Cheddar Crusted Apple Pie New England Food

CHEDDAR-CRUSTED APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees, with rack in lowest position. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the smaller disk of dough just under 1/4 inch thick on a lightly floured surface and fit into a 9-inch glass pie plate. Roll remaining disk to just under 1/4 inch thick and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet for top crust; refrigerate along with pie plate.
• Place lemon juice in a large bowl. Peel, quarter, and core apples; thinly slice crosswise, tossing with lemon juice as you work. Add sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt to bowl; toss to combine.
• Fill bottom crust with apple mixture; lightly brush edge of crust with water. Using a paring knife, cut out either a circle or small slits in center of top crust. Place top crust over filling; press all around edge to seal with bottom crust. Using kitchen shears, trim to a 1-inch overhang; fold dough under itself to form a rim, and press to seal. Using thumb and forefinger, crimp as desired.
• Place pie plate on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet. Combine lightly beaten egg with 1 tablespoon water. Brush crust with egg wash. Bake 20 minutes; reduce heat to 375 degrees, and bake until crust is golden brown and juices are bubbling, about 80 minutes more. Let cool completely on a wire rack, at least 4 hours (or up to overnight) before serving.

APPLE PIE WITH CHEDDAR CHEESE CRUST

Steps:

• For the pie crust: Combine the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of the food processor and give it a quick pulse to blend the ingredients. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like crumbly sand. Add the cheese and pulse again until combined and cheese is worked into the mixture and cut into small chunks. Turn the mixture out into a bowl, drizzle in 6 tablespoons cold water, and mix in with a rubber spatula until the flour is moistened. Add another tablespoon of water, only if needed. Divide the dough in half, shape each half into a ball and flatten to a disc. Rest the dough to relax the gluten, 30 minutes.
• For the filling: Combine the Granny Smith apples, Braeburn apples, sugar, flour, light brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl and toss to combine.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Adjust the baking racks to the center of the oven.
• Roll out 1 disc of the dough on a lightly floured surface to a 12-inch round. Transfer to a 9-inch pie dish. Add the apples in an even layer and dot with the butter. Lightly brush the edges with egg wash. Roll out the next dough round, slightly smaller than the first. Cover the top of the apples with the second pie dough, pressing the edges to seal the crust. Trim the crust so you are left with a 1-inch overhang. Tuck the crust underneath itself so it's flush with the edge of the pie plate. Crimp the edges decoratively. Brush the pie with the egg wash and sprinkle with the turbinado sugar. Make 5 air slits in the center of the pie. Place the pie on baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes.
• Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for 45 minutes longer. Cool to room temperature, at least 3 hours, before slicing.

CHEDDAR-CRUSTED APPLE PIE (NEW ENGLAND)

Steps:

• FOR THE PASTRY: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar & salt, mixing well, then scatter butter over the dry ingredients & toss to coat the butter pieces.
• Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour until the butter is broken into pea-size pieces.
• Add the shortening & continue to cut until all of the butter & shortening is cut into small pieces. Sprinkle the cheese over the flour/butter mixture & cut briefly.
• Sprinkle about half of the water over the flour/butter/cheese mixture, tossing well with a fork to dampen the mixture. Add the remaining water & continue to toss & mix, pulling the mixture up from the bottom of the bowl, then pressing down again. Add more water, if necessary, by the teaspoon to make a dough that comes together.
• Using your hands, pack the pastry into 2 balls, as you would pack a snowball, making one ball slightly larger than the other~ The larger one will be for the bottom crust.
• Knead each ball once or twice, then, on a floured work surface, flatten the balls into 3/4-inch-thick disks. Wrap disks in plastic wrap & refrigerate for about 1 hour before rolling.
• When the disks have chilled, on a sheet of lightly floured waxed paper & with a floured rolling pin, roll the larger portion of the pastry into a circle that is 13 1/2 inches across. Invert the pastry over a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan, center it & then peel off the paper, before gently tucking the pastry into the pan, without stretching it. Let the overhang drape over the edge of the pan, & refrigerate it that way. While the pie shell is chilling . . .
• FOR THE FILLING: In a large mixing bowl, combine the apples, sugar & lemon juice, then set aside for 10 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• When the apples have set for 10 minutes, stir in the walnuts if you're using them, then sprinkle 2 1/2 tablespoons of flour over the filling, using the other 1/2 tablespoon of flour ONLY if the apples are very juicy.
• On another sheet of lightly floured waxed paper, roll the other half of the pastry into a circle that is 11 1/2 inches across.
• Turn the filling into the refrigerated pie shell & smooth the top with your hands, then lightly moisten the rim of the pie shell.
• Invert the top pastry over the filling, center it, & peel off the paper. Press the top & bottom pastries together along the dampened edge.
• Trim the pastry with scissors or a paring knife, leaving an even 1/2-inch overhang all around, then sculpt the overhang into an upstanding ridge.
• With a fork or paring knife, poke several steam vents in the top of the pie, & put a couple of vents near the edge of the crust, so you can check the juices there later.
• Put the pie directly on the center oven rack & bake for 25 minutes.
• Remove the pie from the oven & place it on a large, dark baking sheet covered with aluminum foil.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F, then put the pie, along with the baking sheet, back in the oven & bake another 40-45 minutes or until the top is dark golden brown & any visible juices bubble thickly.
• Transfer the pie to a wire rack & let cool briefly before serving. The cheddar flavor is much better when the pie is served very warm, & it's outstanding when served with a full slice of the extra-sharp cheddar on the side!

