Recipe: Cake Monkey’s Cider-Roasted Apple Pie with Cheddar Cheese Crust

Cider-Roasted Apple Pie with Cheddar Cheese Crust

(From Elizabeth Belkind of Cake Monkey Bakery)

Cider Roasted Apple Pie Filling

Yields Filling for one double crusted 9” round pie

5 peeled, cored Pink Lady Apples

3 peeled, cored Granny Smith Apples

1 cup apple cider jelly

1/3 c granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown butter (see recipe)

1 vanilla bean, split and scraped.

Place the cold butter in a heavy bottomed, non -reactive sauce pan. Heat over medium heat until butter melts, whisk gently.

Lower flame to medium low and continue heating and whisking occasionally until butter becomes first, thick and foamy., and then very bubbly. Whisk continuously until you see small, copper colored flecks floating towards the top of the pan. Remove from heat. Add the scraped vanilla bean and the vanilla pulp, and whisk to dissolve into the butter. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Slice each apple into 10 or 12 wedges.

In a large bowl, combine the apples, the cider jelly, the granulated sugar, and the vanilla brown butter. With your hands, or a spatula, toss all the ingredients together until the apples are evenly coated in the jelly and butter.

Transfer the apples to a large roasting pan.

Place the apple pan in the oven.

The apples will take anywhere from one hour to one and a half hours to reach desired consistency and color. Be sure to stir the apples gently every 25 minutes to prevent the top surface from burning. You will notice that the granny smith apples will become soft and saucy and the pink lady apples will retain their shape. Stirring will baste the apples and yield an evenly cooked, richly caramelized filling.

Allow to cool to room temperature before using.

Cheddar Cheese Pie Dough

113 g Butter (cold)

184 g  Pastry Flour

¼ + ⅛ tsp Salt

⅛ tsp Baking Powder

85 g  Aged Cheddar Cheese

36 g  Ice Water

7 g  Cider Vinegar

*For Garnish – 2 Tbsp Raw Sugar

Preheat oven to 350° F

Cut the butter into small cubes.  Put the flour, salt, and baking powder in a mixer with the paddle attachment and mix to combine.  Add the cheese and mix for about 20 seconds.  Add the cold butter cubes and mix until the butter is pea size.  Add the water and vinegar.  Mix until most of the butter is reduced to the size of a small pea.

Press dough into a disk and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight

Divide dough in half and roll into two 10” rounds that are ¼ “ thick.  Line a 10” pie pan with one round of dough.  Press dough neatly into the pan and trim the edges to they are only slightly longer than the pan.  Using a toothpick, make 30 small holes in the dough.  Spray the dough with non-stick spray.

Line the dough with a round piece of parchment paper and press it very neatly into the dough.  Fill the pie pan with pie weights.  Bake at 350° for 12 minutes.  Very carefully (or the dough will rip) remove the parchment and pie weights.  Bake the bottom shell again, uncovered, for another 8 minutes.

Remove from oven and fill with 3 cups of Apple Filling.  Top the pie with the second round of dough and press into the edges of the bottom crust, sealing the pie completely.

Whisk one egg in a small bowl.  With a pastry brush, coat the top crust with an even layer of egg.  Make 4 slashes that are 1 ½ “ long in the center of the top crust and sprinkle the crust with 2 Tbsp of Raw Sugar.

Bake at 350° for 40 minutes or until the pie is golden brown all the way around.  Rotate the pan 180° halfway through baking.