Red Wine Apple Pie
Submitted by De Mae
Red wine apple pie with a cheddar cheese crust. Tart apples simmered in sweet red wine and lemon juice in a flaky, savory-sweet pastry shell.
YIELD
1 piePREP
20 minCOOK
40 minREADY
60 minThis is not your standard apple pie. Tart apples get cooked in sweet red wine and lemon juice on the stovetop before they ever hit the crust, which means every slice has a deep, wine-stained purple filling with a complexity that raw apples baked in a shell can’t touch.
The crust brings its own surprise: shredded cheddar cheese worked right into the pastry dough. The old saying “apple pie without cheese is like a kiss without a squeeze” is built into this recipe from the ground up. The cheese adds savory richness and a golden, flaky texture that plays off the sweet-tart filling beautifully.
Pre-cooking the filling also means the apples are perfectly tender when the pie comes out of the oven. No more biting into a gorgeous pie only to find crunchy, underdone apple slices hiding under the top crust.
Pro Tips
- Use tart apples like Granny Smith that hold their shape during the stovetop cook. Soft varieties will turn to mush
- Cool the filling completely to room temperature before pouring into the crust. Hot filling melts the shortening in the pastry and makes it soggy
- Cover the crust edges with foil for the first 25 to 30 minutes of baking, then remove to let them brown during the final 15 minutes
- The cheddar should be finely shredded so it incorporates into the dough evenly without leaving large pockets
Variations
- Use a dry red wine instead of sweet for a more complex, less fruity flavor
- Add a teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg to the apple filling for a more traditional spice profile
- Skip the homemade crust and use store-bought pastry if you’re short on time, but you’ll miss the cheddar magic
Ingredients
Directions
Place apples.
¾ cup sugar, the wine and lemon juice in 3- quart saucepan.
Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until apples are just tender, 7 to 8 minutes.
Mix ¼ cup flour, 2 tablespoons sugar and ⅛ teaspoon salt; stir into apple mixture.
Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute.
Remove from heat. Stir in butter. Cool to room temperature.
Heat oven to 425'.
Measure 2 cups flour, the cheese and 1 teaspoon salt into bowl; cut in shortening or lard.
Sprinkle in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing until all flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans side of bowl (1 to 2 teaspoons water can be added if necessary.
) Gather pastry into ball; divide in half and shape into 2 flattened rounds on lightly floured cloth-covered board.
Roll one round 2 inches larger than inverted 8-inch pie plate with floured stockinet-covered rolling pin.
Fold pastry into quarters; place in pie plate.
Unfold and ease into pie plate.
Turn apple mixture into pastry-lined pie plate.
Trim overhanging edge of pastry ½ inch from rim of pie plate.
Roll second round of pastry.
Fold into quarters; cut slits so steam can escape. Place over filling and unfold.
Trim overhanging edge of pastry 1 inch from rim of pie plate.
Fold and roll top edge under lower edge, pressing on rim to seal; flute.
Cover edge with 2 to 3-inch strip of sluminum foil to prevent excess browning.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes; remove foil.
Bake 15 minutes.
NOTE1: If using self-rising flour, omit 1 teaspoon salt.
Pie crusts made with self-rising flour difer in flavor and texture from those made with plain flour.
NOTE2: If desired, 1 package (11 ounces) pie crust mix or sticks can be substituted for the pastry.
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