Chef Joey Z's Apple Pie With a Cream Cheese Crust
Ready In: 1 hr 27 mins
Serves: 6
Yields: 6 pieces
Ingredients
FOR THE PIE FILLING
- 8 cups granny smith apples (peeled, cored and thin sliced)
- 3 tablespoons minute tapioca
- 1⁄2 cup powdered sugar substitute (I used Z-Sweet)
- 1⁄3 cup turbinado sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice (fresh or from the bottle)
- 1⁄4 cup cold goat butter
- 1⁄4 cup cinnamon sugar (optional)
FOR THE CRUST (MAKE TWO)
- 1 cup spelt flour (all purpose will work too)
- 1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1⁄3 cup vegetable shortening
- 1⁄2 cup cream cheese (I used non-dairy)
- 1 tablespoon cold water (filtered is best)
- 1⁄4 cup cream (to brush on top of the pie-I used silk creamer)
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar substitute (I used Z-Sweet to sprinkle on top of the pie)
Directions
- FOR THE PIE FILLING:
- Peel the apples, core them then cut them up thing using your thin slice blade on your food processor. Put in a big bowl.
- Add the tapioca, powdered sweetener, turbinado sugar, ground cinnamon and lemon juice. Mix really well to distribute all the ingredients and coat the apples. Set aside.
- Preheat your oven to 425'F.
- FOR THE CRUST:
- As I said above, I make one crust at a time. This works much better then making two and trying to divide them evenly. I never seem to be able to get them exact. This recipe is just for one crust, I haven't made both crusts at once.
- Put the flour and salt in the food processor, pulse it a few times to combine the ingredients and fluff up the flour.
- Add the shortening and pulse to distribute. Add the cream cheese and pulse a few more times. You should have a course pebble texture when done.
- Open the food processor and feel the dough. If its soft, but not sticky and stays together then its ready. However, if its a bit crumbly add a little cold water at a time and stop the machine, continue to feel the dough. Once it sticks together nicely its ready.
- Because I used non-dairy cream cheese I didn't even need to add the water. There was enough moisture in it as it was.
- Turn the dough out onto a board and form it into a disc. Refrigerate the disc while you make the second crust. You can refrigerate the second disc for about 20 minutes if you wish. This will make it much easier to handle.
- Roll out the first disc to about 2 inches wider then your pie plate. Put the rolled dough into the plate and carefully press it down into the plate making sure all the air pockets are gone.
- Add the apple pie filling. Dab the goat's butter on top of the apples.
- Roll out the second disc and put it on top of the apples. Flute the edges with a fork or what ever way you like. Trim the excess dough from around the edge of the pie.
- Put steam vents into the top crust then brush with the creamer and sprinkle with your Z-Sweetener. The sweetener will give it a nice crunch on top.
- Bake the pie at 425'F for 12 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 350'F and bake for 25-40 minutes. I found 30 minutes was enough.
- Before removing it from the oven, test the pie with a pointed knife to make sure that the apples have cooked through. Because I didn't peel my apples they took a little longer to cook.
- Cool on a metal wrack and refrigerate after its cooled down. You can always heat up a piece in the microwave with a little piece of cheese on top. Or, if you eat it cold add a dollop of whipped cream as I did.
- Bon Appetit!
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