This Apple Cheddar Thyme Pie is absolutely everything! What makes this one truly so special is the bursting of cheddar + herb flavors that pops through the buttery crust which all ties together well with the great balance of tartness from the granny smith apples. Just like with your other favorite pies, a generous scoop of ice cream (or not) is optional for more goodness. A true family staple on any given day or during the Fall season + Holidays.
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Apple Cheddar Thyme Pie. What more is there to say? These four words give such great meaning to one slice of pie as it should. This thickly sliced pie that you see is just TOO GOOD not to make on your own.
I can't even find the words to describe the feelings that you feel once you take that first bite.
If I'm honest, pies are MY THING. I mean I honestly love pies over cake. I know----don't throw all of the tomatoes at me. Haha.
But I'm sure that someone can relate.
Personally, when I bake cakes and cupcakes, I tend to eat the first slice and then leftovers mostly get eaten by my husband. I just don't indulge that much in cakes. However, when it comes to pastries like pies, pop tarts, galettes, etc.----I'm all game!
I don't know. Maybe it's the balance of the crunchy, buttery crust that gets me every time. Haha. What is it for you?
OK, so back to this pie specifically. Funny thing is, I planned on doing a traditional Apple Pie on Orchids + Sweet Tea this year, because believe it or not, I still haven't had such a staple recipe on the blog. I know, crazy!
Yes, so in my planing on incorporating a traditional apple pie, I came across the latest trend of adding cheddar to the crust.
Automatically, when I saw this the Southern girl in me said, "Yassssssss!". Haha.
If you're Southern or ever been around someone who is Southern, then you know CHEESE IS LIFE! While, I've done a tremendous job in minimizing dairy in my diet for the past year or year and half, I do enjoy some good ole' cheese whenever I make recipes like these.
With this recipe specifically, I chose to use Mild Cheddar cheese because I personally love the burst of and savoriness of the cheddar flavor----shoutout to Organic Valley for truly being my staple brand when it comes to this cheese!
When it comes to ensuring that the crust is nicely crisp and absolutely buttery, it requires only a few ingredients and short steps. What you’ll need:
TIP #1: The butter is SUPER important. When it comes to the vegan buttery sticks, ensuring that they are COLD and of course from a great brand is key! For Vegan pastry crusts, I generally go for Earth’s Best Buttery Sticks which will have you believing that you’ve used actual unsalted butter.
TIP #2: Adding Shortening works too! Although, I tend to use buttery sticks alone, adding shortening or lard adds great wonders as well. All you need is half shortening and half butter.
TIP #3: Fridge time is Important time! Chilling your dough for an hour at minimum is so imperative to a flaky crust. Even slightly longer makes for a great advantage.
TIP #4: Your Flours matter big time! While different brands of flour actually hydrate different (causing for a slightly different result), ensuring that you mix in all-purpose flour with pastry flour is also just as important. Believe it or not, pastry flour actually makes a difference and serves a greater purpose!
TIP #5: SLOWLY pour in water, don’t dump it! Ensuring that you lightly pour water-acv mixture while creating dough is so imperative. I generally slightly pour ¼ at a time and work the dough with my hands to eyeball how wet or dry everything is.
TIP #6: Dough can be made in advance, too. If making your crust ahead, you can always store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. No longer!
TIP #7: Not too Thick or Thin. Ensuring that you roll out a good enough crust is of course a must. Most go by the rule of thumb being ⅛ of an inch thickness or even slightly thicker. This helps your crust to the perfect thickness to carry the weight of your filling without compromising flakiness.
Very easy to whip together and uses minimal main ingredients.
Ready in a little over 1 hour and WORTH THE WAIT.
Warm and comforting with every bite.
Loaded with delicious Apple, Cheddar, + Herby flavor.
Thickly packed with apples for a nice bite.
A great twist on the traditional Apple Pie.
Makes for the perfect sweet treat for the entire family.
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Homemade Gluten-Free Apple Crisp—the epitome of warm, sweet, rich in Fall spices, and absolutely creamy. Based with tender cooked apples + well coated in creamy coconut cream and Fall spices, this crisp comes topped with toasted gluten-free oats and is a guaranteed staple.
This Fall Harvest Pizza with Apples, Candied Bacon, Broccolini, + Kale is absolutely the most perfect family-friendly recipe for the Fall season! It comes topped with spicy chipotle olive oil base, and topped with mild cheddar cheese, apple slices, sautéed broccolini, kale, and candied turkey bacon. So much savoriness and sweetness in one pizza pie. The best weeknight meal option for everyone.
When it comes to these Fall Harvest Apple Bacon Crostinis, the word ‘delicious’ is an understatement. This simple in method, yet complex in flavor recipe is the perfect little bite for any occasion or gathering, especially during the Fall season. Lightly crisp sliced french bread topped with vegan ‘cream cheese’ made from cashews, candied bacon, sautéed spiced apples, and a pinch of thyme.
Vegan Apple Cinnamon Crumble Bread is an essential part of the Fall season. It’s perfectly sweet and moist, a balance between soft and crunchy, and 100% delicious with the perfect amounts of Apple + Spice flavors! It takes less than 10 minutes to whip together and makes for a great healthy alternative for a little sweetness in the morning for breakfast or even for dessert. Oil-free, Gluten-free option available.
CAN I MAKE THIS AHEAD OF TIME?
Absolutely! When it comes to make most pies, you can make the crust a day or two in advance and refrigerate it until you're ready to use it. For longer chill times, you might need to let your crust sit at room temp for a few minutes before you begin rolling it out. For the filling, you can simply add all of the ingredients together and stir them in a bowl, wrap the top of bowl tightly, and store in the refrigerator overnight.
WHAT OTHER INGREDIENTS CAN I ADD?
When it comes to the filling, you can spruce things up a bit by using various types of apples----a mix of Granny Smith, Gala, HoneyCrisp, Fuji, etc. for extra flavor. In addition, you can always add a bit of smokiness to the filling by adding Gouda cheese or bacon. I mean---why not? Haha.
HOW DO YOU GET A PERFECTLY DESIGNED PIE CRUST?
Honestly, when it comes to my pies, I am pretty traditional with the design. While there are many types of designs for your crust, including braids, lattice, cutouts, etc., I chose to keep it simple with a wheel decorator cutter tool.
Of course, there are so many other tools which help you to create a great looking crust such as dough blender, pastry wheel, pastry tamper, and if you're really technical----a dough rolling bag which has measurements.
HOW DO YOU BEST ROLL OUT YOUR DOUGH?
Rolling out my dough was once a challenge that took practice to master for true evenness. Honestly, it wasn't until I began using this french rolling pin, that I started to feel the ease of rolling out my dough evenly. Of course, ensuring that you cute your dough in half since you'll be needing a top + bottom with pie along with having a bit of flour readily available to add to the surface to avoid sticking are other things that help too!
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Apple Cheddar Thyme Pie.
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