Have you tried Cabot’s new Farmers’ Legacy Collection cheddar cheese? We’ve tried both the Alpine Cheddar and the White Oak Cheddar; both are seriously delicious. I loved them so much, it was a no-brainer to enter the Cabot Farmers’ Legacy Recipe Contest.
I wanted to use both types of cheddar photographed above, and I wanted to come up with a creative spin on my mom’s classic apple pie that she made every Thanksgiving when I was younger (we host the gustatory holiday now!).
Frico came to mind because the Alpine Cheddar tastes similar to Parmesan, the cheese used to make the Italian crispy baked cracker. It might seem a bit intimidating to make frico, but it is really quite easy.
First, pile fresh finely grated cheese onto a baking sheet:
Bake until golden brown:
And then press into mini muffin cups:
As for the apple pie filling, I opted to sauté diced apple in a bit of butter…
And then added maple syrup and cinnamon to round out the pie-like flavor:
Then the apple pie filling gets piled into the crispy frico cups, and the finishing touch is a thin slice of White Oak Cheddar (which pairs nicely with the sweet apples).
With just a few ingredients, you can make this elegant dessert or appetizer for your next party… or for your family on a special occasion.
Apple Pie-Filled Crispy Cheddar Frico Cups
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Keywords: bake saute appetizer dessert cheese apples Thanksgiving fall
- 1/2 block Cabot Alpine Cheddar
- 4 tsp salted butter
- 2 large apples, preferably organic, peeled, cored, and diced
- 4 tsp pure maple syrup, preferably grade B
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 block Cabot White Oak Cheddar
Instructions for the cheddar frico:
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Place Alpine Cheddar in freezer for 5 minutes to aid in grating,
Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
Grate 1 cup Alpine Cheddar using the small holed side of a box grater or a microplane grater.
Spoon the grated Alpine Cheddar by heaping 1 tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets in 10 piles, 5 on each baking sheet, leaving at least two inches of space between each pile. Make sure the cheese is in tight piles; if it is too spread out, the frico cups won’t hold together.
Bake for 5-6 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbling, but still soft and pliable.
Let frico cool for 90 seconds, carefully loosen all around the edges and pick up with a small metal spatula, and gently press frico into 10 mini muffin tin cups. Allow frico cups to cool while you make the apple pie filling.
Instructions for the apple pie filling:
Place White Oak Cheddar in freezer for 5 minutes to aid in peeling.
Melt butter in a medium skillet set over medium-high heat. Add diced apples and cook, stirring often, for 5-7 minutes, or until soft and light golden brown.
While apples cook, remove White Oak Cheddar from freezer and, using a vegetable peeler, peel off thin strips and set aside.
Reduce stove heat to medium. Add maple syrup and cinnamon to apples and cook for 30 seconds, stirring.
Place frico cups on a serving platter.
Spoon apple pie filling into frico cups, and top with strips of the White Oak Cheddar. Eat immediately.
