Bite-Sized Peanut Butter Pie with Chocolate Crust

Recipes

Tuesday
Feb / 4 / 2014
Comments 100

Peanut Butter Pie made bite-sized in a chocolate crust are not only delicious, but gorgeous too! These Bite-Sized Peanut Butter Pies with Chocolate Crusts will quickly become a favorite by you and anyone you’re willing toe share them with!

Wow!. It seems as though I’ve been baking up a storm around here lately. From pies to cookies to popcorn – apparently I have a big sweet tooth these days. Anyway, I came up with this idea for mini peanut butter pies late last week and couldn’t get it out of my head. I just had to give it a try as soon as possible.

Bite-Sized Peanut Butter Pie with Chocolate Crust:

I know that I was thinking about making a savory pie for the next recipe in my year of pie series, but when something comes along that involves peanut butter and chocolate, it takes precedence.

Now, I’ve made a lot of recipes here on Inspired by Charm, but I can say with certainty that these Bite-Sized Peanut Butter Pies are officially in my top five. The combination of chocolate and peanut butter is probably my all-time favorite, so it’s not a surprise that I love these so much.

How to Make Peanut Butter Pie with Chocolate Crust:

I was also super excited to try out this crust recipe. First, it’s made in a food processor. I’ve always wanted to try this approach ever since I saw Ina Garten do it on the Barefoot Contessa. Secondly, it involves chocolate.

I was actually surprised how wonderfully easy this dough came together. Other than paying attention to how much water (or in this case coffee) you are adding, it pretty much mixes itself. I may be convinced that a food processor is the way to go when it comes to making pie dough.

You’ll notice the dough recipe calls for iced coffee. (This is yet another tip I learned from my friend, Ina. [She’s not really my friend, I just like saying that. However, I think we would be friends if we met some day. But then again, I think everyone assumes that.]) I think she made brownies once, or maybe it was chocolate cupcakes, and used coffee instead of plain water. Apparently coffee enhances the chocolate flavor. Now anytime I’m making something with chocolate, I try to incorporate a little coffee flavor. Honestly, it really seems to help. If you’re not a fan of coffee, or don’t have any on hand, I assume plain ice water will work fine in this recipe.

For the filling, I simply followed a standard recipe for peanut butter pie filling. I used a plastic baggie to pipe it into the little shells. (I really need to invest in some proper piping bags and tips at some point.) However, it worked beautifully. I did the same thing for the chocolate drizzle.

I also added a few chopped peanuts to about half of my bite-sized pies for a little garnish and a little crunch. Depending on your crowd, you can add these or leave them off.

And if these photos haven’t given you enough encouragement, I really must insist you try this recipe. I was able to pass a few of these out to family and friends yesterday afternoon. Everyone gave them rave reviews.

So, without further ado, let me show you how to make them.

And that’s it, friends!

I know it may sound a little complicated, but they come together quickly. And I promise, they are worth the time.

The filling is obviously delicious and, as I mentioned above, I absolutely love this pie crust! It’s flaky, light, and the perfect amount of chocolately goodness.

Plus, the cuteness factor of this bite-sized pies is clearly off the scale. Based on how they look, you know they are going to be dynamite before they even cross your lips. Right?

Want more delicious pie recipes? Try these:

I hope you enjoyed this recipe and I really hope you are loving A Year of Pie as much as I am. Have a fab day, everyone!

Do you think you’ll give this recipe a try?

Mini Peanut Butter Pie with Chocolate Crust:

Bite-Sized Peanut Butter Pies with Chocolate Crust

| Prep Time: 30 mins | Cook Time: 15 mins | Total Time: 45 mins

Did you make this recipe? Leave a review!

