‘An apple pie without cheese is like a kiss without the squeeze.’ I had never heard this saying until I brought this pie to Thanksgiving last year. It was also the first time I had made a traditional apple pie (my go-to apple dessert is an Apple Tarte Tartin) and thought a cheddar cheese crust sounded good.
Perhaps the combination sounds odd. Have you ever had fruit on a cheese plate or fruit in a grilled cheese sandwich? Both are quite tasty.
Here cheddar cheese is part of the crust but it’s not uncommon to find a slice of cheddar cheese served alongside a slice of apple pie. The practice of putting cheese on apple pie dates back to 17th century England. It was common to have a dairy-based topping on apple pie such as custard – cheddar cheese (or Wensleydale in Yorkshire) eventually replaced custard. Americans carried on this tradition particularly in New England and the midwest where apple growing and cheesemaking are popular.
Since you want to taste the cheese in the crust, I recommend using an extra-sharp cheddar. Anything more mild and your guests will likely not realize you added cheese. I also recommend using white cheddar rather than yellow – they both taste the same, I just prefer the look of a more pale pie crust. Take the time to grate your cheese – you have a whole lot more selections from which to choose plus most bags of shredded cheese have an anti-caking agent added to them. If you’re making a pie crust from scratch, it’s worth grating the cheese.
This pie was in good company. Our niece, Atlee T, made a delicious pumpkin pie with rum and I also made a Bourbon-Pecan Pie with Ginger Snap Crust (Gluten-Free). Just in case you’re looking for some additional pie inspiration.
I wrote down ‘an apple pie without cheese is like a kiss without the squeeze’ a year ago in my notes and wanted to attribute it to someone who was at our Thanksgiving dinner – but nobody recalls saying it! But all love the sweet phrase.
| Apple Pie with Cheddar Cheese Crust | Print |
- 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into ½-pieces
- 1 cup (4 ounces) grated extra-sharp white cheddar
- 3 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced into ¼-inch wedges
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, sliced into pats
- 1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar, for sprinkling
- 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 the cheese is worked into the mixture and cut into small chunks.
- Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl, drizzle with 6 tablespoons cold water, and mix with a rubber spatula until the flour is moistened. If needed, add an additional tablespoon of water. Divide the dough in half, shape each half into a ball and flatten to a disc.
- Rest the dough at room temperature to relax the gluten, 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Adjust the baking rack to the center of the oven.
- Combine the apples, granulated sugar, flour, light brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl and toss to combine.
- 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 with a fork.
- 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 a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes.
- Lower the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for 45 minutes longer. If there’s too much liquid, cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes. Crust should be golden.
- Cool to room temperature, at least 3 hours, before slicing. Can be prepared a day in advance – store, covered at room temperature.
Source: Variation of a recipe from the Food Network
Nicole when you were a little girl I made Australian Apple Pie. It had a crumb top and the cheese was food processed into the crumb top. It was served with sour cream.
Dad – Interesting. Sounds good but I guess not good enough that you made it again!