"Norwegian" Apple Pie

I found this pie crust recipe that calls for vodka, which sounded really interesting to me, especially after reading the theory behind it - vodka evaporates, so the crust is supposed to turn out super-flaky. The desire to make a caramel apple pie came to me a few weeks ago, until I read a post on Something Awful in which the Norwegian goat's milk cheese, gjetost, was used. I just happened to have a block of gjetost in the fridge, so I looked up recipes for gjetost apple pie and found one involving both sour cream and cardamom (two of my favorite edibles). Of course, I left out the cinnamon. :D

Start with the filling, since I think it's better after marinating for a while in the fridge. I used Honeycrisp apples because again, those were on-hand. In a large bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons of sour cream, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1/2 cup of sugar (or evaporated cane juice), 1/2 teaspoon of cardamom, a pinch of Kosher salt, and 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour.

Next, peel and quarter your apples, remove the cores and cut them into about 1/2" slices. My three apples weighed just over 1.5 pounds, which is enough for a deep-dish pie. Use less if you're using a regular pie tin. Then toss the apple slices in the sour cream mixture, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (that's all the time I had, but more would probably be better).

Time for the crust, which I'm doing in the food processor. Cut up 3 sticks of butter (I, of course, use salted butter) into small cubes, then place in the freezer for about 10 minutes. If you're making the crust by hand, put the cubes back into the refrigerator. Get out the food processor (or a large bowl) and add 4.5 cups of flour and 1/2 a tablespoon of Kosher salt. Give it a quick whir (or whisk). Add in the butter cubes and pulse (or rub or cut) until the mixture resembles course crumb. Sprinkle 1.5 tablespoons of vodka and 1/2 cup of water over the flour/butter and pulse (or stir) just until the dough holds together. Pour the dough onto your work surface and form it into a block, then wrap it in cling-film and let it rest there for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, roll out half of the dough on a floured surface into a 10" circle (leave the other half on the counter until it's time to cover the pie). Lightly press the dough into your tin. I overlapped the rim just a bit since I wasn't using a proper pie tin and I wanted the side to stay in place during blind baking. Trim the excess dough (I left it a bit rustic because that's just how I am). Turn your oven to 300°F and then put the tin in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.

Take the tin out of the freezer and cover the crust with parchment or aluminum foil. Fill the lined crust with dried beans, rice, or pie weights. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the crust is cooked but not browned. Remove the lining and weights and bake for 5 to 7 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool. Turn the oven up to 350°F so it can preheat while the bottom crust cools.

Shred 2 to 4 oz of gjetost, depending on your taste. Once the bottom pie crust has cooled, sprinkle half the cheese over it, then spoon in the apples after giving them a final toss in the sour cream mixture. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top of the apples.

Roll out the remaining half of dough into another 10" circle. I have another of the tins I used for the pie, so I used it as a guide for trimming. Lay the upper crust over the pie, pressing it gently into the inside rim of the bottom crust. Brush with egg wash (1 egg beaten with about tablespoon of water). Cut fun shapes out of the dough scraps and brush both sides with the egg wash before gluing to the top crust. Make slits or a small hole in the top crust to let out the steam.

Bake at 350°F for 35 to 45 minutes until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbly. Let the pie cool for at least 20 minutes. Remember to take a picture before you cut it. Oops! Serve slightly warm so the cheese is still melty (we took it over to my mother-in-law's house and set it on top of the warm oven).

Note: the apples still had a slight crunch, so if you don't like that sort of thing, either let the apples sit in the liquid for longer and/or slice them thinner.

Another note: don't use a cake tin if you can help it - getting that first slice out is ridiculously difficult. I just don't have a deep-dish pie tin (yet!).