As American As...

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After picking my weight in apples the other day, I knew I had to do something with them before they turned from beautiful fall decorations in to decomposing piles of mush.  Apple pie seemed the most logical choice, but halfway in to my preparations, I realized that I didn't have a pie tin.  So, this adaptation is made in a 9x13 baking pan, which (unfortunately) doesn't do anything to keep me from mowing it down with a fork.  I think you'll like it, too.

Pie Crust:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup canola oil
4 tablespoons milk

Pie Filling:
10 cups chopped apples - I used a variety of Golden Delicious and Empire apples
¾ cup white sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Pie Topping:
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup white sugar
½ cup bread crumbs
½ stick of butter


Preheat oven to 450 degrees.


First, for the pie crust, combine the flour, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Add oil and milk, mixing gently until a soft dough forms. Remove the dough from the bowl and press in to a 9x13 baking pan, or two pie tins. Keep the dough at a consistent thickness in all areas of the pan.


For the filling, chop about ten cups of apples. I keep the peels on because I think it adds a nice texture to the pie filling, but you can remove them if you like. Pour lemon juice over the chopped apples to prevent browning. Mix in sugar, flour, and nutmeg, and toss to coat the apples. Pour apple filling mixture in to the pie tins, spreading evenly.

Lastly, sprinkle a thin layer of shredded cheddar cheese over the pie filling. In a small bowl, combine butter, sugar, and bread crumbs. Mash the ingredients until they resemble crumbs. Top the apple pie with this mixture, spreading evenly.

Bake at 450 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour, keeping an eye on the pie to make sure that the bread crumbs don’t burn.  Eyes on the pies - that might be my favorite new phrase when baking. Heh, heh. I know, I know...

But, but, but, what about the beer? After all, it's just not a blog posting without bringing it back to the beer. This time, however, I chose to pair my recipe with hard cider instead.  A group of customers at the bar ordered Samuel Smith's Organic Cider last weekend, and I've been dreaming about trying it ever since.  Thankfully my local Whole Foods is a powerhouse of beer selections, and I didn't have any difficulty tracking this down.

Served in a Victorian Pint (18.7 ounces), this cider is beautifully packaged, from its label to its cap.  It's got a similar alcohol content (5%) to many lower alcohol beers.  The color will have you breaking out the champagne flutes - it's really a gorgeous gold, and the sparkling carbonation is reminiscent of a great party. Pours beautifully.  The smell is crisp and fresh like a cool fall day, and there is just a touch of yeast.  On first taste, I can understand why my customers enjoyed it so much.  It paired very well with the apple pie, and I felt a little guilty for not saving this for a special occasion.  But then again, isn't a Tuesday night special occasion enough? Enjoy!