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Apple-Cranberry Pie

Source of Recipe


From "American Home Cooking" by Cheryl & Bill Jamison






List of Ingredients



• Cheddar Crust (recipe follows)
  
• 2-1/4 lbs. apples, preferably a combination of tart and sweet, peeled and sliced thin
  
• 1-1/2 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen (or 1 cup dried cranberries)
  
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
  
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
  
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  
• 1/4 to 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  
• 1/4 tsp salt
  
• Juice of 1/2 lemon (optional)
  
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small bits
  
• 2 Tbsp milk or 1 egg white, beaten lightly
  
• Turbinado sugar (preferred) or granulated sugar for garnish
  






Instructions



1. Prepare piecrust. Preheat oven to 425° F. Form drip pan for lower shelf of oven, turning up sides of a large piece of foil.
   
   
2. Prepare pie filling: Place apples and cranberries in medium bowl. Combine granulated sugar and cornstarch, and spoon half the mixture into the bottom piecrust. Stir rest of sugar-cornstarch mixture into the fruit and mix with the brown sugar, cinnamon to taste, nutmeg and salt. Add lemon juice if apples are mostly sweet rather than tart, or if using dried cranberries in the filling. Spoon filling into crust and dot with butter. Top with second crust and crimp edge neatly. Cut several vent holes. Embellish top crust with any remaining pieces of dough cut decoratively, if you wish. Brush top with milk or egg white, then sprinkle lightly with turbinado sugar. Cover edge of pie with a strip of foil.
   
   
3. Bake pie in preheated oven 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F. Continue baking 45 to 50 additional minutes, removing foil strip when about 20 minutes of baking time remains. Pie is done when crust is golden brown and flaky. Let pie cool at least 1 hour to allow juices to be reabsorbed. Slice into wedges and serve.
   
   Makes 6 to 8 servings.
   
   ..........
   
   CHEDDAR CRUST
   
   • 2-3/4 cups flour
   • 1 Tbsp powdered sugar
   • 3/4 tsp salt
   • 6 ounces flavorful sharp Cheddar cheese, preferably white, grated fine (1-1/2 cups)
   • 4 Tbsp (½ stick) unsalted butter, cut in small cubes, well chilled
   • 1/4 cup solid vegetable shortening, well chilled
   • 1/4 cup lard, well chilled
   • 4 to 6 Tbsp ice water
   
   Grease 9-inch pie pan. Prepare piecrust, first pulsing together the flour, sugar and salt in food processor. Scatter cheese and butter over mixture, and quickly pulse several times just to submerge them in the flour. Scoop shortening and lard into small spoonfuls and scatter them over mixture; pulse again quickly several more times until they disappear into the flour, too. Sprinkle in 4 tablespoons of the ice water and pulse again quickly, just until water disappears.
   
   Dump mixture into large bowl or onto pastry board. Lightly rub dough with your fingers, adding more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, as needed. When dough holds together if compacted with fingers, stop. It's ready. Divide dough in half and press each half into a fat disk. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
   
   Roll out each disk on floured surface into a thin round an inch or two larger than the pie pan. Arrange bottom crust in pie pan, avoiding stretching it. Even out any ragged edges, leaving about 3/4 to 1 inch of crust overhanging the pan. Refrigerate both crusts about 15 additional minutes.