Ingredients

Chocolate Crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 stick unsalted butter cold
4 tablespoons Crisco (vegetable shortening)
2 yolks from large eggs
6 - 8 tablespoons iced coffee ice water will work as well

Peanut Butter Filling:

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 package (8 ounces) Cool Whip thawed

Chocolate Drizzle:

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon Crisco
Chopped peanuts optional

Instructions

In a food processor (you can also do this by hand if needed), combine the flour, cocoa, sugar, and salt on low until blended. Add the butter and Crisco and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbles. Add the egg yolks and iced coffee and process with slow pulses until the dough forms a ball. Start with about 5 tablespoons of iced coffee and add more until the mixture comes together.
Press the dough into two flatten discs. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Then, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
On a floured surface, roll out your dough until it is about 1/8 inch thick. Then cut out the dough using a flour shaped cookie cutter. My cookie cutter is 3-inches in diameter petal tip to petal tip. Once your first set of flowers are cut, you can ball up the dough and roll it out again. Repeat until you have used as much of the dough as possible.
Gently press the flowers into an ungreased mini muffin pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12 -15 minutes.
Allow the mini pie shells to cool completely in the pan before removing. This will ensure they keep their shape.
While they are cooling, mix up the peanut butter pie filling. Beat the peanut butter with the cream cheese and vanilla until smooth. Then add the powdered sugar, beating again until smooth. Add in the Cool Whip and beat the mixture one final time until smooth.
Add this filling into a piping bag or large plastic bag. Pipe into your cooled chocolate pie shells.
For the drizzle, melt the chocolate chips and shortening in a microwavable bowl (or in a double broiler). Allow the mixture to cool slightly, then transfer to a plastic bag. Snip off a tiny portion of one corner of the bag and drizzle the chocolate onto the filled pie shells. Top with chopped peanut for a garnish.

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A Year of Pie: Apple Pie with All-Butter Crust

Recipes

Tuesday
Jan / 14 / 2014
Comments 41

Well, I did it. A Year of Pie has officially begun and I’m officially obsessed. I want to make pies all day, every day. Despite being a little nervous since it was my first attempt at pie baking, I found the whole process very soothing and cathartic. You know … like the scene from Bridesmaids when Kristin Wiig’s character makes the cupcake. Something like that.

As you can tell from the title of this post, I decided to start with a pretty traditional pie – apple.

Surprisingly, apple pie isn’t among my favorites. However, a warm slice with a giant scoop of vanilla ice cream is not something I would turn down.

I originally intended to make this a caramel apple pie. Basically, that would involve topping the apples with caramel sauce before adding the top crust. However, I got so excited when placing on the top crust that I completely forgot about the caramel. These things happen.

While my mom has a fabulous pie crust recipe, I have decided to try a few others before tackling the family favorite. To make this pie I ended up two different recipes. For the crust, I used the All-Butter Crust recipe from The Four and Twenty Blackbirds Pie Book. For the pie filling, I used the recipe from Honeysuckle Catering. She recently did two YouTube videos with Margo True of Sunset Magazine showiing how to make pie dough and apple pie. After watching both of those videos, I was a little more confident about tackling this recipe. Be sure to check them out.

Throughout this year I plan to experiment with different pie dough recipes until I find the one I like best. However, I do realize that pie dough is kind of a personal thing and people have their favorites. Be it thin, thick, flaky, buttery, etc. – I recommend testing different recipes to find your own preferred variety. Kind of like what I’m doing.

And, since I am documenting this for my own reference, I will leave a few notes at the end of the post detailing my thoughts about flavors, etc. So if you are curious about my personal taste notes, you can find those there.

Apple Pie with All-Butter Crust

Here’s what you will need:

All-Butter Crust

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup cold water
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 cup ice

Apple Filling

3 1/2 pounds apples (6 large or 7 medium), peeled and sliced (1/8th inch thick) I used a mix of Granny Smith and Honey Crisp
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons of flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into thin slices
1/4 cup milk and sanding sugar for garnish

Let’s get baking:

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and sugar. Then add the cold butter pieces. Use a spatula to coat the butter with the flour mixture. With a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour mixture until the butter is in pea-sized pieces. Be careful not to over mix.

Then in a small bowl combine the water, ice, and cider vinegar. Sprinkle about 4 tablespoons of the ice water mixture over the flour and butter mixture and incorporate with a spatula. Continue to add more of the ice water mixture, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, using the spatula and / or your hand until the dough comes together into a ball. If necessary, add small drops of the water mixture to any remaining dry bits.

Split the dough in half and shape each piece into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour. (This dough can be refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for 1 month.)

Next, we want to make our apple filling.

