Bacon Apple Pie

There’s nothing as American as apple pie, but bacon is America’s favorite food group. So, we’re following The Loveless Cafe’s lead and putting the two together for an all-American worthy celebration of the Fourth of July next week. So, ditch the pie top and pick up an extra pound of bacon for this salty-sweet Bacon Apple Pie—the bacon lover’s perfect dessert.

Ingredients:

• 9-inch pie shell, unbaked
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 6 cups granny smith apples (1 1/2 – 2 pounds, 1/2 inch think peeled & sliced)
• 8-12 slices uncooked Loveless Cafe Applewood Smoked Bacon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place the pie shell on a sturdy baking sheet and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, rub the brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and cloves together with your fingertips until blended.
4. Add the apples and toss to coat.
5. Dump the spiced apple slices into the pie shell, including any sugar and juices that have accumulated in the bowl.
6. Weave the uncooked bacon on top of the pie filling, starting from the center and working your way out to the edges.
7. For a lattice topping you should have an over-under pattern with 5 pieces going vertically and five pieces going horizontally.
8. Trim the edges and pinch into the crust to seal.
9. Cover pie with foil and bake in the middle of the oven for 1 hour.
10. Remove cover.
11. Continue baking for 15 minutes until golden brown and bacon is crisp.
12. Let pie cool for 1 hour before cutting.

This recipe was adapted from The Loveless Cafe.