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My father’s people put a slice of sharp cheddar on top of a warm piece of apple pie, and my mother’s people called that a crime. For forty years the pie came out of the oven and the table split down the middle. My father laid a thin slice of cheddar on his hot wedge and waited for it to soften at the edges. My mother would not let the cheese touch the pie plate. I take after my father on this one. The sharp, salty cheese against the sweet cinnamon apples tastes like a whole meal, and once you try it, plain pie tastes like it is missing something.
The pie itself is the one nobody argues about: the plain, double-crust apple pie, apples peeled and sliced by hand, tossed with sugar, a little flour, cinnamon and nutmeg, piled high in the crust because they sink as they cook, dotted with butter and covered. The two oven temperatures are the part people skip. A hot start at 425 degrees sets the bottom crust before the apple juice can soak it, then a long finish at 375 degrees cooks the apples through. And the pie is not done when the crust is brown. It is done when the juice bubbles up thick and slow through the slits in the top.
Why this apple pie works
- Half tart, half sweet apples. Tart apples hold their shape and bring sharpness, sweet apples soften into the syrup. Together they make a filling with texture and flavor.
- Two tablespoons of flour. Just enough to thicken the juices into a syrup, not so much that the filling turns pasty.
- Piled high. Six cups of apples look like too many. They shrink by a third as they bake, and a pie that is not piled ends up with a gap under the crust.
- Hot start, long finish. 425 degrees sets the crust, 375 degrees cooks the apples without burning the top.
- Thick bubbling juice. When the juice bubbles slowly and looks like syrup through the slits, the flour has thickened it and the pie will slice clean.
Ingredients
Makes one 9 inch double crust pie, 8 slices. The measurements are in US cups with grams in brackets.
For the pie
- Pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie, homemade or ready-rolled
- 6 cups peeled, cored and sliced apples (about 6 medium, 900g sliced), half tart and half sweet
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar (150g)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (16g)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (28g), cut in small pieces
To serve, if you take after my father
- 8 thin slices of sharp cheddar cheese
Good tart apples: Granny Smith, Northern Spy, Jonathan. Good sweet ones: Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, Gala. Slice them about a quarter inch thick.
How to make apple pie
- Heat the oven to 425 degrees (220°C). Line a 9 inch pie dish with the bottom crust, letting the extra hang over the edge.
- In a large bowl, toss the 6 cups of sliced apples with the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon juice until every slice is coated.
- Pile the apples into the crust, mounding them high in the center. Pour any juice left in the bowl over the top. They will look like too much. They sink.
- Dot the 2 tablespoons of butter over the apples. Lay the top crust over, trim the overhang to about an inch, fold the edges under and crimp them together. Cut 4 slits in the top for the steam.
- Set the pie on a baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.
- Turn the oven down to 375 degrees (190°C) and bake 40 to 45 minutes more, until the crust is deep golden and the juice bubbles up thick and slow through the slits. If the edge browns too fast, wrap a strip of foil around the rim.
- Cool the pie on a rack for at least 2 hours before cutting, so the juice sets. Serve it just warm, with a thin slice of sharp cheddar on top of each wedge if you are on my father’s side.
Tips that make the difference
- Bake the pie on a sheet pan. It catches the drips and helps the bottom crust brown.
- Watch the juice, not the clock. Thin, watery juice means the filling needs more time.
- Brush the top crust with a little milk and sprinkle it with sugar before baking for the sparkle my mother’s always had.
- Lay the cheddar on the pie while it is still warm, so the edges soften. Cold cheese on cold pie misses the point.
Variations
- Lattice top. Cut the top crust into strips and weave them over the apples. The juice reduces more and the filling sets a little firmer.
- Cheddar in the crust. For the cheese lovers, work 1/2 cup finely grated sharp cheddar into the pastry dough before rolling.
- Crumb top. Skip the top crust and cover the apples with 3/4 cup flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar and 6 tablespoons cold butter rubbed together. Same oven times.
- With ice cream. My mother’s side served it with vanilla ice cream, which is the only thing both camps at our table agreed on.
Storage and make-ahead
Apple pie keeps covered at room temperature for 2 days, then in the refrigerator for up to 4 days more.
Warm slices in a 300 degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes to crisp the crust again. The microwave warms the filling but softens the pastry.
The baked pie freezes well, wrapped in plastic and foil, for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and warm it in a 325 degree oven for about 20 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Why do people put cheddar cheese on apple pie?
It is an old New England and Midwestern farm tradition. The sharp, salty cheese balances the sweet, spiced apples, the same way cheese and fruit go together on a board. Some families melt it on top, some serve a slice on the side.
Why is my apple pie runny?
Most often it was cut too warm or pulled from the oven before the juice was bubbling thick. Bake until the syrup bubbles slowly through the slits, then let it cool a full 2 hours.
Why is there a gap between the apples and the top crust?
The apples shrink as they cook. Pile them high in the center, and slice them evenly so they settle together.
What are the best apples for apple pie?
A mix of tart and sweet apples gives the best flavor and texture. Granny Smith with Golden Delicious or Honeycrisp is a good, easy pair.
Thick bubbling juice means it is done, thin juice means wait. And the cheddar is up to you, but I know which side of the table I sit on.
Old-Fashioned Apple Pie (Double Crust, and the Slice of Cheddar on Top)
Plain old-fashioned double crust apple pie: 6 cups of sliced apples, 3/4 cup sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg, baked at 425 degrees for 15 minutes then 375 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes until the juice bubbles thick. Served warm, with or without a slice of sharp cheddar.
Ingredients
- Pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie, homemade or ready-rolled
- 6 cups peeled, cored and sliced apples (about 6 medium, 900g sliced), half tart and half sweet
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (28g), cut in small pieces
- 8 thin slices of sharp cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 425 degrees (220°C). Line a 9 inch pie dish with the bottom crust, letting the extra hang over the edge.
- In a large bowl, toss the 6 cups of sliced apples with the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon juice until every slice is coated.
- Pile the apples into the crust, mounding them high in the center. Pour any juice left in the bowl over the top. They will look like too much. They sink.
- Dot the 2 tablespoons of butter over the apples. Lay the top crust over, trim the overhang to about an inch, fold the edges under and crimp them together. Cut 4 slits in the top for the steam.
- Set the pie on a baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.
- Turn the oven down to 375 degrees (190°C) and bake 40 to 45 minutes more, until the crust is deep golden and the juice bubbles up thick and slow through the slits. If the edge browns too fast, wrap a strip of foil around the rim.
- Cool the pie on a rack for at least 2 hours before cutting, so the juice sets. Serve it just warm, with a thin slice of sharp cheddar on top of each wedge if you are on my father's side.
