Bacon Weave Apple Pie
Bacon Weave Apple Pie
Apple pie has always been an age-old favorite, dating back to 1390. The first-ever recorded apple pie recipe was created by the Master Cooks of King Richard II. Back then, sugar was scarce and pie crusts were not intended for eating, but just for storage. In the last 600 years, apple pie has had a major makeover with sweet sugars, delightful spices, and flaky crusts. Since 1390, we’ve seen traditional apple pies, French apple pies, and apple pie "à la mode" (popularized in the 1890s by Charles Watson Townsend after a trip to New York). Apple pie may not have originated in America, but it will always be an American favorite. This recipe brings apple pie to the next level and gives the dessert a meaty upgrade. We took an American classic and added sweet flavored bacon inside the pie, added it to the crust, and made a deliciously beautiful bacon-weaved top.
Servings
8
Ingredients
- 1 pound vanilla bourbon or cinnamon sugar bacon
- 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon shortening
- 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2-3 tablespoon cold water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3-4 large apples, peeled and thinly sliced
- sharp cheddar cheese slices, to taste (optional)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Set aside 8-12 strips of uncooked bacon, and cook the remaining strips in the oven until cooked through, about 17 minutes. Chop into small pieces and set aside.
- Mix together 1 cup of the flour with the salt. Usig a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut the shortening into the flour mixture until the particles are the size of course crumbs. Toss in a handful of the chopped, cooked bacon, and then slowly sprinkle the cold water into the mixture, tossing with a fork as you go, until all of the flour is moistened. Roll the pastry out into a even circle large enough to cover 9-inch pie plate. Press rolled crust into the pie plate.
- Heat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Stir together the ½ cup sugar, ½ cup flour, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in large bowl. Add the remaining chopped bacon and apples and toss. Spoon into pastry-lined pie plate.
- Using your uncooked strips of bacon, create a bacon weave and carefully place it over the top of the pie. Tuck in the overhanging pieces into the pie so that your bacon strips don’t drip grease all over your oven.
- Loosely lay a piece of foil or parchment paper over the top of the pie. Bake 40-50 minutes, taking the foil or paper off the pie during the last 10-15 minutes of cooking. Pie is done when crust is golden brown and bacon is starting to crisp. Depending upon how thick your bacon is, you may want to cook it a little longer.
- Let the pie cool for a few minutes before cutting into it to allow the juices of the bacon to settle. Slice the pie and serve as is or with a piece of sharp Cheddar cheese.