A couple of weeks ago RD and I were able to take advantage of the gorgeous fall weather and go apple picking! The fall season hasn’t officially arrived in the Northeast until you head to your local orchard and gather more apples than you can possibly consume. We were in Upstate New York visiting RD’s family so we headed over to Bowman Orchards. Not only did we come home with tons of apples, but we stopped in their store and picked up some local honey, salsa, mustard and cheese!

RD and I have spent the past weeks incorporating apples into almost every meal. Spread with almond butter for breakfast, on top of sandwiches and salads for lunch, turkey apple meatballs for dinner…  you name an apple dish and we probably had it. But the star of our apple filled show had to be this apple pie with cheddar crust. A perfect balance of sweet and savory. Grab a slice on a cool autumn evening and enjoy!

Cheddar Crust

• 2 ¼ Cups All-Purpose Flour, Plus More for Dusting
• 1 Teaspoon Sugar
• ¼ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
• 1 Cup Cold Unsalted Butter, Cut into 1/2-inch Pieces*
• 1 Cup (4 ounces) Grated Extra-Sharp White Cheddar

*I find leaving the cubed butter in the freezer for 10 minutes prior to using helps to create a flaky crust.

1. Combine the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse for 5 seconds to combine.
2. Add the butter and pulse until mixture resembles crumbly sand.
3. Add the cheese and pulse again until combined.
4. Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl.
5. Drizzle in 6 tablespoons cold water and mix with rubber spatula until flour is just moistened. Add an additional tablespoon of water only if needed.
6. Divide dough in half, shape into a ball and flatten into a disc.
7. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes while gluten rests.

Apple Filling

• 4 Granny Smith Apples Peeled, Cored and Sliced
• 4 Cortland Apples, Peeled, Cored and Sliced
• Juice and Zest of 1 Lemon
• ½ Cup Sugar
• ¼ Cup Brown Sugar
• 3 Tablespoons Flour
• 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
• ½ Teaspoon Nutmeg
• 2 Tablespoon Butter

1. Combine apples, sugars, flour, lemon and spices in large mixing bowl.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Roll 1 disc of crust on lightly floured surface into a 12-inch round.
4. Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate.
5. Add apple mixture to pie plate and dot with butter.
6. Roll out remaining crust disc and place on top of apple mixture.
7. Seal and crimp edges of pie crusts together.
8. Brush top of pie with an egg wash (1 egg and 1 tablespoon water, lightly beaten).
9. Make 5 air slits on top of the crust.
10. Place on baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes
11. Lower temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 45 minutes longer.
12. Cool to room temperature before slicing and enjoy!