CHEDDAR CRUST APPLE PIE

Steps:

• Make dough: In workbowl of a food processor fitted with metal blade combine flours and salt. Cut butter and lard into small pieces, add to workbowl and process 5 seconds. Add cheese and pulse on-off 2 times to mix. With motor running, pour in enough vinegar mixture in a slow steady stream for dough to form a ball; process 10 to 15 seconds. Turn dough out onto work surface. If dough appears too dry, work in 1 to 2 more teaspoons water. Specks of butter and cheese will be visible in dough. Shape dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least 2 hours or overnight before using.
• Make filling: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. As you slice apples, toss them gently with lemon juice. Whisk together sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt, add to apple slices and toss gently to coat evenly.
• Divide dough into 2 unequal pieces, making piece for top crust slightly larger. On a lightly-floured work surface roll smaller piece into an 11-inch round. Line pie plate with bottom crust and fill with apples. Using your hands shape them into a firmly-packed mound slightly higher in center than at sides; dot with butter. Trim edges of bottom crust to a 3-inch overhang. Roll out remaining dough to an 11-inch round and arrange over filling. Trim edges of top crust to a :-inch overhang, fold top crust under edge of bottom crust and flute edges decoratively, pressing together with your thumb and forefinger. Cut 3 1 3/4-inch slashes in center of top crust.
• Bake pie 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F and continue to bake 30 to 40 minutes more, until pastry is golden brown and juices are bubbling. Ten minutes before end of baking, brush top with egg glaze and sprinkle with sugar. Cool on a wire rack before serving slightly warm or at room temperature.

APPLE PIE WITH CHEDDAR CRUST

Steps:

• Make pastry dough:
• Stir together flour, salt, and cheese in a large bowl (or pulse in a food processor). Add butter and shortening and blend with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse) just until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps. Drizzle 6 tablespoon ice water evenly over mixture and gently stir with a fork (or pulse) until incorporated.
• Squeeze a small handful: If dough doesn't hold together, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until incorporated. Do not overwork dough or pastry will be tough.
• Turn out dough onto a work surface and divide in half, then form each half into a 5-inch disk. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Make filling and bake pie:
• Put a foil-lined large baking sheet in middle of oven and preheat oven to 450°F.
• Peel and core apples, then slice 1/4 inch thick. Toss apples with sugar, flour, lemon juice, and salt until evenly coated.
• Roll out 1 piece of dough (keep remaining disk chilled) on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 13-inch round. Fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Roll out remaining piece of dough into an 11-inch round.
• Transfer filling to shell. Dot with butter, then cover with pastry round. Trim edges, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Press edges together to seal, then fold under. Lightly brush top crust with milk, then cut 5 (1-inch-long) vents.
• Bake on hot baking sheet 20 minutes. Reduce oven to 375°F and bake until crust is golden-brown and filling is bubbling, about 40 minutes more. Cool to warm or room temperature, 2 to 3 hours.