Avery Aames Apple Pie with Cheese Crust

Happy post holidays!!!!

Are you gearing up for New Year’s? Want something special to serve as dessert? I experimented over Christmas with a traditional favorite: apple pie. I didn’t include a top crust. Instead I used a fabulous cheese (surprise, surprise) that I’d diced into bits. It melted perfectly and the pie became the hit of the evening.

And to top it all off, it was a gluten-free pie but NO ONE KNEW IT until someone asked how I could be eating a bite of pie.

My secret: I use a great pre-made gluten-free crust from Whole Foods, but there are plenty others out there and there are mixes for gluten-free pie crusts by Bob’s Red Mill and Pamela’s. I was going for expediency and ease on Christmas.

No matter, it tasted like a normal pie and all my guests were contented!

Avery’s Apple Pie with Edam Cheese
Ingredients:

7-8 Pippin apples, peeled and sliced thin
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup sweet rice flour (or regular rice flour)
Pinch of ginger
Pinch of nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 lemon, juiced and seeds removed
1 gluten-free pie shell (Whole Foods* or other)
1 1/2 Tbsp. butter, diced
4 ounces Edam cheese, diced or grated

Directions:

Peel and slice apples. This will give you loosely 8 cups of apple slices (figure 1 cup per apple). Add sugars, rice flour, spices. Stir.
Squeeze the lemon juice over all and toss again.
Layer into the pie shell, making sure you get apples to the edges.

Dot with butter.
Sprinkle evenly with the diced/grated cheese.

Set in 450 degree oven on a tray that will catch any of the juice spilling over. Bake 35 minutes until cheese nicely browned.

Let sit 20 minutes before slicing.

May be served with another wedge of cheese or vanilla ice cream.




Warning: This is not diet. The diet starts AFTER the New Year, right? ENJOY!!

Don't forget to check back for Julie's special contest in January, and we're still open for suggestions for our February Iron Chef ingredient! Rumor has it the prize involves chocolate!

And a little tidbit about the CHEESE I used. Friends from Mississippi State University send us a sizeable piece of Edam every year. It's absolutely creamy, has a sharp yet smooth taste, and melts beautifully. A little history: in 1938, Edam cheese was introduced at Mississippi State University by the professor who served as head of the Dairy Science Department. It is a three-pound cannon ball and delicious. Here's a link to the MSU store.

and lastly, if you’d like, sign up for my next newsletter, where I share lots of tidbits about my new book as well as a history about particular cheeses, click on this link: Avery Aames Newsletter. I’ll be having my first contest via the newsletter in January. All who are signed up are eligible to win.