I’ve been meditating on the sweet and savory capabilities of cheese in dessert form, and most specifically, in the form of cheese caramels. We received amazing feedback about the caramels at the Edible Escape event last Thursday. We’ll be making batches of Gruyére cheese caramels all afternoon today for the Fearless Fest event this coming Saturday. More information to come on a special order opportunity for these other worldly candy delights. Stay tuned! I have a feeling we will sell out quickly.
My thought is that the cheese caramels will be delicious melted on top of the pie…
Cheddar Double Pie Crust Variation
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for rolling
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar (6 ounces)
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water
In a food processor, briefly pulse flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter and cheddar; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed (if necessary, add up to 2 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon at a time). Don’t overmix.
Divide into two disks. Turn dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Fold plastic over dough; press to shape into a 1-inch-thick disk. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour (or up to 3 days).
Pie Filling
- 3 T all-purpose flour
- 1 t finely grated lemon zest
- 1/2 t ground cinnamon
- 1/4 t ground allspice
- 1/8 t salt
- 2/3 cup plus 1 T sugar
- 2.5 pounds apples, peeled, cored, and each cut into 10 wedges
- 1 T fresh lemon juice
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten, for egg wash
Assembling and Baking the Pie
Put a large baking sheet on middle oven rack and preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Whisk together flour, zest, cinnamon, allspice, salt, and 2/3 cup sugar in a large bowl. Gently toss with apples and lemon juice.
Roll out 1 piece of dough (keep remaining piece chilled) on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 13-inch round. Fit it into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim edge, leaving a 1/2 inch over-hang. Refrigerate shell while you roll out dough for top crust.
Roll out remaining piece of dough on lightly floured surface into an 11-inch round.
Spoon filling into shell. Cover pie with pastry round and trim with kitchen shears, leaving a 1/2 inch over hang. If you are doing a lattice, you can visit The Kitchn for instructions. Press edges together, then crimp decoratively. Lightly brush top of pie with egg and sprinkle all over with remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar. With a small sharp knife, cut three steam vents in the top of the crust.
Bake pie on hot baking sheet for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375º F and continue to bake until crust is golden and filling is bubbling, about 40 minutes more. Cool pie on a rack to warm or room temperature, 2 to 3 hours.
