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Classic apple pie with a buttery, flaky cream cheese crust

Apple Pie with Cream Cheese Crust

Classic apple pie with a buttery, flaky cream cheese crust
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Makes: 9 " pie
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Ingredients
  

For the pie crust

  • 230 gms cold unsalted butter (1 cup)
  • 170 gms cold cream cheese, cut into cubes (3/4th cup) (see notes)
  • 2 and 2/3 cups all-purpose flour (320 gms)
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 4 tbsps caster sugar
  • 2 to 3 tbsps ice cold water
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar, optional
  • To finish: 1 tbsp cream mixed with 1 tsp water, and optionally, coarse granulated sugar to sprinkle on top

For the filling

  • 6 firm red apples (see notes)
  • 2 tsps lemon juice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon powder
  • 3 tbsps caster sugar
  • 1 tsp cornflour or cornstarch

Instructions

  • To simplify this recipe, make the dough for the pie crust on day one, and do the filling, assembly and baking on day two.
  • To make the pie crust, first cut the cold butter and cream cheese into 1/2 inch cubes. Place in a bowl and freeze while you do the rest.
  • In a large mixing bowl, sift in the the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the sugar and stir well to combine.
  • Now add the frozen butter and cream cheese cubes and toss them through the flour. Working quickly, use your fingertips to rub both into the flour until evenly dispersed. The mixture should look like coarse breadcrumbs with larger, pea-sized bits of butter scattered through it.
  • Stir the vinegar into the cold water. Add 2 tablespoons of this to the dough and bring it together using a spatula. Only if it feels dry, add the third tablespoon. You want a soft but not sticky dough.
  • Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured silicone mat (the mat prevents sticking). Knead it very lightly to bring it together, then press it into a disc and cut into two equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball and wrap tightly in clingfilm. Refrigerate at least two hours, but overnight is best. The dough will puff up a bit in the fridge because of the baking powder.
  • Before you roll the dough, lightly grease a 9" pie dish (glass preferred) and set it aside.
  • Unwrap one half of the chilled dough and place it on a lightly floured silicone mat. Flour the top as well and roll the dough out into a 12" circle, making sure it's even all around, rotating the mat every so often. (If the dough feels too firm to roll out, let it sit out for a few minutes. And if you find the dough sticking to the rolling pin, place a piece of clingfilm in between and roll over it.)
  • Now fold the circle of dough in half and then half again, to create a quarter. Lift and place it in the center of the pie dish. Unfold it and press it gently into the dish, making sure it's sticking to the sides in particular. Trim the dough around the edges and use the scraps to patch up any torn or thin bits in the crust. (Save the remaining scraps). Place the pie dish in the fridge for at least one hour.
  • Now roll out the second half of the dough on the mat again, this time into a 10" circle for the top crust. Slide the mat onto a tray and place it in the fridge as well.
  • Now make the filling. Peel and core the apples, then cut each into 1/2 to 3/4th inch pieces. A few bigger pieces here and there add some texture. Add the chopped apples to a bowl and stir the lemon juice through. Then add the cinnamon, sugar and cornflour. Stir very well to combine and disperse the cornflour. Let the apples rest for about 20 minutes until some juices are released.
  • Now get out the chilled pie dish with the bottom crust. Spoon the filling into it (along with the juices) and spread it out evenly.
  • Bring the chilled top crust out of the fridge and gently peel it off the mat, lift and place it over the apples. Pinch the edges of the top and bottom crust together to seal them well.
  • Now roll out any remaining scraps of dough and use cookie cutters to cut out whatever shapes you like. Press them onto the top crust. Cut an X in the center of the pie to act as steam vents. Now place the entire pie back in the fridge for one hour at least.
  • When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 190 C. Get the chilled pie out of the fridge and brush the top with the cream and water mixture. Optionally, sprinkle on some coarse granulated sugar for extra crunch.
  • Bake the pie for one hour, rotating it if needed to ensure even browning. At the end of the hour, poke a toothpick in the center of the steam vent and see if the apples still have a little bite to them. If you want them softer, cover the top of the pie with foil, lower the temperature to 175 C and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes. Also check that the sides and bottom are browning well, moving the dish to the lower rack in the oven if needed (although in smaller ovens like mine, it's easy to burn the bottom of the pie so keep an eye on it.)
  • Once the filling is bubbling on the edges of the pie and through the steam vent (you will be able to hear this even if you can't see it), your pie is done! Take it out of the oven and let it rest and cool for at least two hours at room temperature. It slices easier after a chill in the fridge but warm apple pie is irresistible so messy slices are ok! Serve with vanilla ice cream of course.
  • Cover the dish with foil and store in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, or freeze the slices in an airtight container for about a month. Leftover pie tastes best when gently reheated. Happy baking!

Notes

*To make it easier to cut the cream cheese into cubes, use a block-style cream cheese like La Cremella or Philadelphia, not the kinds you get in a tub.
*I used a stand mixer here and I've also used a food processor in the past to make pie crust. I still prefer doing this by hand because in an already warm kitchen, the heat of the machine makes it harder to control how fast the butter incorporates into the dough and turns it into a sticky mess. But go with whichever way you prefer.
*I used local Shimla apples here which do soften a bit more in the oven, but you can use whatever apples you normally like to bake with, or look up recommendations for which to use depending on what's in season where you live. If your apples are on the sour/tart side, increase the sugar in the dough. Adding too much sugar to the apples causes more juices to be released which could make a soggy pie.
*Here's how to blind bake a double crusted pie although I didn't find this necessary but it ensures a crispier crust.
*Prep-time does not include dough chilling time.
* Pie crust adapted from Hummingbird High via Rose Levy Beranbaum