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Though pumpkin has been getting all the press lately, it's the apple that makes me swoon. This apple and cheddar pie is a perfect fall dessert.
(Jessica Webster | The Ann Arbor News)
There's a chill in the air, and the trees are showing off their brilliant hues. This is my season. I'm an autumn girl, and I'm happiest when I'm wearing a light sweater on a brisk October morning. I love when I have to cup my hands around my coffee mug to warm up, when it’s time to pull out the fleece blanket, and when the orchards and markets are overflowing with apples.
Michigan is the third largest producer of apples in the country, behind New York and Washington. In 2014, the mitten state is on track to harvest 29 million bushels of Red and Golden Delicious, Jonathan, Empire, Rome, Ida Red, Gala and countless other apple varietals.
Though pumpkin has been getting all the press lately, it’s the apple that makes me swoon. Whether they’re served as cider with a warm doughnut, in a pie, or fresh off the tree, apples are one of my favorite symbols of fall.
When I was a child, my mother would fix me an afterschool snack of sliced apples with chunks of cheddar cheese. The juicy sweetness of the apple paired so perfectly with the salty sharpness of the cheddar. As an adult, it’s a flavor I’m still drawn to, and I’ve been known to make grilled cheese sandwiches with a layer of paper-thin slices of apple.
In some areas of New England, they take the apple and cheddar pairing a step further, serving slices of cheddar on, in, or with apple pie. This idea has always intrigued me, so I had to try. It’s good! Strange, comforting, sweet and salty goodness.
The recipe I'm sharing with you is a slight adaptation of one presented by Giada De Laurentiis on The Food Network. Since the key is to balance the sweet and savory, I reduced the sugar in the recipe, and added some thyme.
Recipe notes:
This recipe calls for a premade, roll-out refrigerated (or defrosted frozen) pie crust, but if you're feeling ambitious, you can certainly make your own.
Pick out a nice aged sharp cheddar. Mild cheese wouldn’t stand up to the sweetness of the apple pie. And I’d recommend against buying pre-grated cheese, since it’s often tossed with corn starch and other ingredients.
Apple and Cheddar Pie
5 medium baking apples, such as Ida Red, Fiji or Granny Smith
1 cup coarsely grated white cheddar
½ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pie plate
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
¾ teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
Two 9-inch-diameter, unroll-and-bake refrigerated pie crusts
1 egg white, beaten until frothy
Directions
Position an oven rack on the bottom third of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Grease the sides and bottom of a 9-inch-diameter glass or ceramic pie plate with butter.
Cut the apple quarters into 3 wedges. Mix the apples, cheese, sugar, butter, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, thyme and salt in a medium bowl.
Unroll one crust and place in the greased pie dish. Brush the crust with some of the egg white to coat. Pour the apple filling into the crust. Unroll the second crust and place on top of the filling. Pinch the edge of the top crust and the edge of the bottom crust together to seal. Fold the double edge under and crimp, making a decorative edge. Brush the top of the pie with more of the egg white. Cut several slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape.
Bake the pie until the crust is deep golden and the filling is bubbling through the slits, about 1 hour. Cover the edges of the pie with foil if the crust browns too quickly. Cool the pie for about 20 minutes before serving.
The pie is equally good warm and cold, but warming it up before serving gives you the benefit of melted cheese, which is one of my favorite things.
Jessica Webster covers food and dining for The Ann Arbor News. Reach her at JessicaWebster@mlive.com. You also can follow her on Twitter and on Google+.