APPLE TART
with CHEDDAR STREUSEL
MAKES 8 SERVINGS
Naturally, fruit and cheese are a timeless combination, but I was surprised to learn that there are parts of the country where it is common to serve apple pie with a slice of sharp Cheddar cheese. My longtime pastry chef, Jaime Sudberg, educated me on this unique tradition by creating this apple tart topped with an intriguing, spectacular Cheddar streusel that is balanced by an orange shortbread crust.
ORANGE SHORTBREAD DOUGH
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
Finely grated zest of ½ navel orange
1¼ cups (175 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling the dough
¼ teaspoon baking powder
⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
FILLING
4 Granny Smith apples (see Note, here), about 1 pound, 10 ounces total
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of fine sea salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
⅓ cup water
CHEDDAR STREUSEL
⅔ cup (95 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ cup (2 ounces) shredded sharp white Cheddar cheese, preferably Grafton Village
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Vanilla ice cream, for serving
1. To make the dough: Beat the butter, confectioners’ sugar, and orange zest in a heavy-duty standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until the butter is light in color, about 2 minutes. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a small bowl. With the machine on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture and mix just until it clumps together. Gather up the dough into a thick disk. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour. (The dough is easiest to use when it is chilled, but not rock hard. If chilled longer than 1 hour, let the dough stand at room temperature for 10 minutes or so to soften slightly before rolling out.)
2. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface into a 12-inch round about ⅛ inch thick. Fit into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. The dough will crack, but just press it together, being sure that the dough is not too thick where the sides meet the bottom. Trim away the excess dough. Press the dough firmly against the sides of the pan so it rises about 
inch above the pan rim. Freeze for 15 to 30 minutes.
3. Position a rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Pierce the dough a few times with a fork. Line the pan with aluminum foil and fill the foil with pie weights or dried beans. Place the pan on a baking sheet. Bake until the dough looks set, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the foil with the weights and continue baking until the dough is just beginning to brown, about 5 minutes more. Remove from the oven.
4. To make the filling: Peel and core the apples and cut into ½-inch pieces. Combine the apples, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk the granulated sugar and cornstarch together in a small microwave-safe bowl. Add the water and whisk well to dissolve. Microwave on high (100 percent) just until the mixture comes to a boil and thickens into a paste, about 30 seconds (or bring the cornstarch mixture to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat). Add the paste to the apple mixture and mix thoroughly but gently. Set aside while making the streusel.
5. To make the streusel: Using your fingers, mix the flour, granulated and brown sugars, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium bowl to break up the brown sugar. Add the cheese and mix to coat it. Add the melted butter and stir with a spoon until moistened. Press the streusel mixture into large clumps.
6. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Mound the apple filling into the crust, arranging the pieces closely together (the filling will shrink during baking). Crumble the streusel evenly over the top and press it gently into the filling to adhere. Return the tart to the oven on the baking sheet and bake until the apples are tender and the streusel is golden brown, about 45 minutes. Let the tart cool in the pan on a wire cake rack for 10 minutes. Remove the sides of the pan and cool completely.
7. Cut the tart into wedges and serve with the ice cream.
Note: I use Granny Smith apples here because they are sold everywhere, but ask your local apple source to suggest some baking apples. They must be a variety that holds its shape during baking. On the east coast, Golden Delicious are a good choice, but the same variety grown in west coast orchards isn’t as flavorful.