Sour Cream is the perfect addition to your traditional apple pie.

Everyone has their own family traditions when it comes to the holidays. For my family, our holidays are centered around the food. Lots of food, and that can be a huge production. There is a famous incident where an aunt tried to change the typical Thanksgiving meal to all appetizers. That’s right, no turkey. No mashed potatoes. Just appetizers. Let’s just say, there was a huge revolt and the scheme was never attempted again.

We may try a new dish or two each year but there is a whole long list of dishes that never change. One such dish is the Sour Cream Apple Pie. It’s one of several desserts that is made each year for Thanksgiving but is by far the best one to eat for breakfast the next day. I secretly pray that my family picks the chocolate pecan pie, the pumpkin pie or the lemon meringue pie after dinner, wanting to ensure that my breakfast is safe. There’s something just magical about adding Tillamook Premium Sour Cream to the apple filling. The sour cream transforms the inside of the pie into a silky smooth, rich center. I promise, it’s the best dessert or breakfast pie our there!

Ingredients
1 unbaked pie crust
1 cup Tillamook Premium Sour Cream
1 egg
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon flour
4½ cups peeled and chopped green apples
¾ cup sugar
⅔ cup flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¾ cup room temperature Tillamook Salted Butter

Preparation
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Combine the sour cream, egg, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of flour in a large bowl. Toss the chopped and peeled apples with the sour cream mixture, ensuring that all the apples are coated. Pour the sour cream and apple mixture into the pie crust.

In an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the sugar, ⅔ cup flour, cinnamon, and butter. This mixture will become your topping. Take about a tablespoon of the butter and sugar mixture at a time and form a small flattened tile in the palm of your hand. Place each tile of sugar on top of the pie, overlapping so that at the end, the pie is covered by the sugar mixture. You can use your hands to manipulate the mixture over the pie so it is all smoothly covered. Place pie in the oven and for about 1 hour or until the pie is golden brown. Eat right away or wait until breakfast.

By Kelly

So, I have to admit that when I was asked to write a blog about pie with Special Reserve Extra Sharp in it I was a little hesitant. Then, my wife reminded me that I love apples with cheese and that I love bread with cheese…why wouldn’t I like cheddar apple pie? She was right. It was GREAT!

On a rainy Sunday afternoon I set off to buy the necessary supplies (a pretty short list) in a quest to make a delicious Sunday dessert. I don’t bake much and the hardest thing to find was shortening (apparently it’s a butter-type substance and not a powder) – you learn something new every day! I’m a beginner baker and, luckily, this recipe was really easy to make.

Ok, enough about making the pie — let’s talk about the flavor. The cinnamon and nutmeg were welcomed additions, but the true star of this pie was the Tillamook Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar! You can see little specs of the cheese in the crust and it adds a nice melty consistency and sharp flavor to the pie. Finished with a dollop of Tillamook Old Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream , this made the perfect dreary Sunday dessert! Make it for yourself on the next dreary day, or for a fall party, and take the traditional apple pie to the next level. Here’s the recipe. Enjoy!

~ Matt of the Tillamook Team

Most of the necessary ingredients.

My Mother’s Comfort Pie (from Tillamook Cheese Cookbook)

Ingredients:

CRUST
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
⅔ cup shortening
½ cup Tillamook Special Reserve Extra Sharp Cheese, shredded
5 tablespoons ice water

FILLING
5-6 firm, tart apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ cup sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ cup Tillamook Special Reserve Extra Sharp Cheese, shredded

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 425°. Place the flour and salt into a large bowl. Cut in the shortening and cheese until the mixture becomes crumbly and resembles coarse meal. Slowly add the water, while stirring, until the crumbled mixture begins to hold together and just until you can form the dough into a ball. Be careful not to overwork the dough. Roll out half of the dough on a floured board. Place in a 9-inch pan. Roll out the remaining dough. Mix all the filling ingredients together. Fill the crust with the filling, and then place the second crust on top. Prick the top and seal the edges. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350°, and continue baking for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack. May be served warm or cold…with more cheese if desired.

Suggestions from the Schaeffer household:

1. Peel and prep your apples before making the crust. We didn’t do this and our crust became a little dry while we prepped our apples.

2. Increase the amount of cheese! I’m a cheese lover, so there wasn’t quite enough for my taste.

Oops...one piece gone! :)

By Matt