Spiced Apple Pie with Cheddar Crust

PREP DETAILS

Active: 35 mins

Total: 2 hrs 55 mins

Yield: Makes one 10-inch pie

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese (3 ounces shredded)

• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 stick unsalted butter (cold, cubed)

• 7 tablespoons ice water

• 1 cup light brown sugar (packed)

• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 4 teaspoons cornstarch

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon ground ginger

• ½ teaspoon ground cardamom

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1 pinch of ground cloves

• 6 tart apples (such as Granny Smith, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick)

• 1 ½ lemons (finely grated zest only)

• ¼ cup lemon juice (freshly squeezed)

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (cubed, cold)

DIRECTIONS

Make the Crust

• Step 1

  In a food processor, pulse the flour with the cheddar and salt. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal, with some pea-size pieces of butter still visible. Sprinkle in the ice water and pulse until the dough starts to come together; you should still see small pieces of butter. Scrape the dough out onto a work surface and pat into a disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.

Make the Filling

• Step 2

  Preheat the oven to 400°. In a bowl, combine the brown sugar with the flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, salt and cloves. Stir in the apples and the lemon zest and juice.

• Step 3

  On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out to a 16-inch round. Transfer to a 10-inch glass or ceramic pie plate; do not trim the overhang. Mound the filling in the crust and dot with the butter. Fold the overhanging dough over the filling, leaving the apples in the center exposed. Bake the pie for 15 minutes, then cover with a sheet of aluminum foil and reduce the oven temperature to 350°. Bake for 50 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 15 to 20 minutes longer, until the filling is bubbling in the center. Transfer the pie to a rack and let cool completely, at least 4 hours.