Place your peeled and sliced apples in a large bowl. In a medium-sized bow whisk together sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. Sprinkle this mixture over the apples and mix with your hands or a large spoon to combine. Add the lemon juice and mix again.

Remove your chilled dough from the fridge. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface. (To make this process a bit easier, I rolled mine out between two sheets of waxed paper.) Roll out the dough to 1/8 inch thickness. The dough should be two inches wider in circumference than the size of your pie pan. Use the wax paper or your hands to transfer the dough to your pie pan. Trim the dough leaving about 1/2 inch overhang. Chill the bottom crust while you roll out the top.

Now, preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. Position your two oven racks on the two lowest levels. On the bottom rack, place a cooke sheet to catch any drips from your pie.

Next, pour your prepared apples into the pie shell. Then, scatter the thinly sliced butter on the top. Next, add the top crust to your pie. I decided to try a lattice top. Instead of explaining how to do that here, check out this awesome tutorial via YouTube.

For a standard top crust, carefully center it on your filled pie. Fold the edge of your top crust over the edge of the bottom crust so it’s flush with the pan. Crimp the edge to seal with your fingers or a fork.

Slash a few decorative steam vents in the top crust. Brush the top crust with milk and sprinkle with sanding sugar.

Set the pie onto the second to lowest rack in your oven. Bake at 450 degrees F for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F. Bake until the pie is a medium golden brown. You can test the doneness of your apples by sticking a knife into a vent hold. They should feel tender. Let the pie cool at least an hour before serving.

And that my friends is one awesomely delicious pie.

Served with a heaping scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, this really is perfection.

I’ve never knowingly had a crust with cider vinegar in it. It does add a really unique and tangy flavor. I liked it! However, I will cut back a bit on the amount next time I make this crust. Maybe 1/6th of a cup instead of 1/4th. With that being said though, this dough is bananas! (Bananas = super good). It’s flaky, flavorful, thick, and all around wonderful. I could have just eaten the dough with the ice cream.

My apples were still a little crisp, so I assume I didn’t cut them quite thin enough or didn’t bake it long enough. It wasn’t enough to bother me, but something I’ll keep in mind next time. My mom also suggested a different apple. She prefers Cortland.

My pie also had a fair amount of liquid. I did cut into it a little bitter sooner than I should have. (I was in a bit of a hurry as the sun was setting and I needed to photograph this bad boy. (You may be surprised to learn that I took most of the cut pie pictures in an almost completely dark kitchen. The magic of a good camera and a tripod!) As the pie continued to set, I noticed things thickened up. So, a lesson to you – patience is a virtue. Also, the Four & Twenty Blackbirds Pie Book talked a little bit about using apples in pies. Apparently, there is a way to release some the the liquid in the apples before baking. I may also give that a try next time around.

With all that being said though, the flavors of the pie were still wonderfully delicious and enjoyable. I’m calling this pie a winner!

For not being a big Apple Pie fan, I was really pleased with my first attempt at pie. Not only did it turn out beautifully, but it tasted equally delicious.

One down, many more to go! What type of pie would you like to see me tackle next?

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Caramel Gingersnaps

Recipes

Sunday
Sep / 15 / 2013
Comments 13

Surprise! You’re in luck. Fall Cookie Week is starting a day early. I actually began baking all of the cookies this weekend and it looks like I’m going to have one extra variety. That means there will be eight recipes instead of seven. Beginning with this post, I’ll be sharing one recipe every day this week.

I’m also trying to coordinate some sort of giveaway into this week, but I haven’t finalized those details yet. Stay tuned. If there is a giveaway, I’m pushing to have it on Hump Day.

For our first cookie of the week, I made Caramel Gingersnaps.This recipe combines the spices of fall with sweet gooey caramel for a winning combination.

To pull this off, I took a recipe I had for gingersnap cookies and just added caramel bits.

The resulting cookie is super soft and bursting with flavor. I’ve actually always been a fan of gingersnaps. My mom made them, so I guess I find some sort of comfortin them. As crazy as it sounds, their flavor reminds me of home and family.

These are also one of my favorite cookies for dunking in tea. The heat warms and softens both the cookie and the caramel. It’s magic!

Okay, it’s time to get Fall Cookie Week officially started by telling you how these are made.

