Big Apple Pie

Ingredients

• Double pie crust, recipe follows
• 4 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
• 3/4 cup roughly chopped toasted walnuts
• 1/2 cup sugar, plus 2 teaspoons
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into slivers, plus 2 tablespoons
• 8 ounces thinly sliced Cheddar
• 8 scoops vanilla ice cream

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Prepare the piecrust and line a deep 10-inch pie pan.

In a large bowl, combine the apples, walnuts, 1/2 cup sugar, brown sugar, lemon juice, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Toss to coat the apples with the other ingredients and let sit for 10 minutes. Spoon the apple mixture into the prepared pie pan and dot the fruit with the butter slivers. Top with the second crust. Using a sharp knife, cut away the excess dough. Crimp the edges of the pie firmly to seal the dough. With a sharp knife, cut a decorative pattern of slits into the top crust. With a pastry brush, brush the cream over the top crust, and sprinkle the remaining 2 teaspoons of sugar over the top.

Bake until the crust is golden and the juices begin to bubble, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let cool at least 1 hour before serving.

Preheat a griddle.

To serve, slice the pie into 8 equal portions. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter on the griddle. Add the pie, and top each slice with a slice of cheese. Cook until the cheese melts and the bottom crust is golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Serve hot with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.

Yield: 8 servings Double Pie Crust: 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 4 ounces (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces 1/3 cup solid vegetable shortening 6 tablespoons ice water, or more as needed

Sift the flour, sugar, and salt into a large mixing bowl. By hand incorporate the butter pieces and shortening, working with your fingertips until it comes together and forms small pea shapes. Work the ice water into the dough with your hands until it just comes together, being careful not to over-mix. Form the dough into 2 disk shapes, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator to rest for at least 30 minutes before rolling out the 2 crusts on a lightly floured surface to fit into the pie pan.