust is deeply golden brown, about 1 hour. If the crust begins to brown too quickly, reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for the remainder of the baking time. Let cool completely before serving. (Bake: 1 hour)