Caramel Gingersnaps

Here’s what you will need:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup dark molasses
1 egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup granulated sugar, for rolling
1 11-ounce bag caramel bits

Let’s get baking:

In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.

Then, in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the softened butter. Add the brown sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides, if needed. Add the molasses, egg, and vanilla. Beat well, scraping down the sides as needed again.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet on low speed. Mix until just combined. Then gently fold in the caramel bits. Cover mixed dough with foil and chill for 3-4 hours .

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with asilicone mat or parchment paper as some of the caramel may run.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls and roll in granulated sugar. Place balls one inch apart. Flatten slightly with your hand or the bottom of a glass. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are just turning brown. Be careful not to overcook these, which would result in a harder cookies.

Remove cookie from the baking sheet and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

Delicious, soft, and caramel-filled gingersnaps. You really can’t go wrong with these. Not only are they great for the fall, they are perfect for the holidays, too.

So what do you think? Will you be giving these cookies a try!

Inspired By Charm

And don’t forget to check out the rest of the cookies in IBC’s Second Annual Fall Cookie Week:

Sunday – Caramel Gingersnaps
Monday – Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Cookies
Tuesday – Butter Pecan Maple Crisps
Wednesday – Frosted Pumpkin Cookies // KitchenAid Stand Mixer Giveaway
Thursday – Autumn Apple Cookie Bar
Friday – Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Saturday – Candy Corn Cream Wafers
Sunday – Peanut Butter Cup Cookies // Fall Baking Link Party

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Homemade Pizza Bread Recipe

Recipes

Wednesday
Jul / 17 / 2013
Comments 106

This Homemade Pizza Bread recipe has quickly become a go-to appetizer recipe for me. It’s versatility and great pizza flavor makes it a party favorite!

My A Year of Yeast series has been running for more than half a year now. That’s kind of hard to believe. Needless to say, yeast and I have become good buddies at this point.

Although the fear has pretty much subsided, I still have no idea how to tell if some of the breads are baked the whole way through. I just follow the recipe and thankfully, they haven’t let me down yet. Today we are making this crazy delicious pizza bread recipe!

Of all of the recipes I’ve tried thus far, today’s is probably my favorite (with the Cinnamon Bun Bites being a close second). I made Homemade Pizza Bread! I actually discovered this recipe a few years ago. When it recently popped up on Pinterest again, I took it as I sign that I needed to make the bread.

How to Make Homemade Pizza Bread:

Now, I know everyone has their favorite Pizza Bread recipe. My dad’s wife has a recipe that is fantastic! This one is a little different as all the ingredients are incorporated into the dough. The resulting bread is really, really sensational. There is flavor everywhere. A layer of cheese inside and a side of marinara sauce bring it all together.

What I love about this recipe is that you can change the “toppings” to suit you or the folks you’re fixing it for. When I was putting this all together I was thinking of so many fun combinations. I’m hoping to try a few and I’ll report back when I do.

The actual bread part is pretty basic so the options are truly endless.

This time round, I decided to use pepperoni, sun-dried tomatoes, green onions, black olives, red pepper, green pepper, roasted garlic, and Parmesean. It’s like a supreme pizza.

The original recipe comes from The Ivory Hut. She calls her loaf Crazy Pizza Bread. I actually ended up changing her recipe quite a bit because I felt there wasn’t enough dough. I was afraid I was going to get a pretty small loaf. I was glad I opted for a larger size because this stuff is sensational. Either way, a big thanks to The Ivory Hut.

Okay, enough chatter. Let’s make some bread!

Looking for more appetizer recipes? These are some of my favorites:

Seriously, other than chopping all of the ingredients, this Homemade Pizza Bread is easy peasy. I highly recommend it even to you newbie bread makers. It’s a perfect loaf to test your skills. Plus, your friends and family (It’s OK if it’s just for you. – I don’t judge.) will love it.

Happy baking, everyone! Does your family have a go-to homemade pizza bread? Tell me all about it or share a link to the recipe in the comments.

Pizza Bread Recipe:

Homemade Pizza Bread

Servings: 1 loaf | Prep Time: 15 mins | Cook Time: 35 mins | Total Time: 50 mins

Did you make this recipe? Leave a review!

