The Best Apple Pie EVER!

The best apple pie I’ve ever made I baked this past Thanksgiving. I was living on the west coast away from family and my prized but tattered recipes and had promised to bake two pies for the dessert table. Thankfully not having my apple pie recipe handy I was forced to do a Google search. The result of that search is the Apple Pie recipe below. What makes this pie so yummy is actually the crust. The picture of the slice of pie is of this pie recipe. See how yummy it looks? Needless to say the pie was a hit.

Note: Granny Smith apples are best used in this pie, they add a tart contrast to the sharp cheddar flavor in the crust. I know this recipe says to use 10 cups thinly sliced apples but I used as many as I could pile up high into a deep dish Pyrex glass pie pan.  I had to increase the baking time to accommodate but I love an apple pie that is mile-high so this is what I did!  I do have a picture of mine but unfortunately I am unable to post it to this post.

Crust:

* 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, divided
* 3/4 cup (3 ounces) extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
* 1/2 cup ice water
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces

Filling:

* 10 cup very thinly sliced peeled Granny Smith apple (about 2 3/4 pounds)
* 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
* 1/4 cup granulated sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
* Dash of salt
* Cooking spray
* 1 large egg white, lightly beaten

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°.

To prepare crust, lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 1 tablespoon flour and cheese in a small bowl; toss well. Place mixture in freezer for 10 minutes.

Combine 1/4 cup flour and 1/2 cup ice water in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk until well blended to form a slurry. Combine 1 3/4 cups flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in cheese mixture. Add slurry; toss with a fork. Sprinkle surface with up to 1 tablespoon ice water, tossing with a fork until moist and crumbly (do not form a ball). Mixture will seem slightly dry.

Divide dough in half. Gently press each half into a 4-inch circle on 2 sheets of overlapping heavy-duty plastic wrap; cover with 2 additional sheets of overlapping plastic wrap. Roll each dough half, still covered, into a 12-inch circle. Chill 30 minutes or until plastic wrap can be easily removed.

To prepare filling, combine apple and lemon juice in a large bowl. Combine 3 tablespoons flour, brown sugar, and next 5 ingredients (brown sugar through dash of salt) in a small bowl. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over apples; toss well to coat.

To assemble pie, remove top sheets of plastic wrap from 1 dough circle; fit dough, plastic wrap side up, into a 10-inch deep-dish pie plate coated with cooking spray, letting dough extend over edge of plate. Remove remaining plastic wrap. Spoon filling into crust. Brush edges of crust lightly with water. Remove top sheets of plastic wrap from remaining dough circle; place, plastic wrap side up, on apple mixture. Remove remaining plastic wrap. Press edges of dough together; fold edges under, and flute. Cut 3 (1-inch) slits in top of pastry using a sharp knife.

Combine egg white and 1 tablespoon water; brush over top and edges of pie. Place pie on a baking sheet; bake at 400° for 45 minutes or until golden. Cool on a wire rack.