This Apple Gruyere Pie is utterly impossible to resist. There’s nothing like the combination of fruit and cheese–there are many fruit and cheese charcuterie boards out there that will back me up on this–and the pairing of sweet, lightly spiced apples, with the sweet, nutty, and salty Gruyere is one that just works. If you’ve been looking for a simple but delicious twist on an apple pie, look no further.
I started rewatching Pushing Daisies again which 100% inspired this pie. While I’m still not completely sure if Chuck’s pie she makes for her aunts is pear and gruyere or apple and gruyere, I always just assumed it was apple and salivated at the thought of the pie alone. (Really, all of the pies in that show are completely dreamy even if it has been off the air for far too many years).
This pie starts with a Gruyere pie crust that is flaky and tasty enough to baked into small pieces and eat on their own (you don’t even need to question, yes, I cut my excess dough into triangles and popped them in the toaster oven to bake into tasty, cheesy bites). You cook the apples down until they’re tender but still have a slight crunch and let it all cool down so that you’re not putting warm filling into cold dough. I know slices look pretty in apple pies, but I love a good chunk of apple. It’s more satisfying when you bite into it and I find that it always slices a bit easier too (at least for me).
The filling is lightly spiced to give the apple some oomph without taking any attention away from the natural sweetness of the fruit. I can’t lie, I was a bit worried that I added a bit too much Gruyere to the crust. All I could smell as this was baking was cheese, but when you let it all cool down a bit and bite into it, the apple completely stands out.
It’ll take a lot of willpower to keep from hovering over the pie plate with a fork in hand.
| Prep Time | 30 minutes |
| Cook Time | 60-70 minutes |
| Passive Time | 4-24 hours |
| Servings |
servings
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- 600 grams all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 100 grams Gruyere cheese grated
- 340 grams unsalted butter cold and cubed
- 2 Tbsp vodka
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- ice water as needed
- 1500 grams Granny Smith apples peeled and diced into 1 inch chunks (about 9-10 medium to large apples)
- 1 lemon juice only
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 50 grams granulated sugar
- 25 grams light brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 14 grams corn starch mixed with 1 Tbsp water
- 1 recipe Gruyere Pie Crust *(above can also use store bought pie crust and just go with the cheese grated over top)
- 7 grams unsalted butter cold
- 1 egg mixed with 1 Tbsp water for egg wash
- 25 grams Gruyere cheese grated
Ingredients
Gruyere Pie Crust
Apple Gruyere Pie
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- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and grated Gruyere cheese. Using your fingers, rub in the butter until you're left with mostly pea-sized chunks covered in flour and a few larger chunks as well. Using the tip of a knife, mix in the vodka and the apple cider vinegar. Add the ice water 1-2 Tbsp at a time and stir with the tip of the knife until large chunks begin to form and the dough begins to come together until you can press it into a ball using your hands.
- Divide the dough in half and shape into a disc by forming into a ball and using your palm to flatten it. Wrap in plastic wrap and allow to chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to overnight.
- While the dough is chilling, prepare your filling. In a large pot, stir together the 1 inch chunks of apple, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, sugars, and vanilla until the apples are evenly coated. Cook the apples on the stove over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes until the apples are tender with just a little bite left to them. Whisk together the corn starch and water and pour into the pot with the apple filling. Allow to cook for another minute. Remove the filling from the heat and transfer to a large dish. Cool at room temperature for 30 minutes before transferring to the fridge or freezer to cool completely.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and lightly grease a 9" pie dish (1.5"-2" deep). Place a large baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven.
- Lightly flour your work surface. Roll out the first half of the dough until it is about 1/4" thick and larger than your pie dish. (If you make it a little bit thicker that's okay, just add an extra 10-15 minutes to the bake time later and cook until the crust is baked through.)
- Roll the dough onto your rolling pin and transfer to the prepared pie dish. Gently press the dough into the bottom edges being careful not to stretch it. Trim any excess around the top
- Pour the filled apple filling into the pastry lined pie dish. Cut 7 grams of butter into small pieces and dot over the top of the filling. Set aside while you roll out the top crust.
- Lightly flour your work surface and roll out the second half of the dough until it is about 1/4" thick. Trim the circle or cut into thick strips and place the dough over the top of the filling, crimping as desired (a fork always works great, if you have a fluted pie dish, trim the dough around the edges until it overhangs just a bit, fold under somewhat tucking the dough into the sides of the dish and crimp, following the shape of the dish).
- Chill the pie in the freezer for 10 minutes or in the refrigerator for 30 until the dough is firm and cold. Whisk together 1 egg and 1 Tbsp of water and brush over the top of the pie. Sprinkle the 25 grams of grated Gruyere over the top. Using a sharp knife, cut a couple of slits in the top pastry so that the steam has room to escape.
- Place the pie on the preheated baking sheet and bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 40 minutes. Lower the temperature of the oven to 350°F and transfer the pie and the baking sheet to the middle rack. Continue to bake for an additional 20-30 minutes, until the pastry is cooked through and the filling bubbles underneath.
- Remove the pie from the oven and cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for 3 hours or overnight. Slice and serve!