5 from 3 votes

This Homemade Pizza Bread recipe has quickly become a go-to appetizer recipe for me. It's versatility and great pizza flavor makes it a party favorite!

Ingredients

2 teaspoons yeast
1 ½ cups warm water
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 ½ tablespoons sugar
2 ½ cups favorite toppings, diced (I used pepperoni, sun-dried tomatoes, green onions, black olives, red pepper, green pepper, and roasted garlic.)
½ cup Parmesan
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 jar of marinara sauce for dipping

Instructions

Sprinkle yeast over warm water in a large bowl. Let it sit for 3 minutes. Add in flour, salt, and sugar. Mix using a spoon just until it comes together. (There's no need for a big stand mixer here.)
Add in the toppings and Parmesan and combine well. The dough will be tacky. Dust with a bit more flour if it feels too tacky. Let rise for about 1 hour, then put in the refrigerator to continue rising for another hour.
Take the dough out of the refrigerator. Flour your countertop, then roll out the dough into a rectangle about 11×17”.
Sprinkle mozzarella over top. Then, fold along the long side, like an envelope. Seal sides so cheese is not exposed. Let your loaf rest while you preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Bake the bread, either on a pizza stone or baking sheet, for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown.
About halfway through I added a piece of aluminum foil to the top of my loaf to prevent it from getting too dark. About 3 minutes before taking it out, lightly brush the top with olive oil and let it finish baking. Let rest on a wire rack to cool slightly before slicing.

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Watermelon Margarita

Recipes

Friday
Jul / 12 / 2013
Comments 9

These Frozen Watermelon Margaritas are a delicious and refreshing cocktail perfect for summer sipping!

Watermelon Margaritas:

During the summer one of my favorite things to snack on is watermelon. Not only is it refreshing, but it’s sweet and can sometimes fill those cravings for cake and cookies.

Lately, I’ve noticed a lot of folks around the blogosphere making watermelon drinks, so I decided to join the club!

My dad is incredibly good at picking the perfect watermelon. I’m getting better.

There are two things I look for when choosing a melon. First, a big yellow spot on the bottom. Second, a melon that feels heavy for its size.

These two criteria work pretty well for me, but I’ve also found that certain grocery stores have better watermelons than others.

How to Make Watermelon Margaritas:

All right, it’s time for the drink. This is my take on a Watermelon Margarita. Let me tell you, if you like watermelon, it’s insanely delicious.

I also love this drink because you can easily eliminate the liquor and salt rim and you have a really fabulous watermelon cooler. Let’s whip up a couple so I can show you what I mean.

This recipe makes two fairly large drinks. Using smaller glasses, you could probably get four servings.

Looks pretty refreshing, right? Trust me, it is! Now go whip up a batch and meet me back here to check out this week’s links!

Watermelon Margaritas

Did you make this recipe? Leave a review!

These Frozen Watermelon Margaritas are a delicious and refreshing cocktail perfect for summer sipping!

Ingredients

1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup water
3 strips orange zest
2 cups cubed seeded watermelon rozen
3/4 cups white tequila
1/4 cup Cointreau or Triple Sec
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 cup ice
Kosher salt or sugar for rimming glasses
1 lime sliced

Instructions

Begin by making a simple syrup. In a small saucepan, bring water, sugar, and orange zest to a boil, stirring constantly. Simmer for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove orange zest. Allow to cool completely.
Place watermelon, tequila, Cointreau, lime juice, simply syrup and ice into a blender. Pulse until pureed.
Put a small amount of salt (or sugar) on a saucer. Rub the edge or your glass with a lime wedge to moisten. Lightly dip the rim of the glass into the saucer to rim. Tap off excess salt (or sugar).
Pour your margarita mixture into your rimmed glasses and garnish with a lime slice.

Cheers to these awesome people

I’m loving this new song, video, and massive amount of courage from artist Steve Grand. It’s just fantastic.

Have you seen the new collection from CB2? I’m obsessed! Do you have any favorites?

Rock and Roll Bride’s advice on “How to Get Sh*t Done When You Have No Time at All” is pretty amazing and so helpful. I’m also loving her advice on taming our emails.

I have a slight obsession with light fixtures. These are some of my favorite pendant lights.

