Jazz™ Apple Pie in a Cheese and Apple crust

Serves 8-10 Prep time: 30 minutes Cooking Time: 1 hour

Ingredients for the crust
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
170 grams chilled butter
1 egg
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup Dried Apple Chips (recipe below)
optional chilled water
1 egg
beaten sugar

Ingredients
6 Jazz© apples
1/2 cups sugar
3 tsp all purpose flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp grated nutmeg
pinch salt
1 cup raisins
56 grams chilled butter

To make the crust:

Sift the flour and put into a food processor. Add the salt. Cut the butter into small cubes and add to the food processor. Process until the ingredients resemble breadcrumbs. Add the grated cheese and the dried apple chips. Blend again until all of the new ingredients are evenly distributed. Add some chilled water, about two tablespoons. Blend again. Add a little more water and blend again. Repeat this operation until the dough starts to form into a large piece. Remove and knead the dough, which is now pastry, on a floured service until it is all in one ball and is pliable. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in your refrigerator for one hour.

In the meantime, prepare the filling. Wash, core, quarter and thinly slice the apples. Put the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and the raisins in a large bowl. Mix with your hands until all of the apple slices are covered with the flour, sugar and spices.

Preheat your oven to 400F (200C).

When the pastry is chilled, roll out on a cold surface until it is no more than one quarter of an inch (650mm) thick. Select a nine-inch pie dish; grease it with a little butter. Cut a circle out of the pastry large enough to line the bottom of the dish as well as the sides. Make sure the pastry fits well and has at least a half-inch flap around the edge.

Pack all of the apple slices and the raisins into the pie dish until they are about one inch (2.5cm) high in the center and level with the edge on the outside.  Gather up all of the remaining pastry and knead it into one large ball. Roll it out as thin as possible. You can cover the pie with this or make the basket weave cover as illustrated.

To make the plain cover, take the rolled out pastry and lay it on top of the piled up apples. Cut the excess from the edges. Press firmly the edge of the top pastry into the flap of the base. Cut off all but one half inch (1.25cm) of the pastry edges. Fold this flap back over the edge and press down onto the lip of the pie dish. With a sharp knife cut two or three small holes in the cover to let the steam out as it cooks.

Brush the top of your pie with the beaten egg and sprinkle with some sugar.

To make the pie with the photographed basket weave top, follow these instructions.

At the point when the pastry is rolled out for the second time: Take a sharp knife and cut the pastry into half-inch (1.25cm) strips, about ten inches (25cm) long. Place strips next to each on top of the pie filling.

Fold every second strip back on itself at the center of your pie. In the center of the pie place a strip of pastry over the unfolded strips at a right angle.

Repeat this until the first half is covered. Alternating every second strip to form a weave.Then repeat this process on the second half.

Crimp all of the edges together and then trim off the excess pastry around the edge.

Brush with the beaten egg and sprinkle with the sugar.

Cooking

Place the pie into the center of your hot oven and bake for one hour by when it should be golden brown. Remove from the oven and let stand for thirty minutes before serving.

Dried Apple Chips

Turn your oven to the lowest temperature you can set it at. Use one of the apples from above. Wash, core and grate the apples, skin and all. Spread the grated apple onto paper towels and press out as much liquid as you can. Put new paper towel onto a sheet pan and spread the grated apples over it.  Place in your warm oven and leave until the apple has lost most of its moisture. Remove.