American Pie Council

Cheddar Crusted Cran-Apple Pie

Crust:
3 cups flour- sifted
5 tablespoons salted butter- very cold
8 tablespoons Crisco- very cold
4 ounces Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar- grated- very cold
1 teaspoon salt
½ to ¾ cup ice water

Preheat oven to 375° F. Sift flour into food processor fitted w/ regular blade. Sift salt in with the flour. Add butter cut into small pieces and pulse 12-15 times. Repeat with Crisco and Cheddar cheese. While pulsing, add water and pulse until dough comes together in a ball. Turn out on floured counter and divide in half. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for a minimum of 30 min.
Roll chilled dough into an 11 inch circle between ¼ and 1/8 inch thick for a deep 9” deep dish pie plate. Place dough in pie plate, and trim leaving about ½ inch all around. Refrigerate until ready to fill. Roll out top crust in the same manner. Refrigerate on parchment covered baking sheet if not ready to fill pie immediately.

Filling:
6 cups Granny Smith apples cut into 1” pieces. (Apple cut into 8 wedges and each wedge cut into 4 pieces.) ½ apple chopped into small pieces.
¾ to 1 cup granulated sugar- depending on the sweetness of the apples
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup Crasins
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons Instant Clearjel. (source King Arthur Flour)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Toss apples, sugar and lemon juice. Let apples sit for at least an hour to begin to release their juice. Add Craisins, cinnamon and clearjel. Mix well
Add apple mixture to prepared pie crust. Dot apples with butter. Top with top crust, fold edges over and crimp. Cut steam vents. Place pie on a parchment lines baking sheet and bake for 1 hour to one hour and 15 minutes until golden brown. Cover edges with pie crust shields or foil about half way through baking to prevent them from over browning.
Cool and enjoy.