Mile-High Apple-Cranberry Pie in a Cheddar Cheese Crust

Crust

2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour (or 1 cup each all-purpose and Round Table Pastry flours)
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter, chilled
3 tablespoons shortening
1 cup (4 oz.) grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 to 5 tablespoons ice water

Filling
6 to 7 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, quartered and sliced (to make approx. 7 cups sliced apples)
1 cup fresh, whole cranberries
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in butter, shortening and cheese, using a pastry blender, mixer or your fingertips. Sprinkle mixture with lemon juice, then with water, a bit at a time, until dough just holds together. Squeeze dough together, divide in half, and shape each half into a flattened circle, about 1" thick. Wrap in waxed paper and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Remove one piece of dough from refrigerator and roll into a circle approx. 12" in diameter. Fit dough into a 9" pie pan (don't trim edges), and place in refrigerator while you make filling.

In a large bowl, combine apples, cranberries, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, lemon juice and cornstarch. Mix well (the best tool here is your hands). Remove bottom crust from refrigerator, and mound filling in crust; it will be quite high. Dot filling with pieces of butter; set aside.

Roll out top crust to a circle approx. 12" in diameter. Gently place top crust over filling. Fold edges of bottom crust up and over edges of top crust, and seal. Crimp edge decoratively. Cut a few slits in the top crust for steam to escape, then paint with a bit of milk or cream, and sprinkle with granulated sugar.

Bake pie on the lowest shelf of a preheated 425°F oven for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F and bake for an additional 45 to 50 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack; resist the temptation to cut pie while it's warm, as filling will ooze

Recipe from King Arthur Flour