Cheddar-Crusted Maple Apple Pie with Maple Whipped Cream (Bacon Optional)

Assemble your food processor with the dough attachment. For the pie crust, sift salt and flour together in the bowl of your food processor. Put on the lid. Cut shortening or butter into pieces a little bigger than the width of your thumb and add it to the food processor along with the cheese. Pulse 4-5 times or until the shortening breaks down just a bit. Add 2 tablespoons of ice water and pulse again. Keep adding water, a tablespoon at a time, and pulsing until the dough just comes together. Since you’re using a food processor, you’ll have to do the “snowball test” to see if it’s ready; grab a small handful and shape into a ball. If it holds together without crumbling, it’s ready to be refrigerated.

Divide and roll dough into two balls. Wrap each in plastic wrap and store in refrigerator until the dough is chilled (at least 30 minutes).

While the dough is chilling, preheat your oven to 450 F.

Peel and core your apples and cut each into very thin slices, about 1/8 inch thick. In a bowl, add apples and squeeze lemon juice over slices, tossing until well coated. Add maple syrup, brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt to the apples.

When the dough is chilled, take it out of the refrigerator and roll each one flat until it’s big enough to cover a standard 9-inch pie plate. Line pie plate with one pastry, fill with fruit mixture, and dot with butter. Top the pie with the second pie crust and trim the excess dough that’s hanging over the sides of the pie plate. Crimp the edges of the two crusts together and cut three slits in the top crust so air can escape when cooking.

Brush top crust with milk or cream and place in the 450 F oven for ten minutes then reduce the heat to 350 F and bake about 30 minutes longer. When the pie has about 5 minutes left to bake, sprinkle top crust with finely grated Parmesan Reggiano. Let it bake until the cheese just melts on top.

Remove from oven and let it cool slightly before adding whipped cream and bacon crumbles.

For THe maple whipped cream: Chill the bowl of a stand mixer in the freezer for about ten minutes. Take it out of the freezer and assemble your mixer with the cold bowl and the whisk attachment. Add cream to bowl and whisk on medium setting until soft peaks form. Add maple syrup and whisk until firm.