I just adore Emily Henderson. I especially love this post and video about adding personality and color to a neutral space.

This new Mobile Chandelier from West Elm may be just the thing for my upstairs hallway. What do you think?

Yellow Brick Home has the best prints in their Etsy shop. I want them all.

Have you seen this DIY Dinosaur serving dish? Amazing!

So exited to get my hands on the new Frostings cookbook from Courtney Whitmore of Pizzazzerie! I also want to check out the Working Class Foodies Cookbook.

Thanks so much for reading! Wishing you all a happy and fun-filled weekend! How will YOU be spending the next couple days?

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All-American Apple Crostata with Cheddar Crust

Recipes

Thursday
Jun / 27 / 2013
Comments 19

Can I share a secret with you? I’ve never made a pie crust from scratch. Never. I think I’ve had a fear of it similar to my previous fear of yeast. I think my fear might stem from the fact that it took my mom a few attempts to learn how to make pie crust like my grandma’s. Mom still gets teased about it to this day. Though, I will say, at this point, my mom’s pie dough is pure perfection and I would happily eat any pie she prepared.

Though technically not a pie, I can officially say I conquered my fear with this fabulous crostata. And what better way to do it than a classic apple filling. There is something quintessentially American about pie, especially apple pie. With Independence Day just around the corner, I thought this would be the perfect treat for an impromptu porch party. Don’t you think?

My favorite part about this particular crostata is the cheddar crust. Apples and cheese are a match made in heaven. Plus, cheese is an American favorite. Cheese and apple pie are so deeply ingrained in our culture that some people can’t picture life without them! Okay, that may be a bit of an exaggeration, but you get what I mean. Anyway, cheese and apple pie are the perfect combination for a Fourth of July celebration. Plus, this recipe is as easy as … well … pie!

This recipe comes from Martha Stewart. (Thanks, Martha!) You can check it out here. I adapted it slightly to suit my needs. The pie dough comes together in a food processor, which makes it almost foolproof. I also opted to use Cracker Barrel Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese because I wanted to be able to see specks of orange in the crust. Plus, this particular cheese is so amazingly rich, creamy, and delicious – it was a perfect addition.

I know that some of you may be thinking that cheese is a weird addition to pie, but don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it. It’s pretty subtle, but it adds a really unique depth of flavor to the dessert. It’s quite wonderful. And to make things even better, your guests will think you are pretty fancy for having cheese baked into your homemade crust.

All right, enough chit chat, time to bake!

All-American Apple Crostata with Cheddar Crust

Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Apple Crostata with Cheddar Crust

Here’s what you’ll need:

For The Crust

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for surface
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water
1 cup shredded Cracker Barrel Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 large egg, lightly beaten for egg wash
Coarse sanding sugar, for sprinkling

For The Filling
2 tart apples, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and sliced into 1/2-inch wedges
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup apricot preserves, warmed

Let’s get baking!

Pulse flour and 1 teaspoon salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. Drizzle 1/4 cup water evenly over mixture. Pulse until mixture just begins to hold together (dough should not be wet or sticky). If dough is too dry, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse. (I ended up using almost ½ cup of the water) Add cheese; pulse until combined.

Shape dough into 2 disks, and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes or up to overnight. (You can freeze your other disk of dough for up to one month.) Roll out dough to a 13-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick, on a lightly floured surface. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Toss together apples, granulated sugar, flour, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread filling over dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Fold edges in to form a crust; brush with egg wash, and sprinkle with sanding sugar (I didn’t have sanding sugar, so I just used standard sugar. I also sprinkle a little cinnamon on the top of the crostata.)

Refrigerate until edges are firm, about 30 minutes. Bake crostata until apples are tender and crust is golden, about 1 hour 20 minutes. (Mine baked for about 1 hour. I also covered it with a piece of aluminum foil about 40 minutes into the baking to prevent any burning.) Let cool slightly. Brush apples with apricot preserves.

That’s it! As you can see, the recipe is fairly straightforward and simple. Be sure to factor in your dough cooling times. They may seem silly, but they are important. While, I’m no pie crust expert, I think my mom would be proud of how well I did on my first attempt.

Now, I’m off to dig into this new American classic! What do you think of crostata? Will you be adding some cheddar to your piecrust?

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