apples + black pepper + cheddar + cinnamon
This flavor combination intrigued me immediately! I remember reading a Food & Wine magazine while I was in high school (no, we will not talk about how long ago that was) and came across an Cheddar Apple Pie. My immature little flavor brain exploded with, “wait….cheese and apples go together??”. I have to admit that I never made that pie. However, that flavor combination has been living in the back of my brain since then – waiting for the right moment to put apples and cheddar together.
Apparently, this was the moment and the ending result was spiced apple cheddar bars.
This flavor combination doesn’t stop at apples and cheddar though – black pepper and cinnamon are along for the ride. I’ve got a great explanation for the different types of cinnamon in my cinnamon cran-apple sauce (also linked below!) but here’s the summary:
The cinnamon that is available commercially most of the time is Indonesian cinnamon. This is what we think of when we think of a classic cinnamon flavor, like in a sticky bun. Vietnamese cinnamon is a stronger cinnamon and is known as the more “spicy” version. Think of that cinnamon as the type that you’d get in a red hot. Both of these are Cassia cinnamons.
Ceylon Cinnamon comes from Sri Lanka and is much softer, both in flavor and in hardness of the bark. Throughout the flavor pairings, most of the time I will be using Indonesian cinnamon. I’d like to work on a flavor combo where I can make Ceylon cinnamon shine though. Stay tuned!
As for black pepper, I know this one will probably throw a few of you off because we rarely see black pepper used in a dessert application – it’s solidly in the savory spice zone. However, when used in desserts, it doesn’t give off a savory vibe. It is more is a kick in the pants for the other spices.
Black pepper is technically a dried berry and it’s heat/flavor comes from two different compounds – Piperine and Terpenes. Both are types of organic compounds but play very different roles in how our body perceives Black Pepper.
Terpenes are like “essential oils” for black pepper – these are delicate and interact with the scent receptors in our noses. So when we grind black peppercorns, the sharp, almost citrusy scent is those terpenes being released into the air. However, these will dissipate shortly into the cooking process.
Piperine tricks our body into thinking that black pepper tastes “spicy”, even though it is only 1X the strength of capsaicin, which gives heat to hot peppers. This compound is very stable and is able to withstand long cooking times without losing it’s impact on the flavor.
When we use black pepper during baking, the terpenes will quickly fade. However that little bit of pepper bite helps enhance the sweetness of the apples and the spice of the cinnamon in these spiced apple cheddar bars.
Speaking of apples here, your next question might be around what type of apples would be best to use here! I used Honeycrisp apples because I think it’s a great apple for any type of pie filling – it’s a beautiful balance of sweet, crisp and just slightly tart. Cosmic crisp is another great choice or Macintosh.
Let’s not forget about the cheddar! In this recipe, you’re going to want to use a medium or lightly sharp cheddar to really capture the flavor contrast between the apples, brown sugar and cheddar cheese. I’ll be honest – a really sharp cheddar cheese is one of my absolute favorite cheeses on a cheese board. I absolutely love the flavor and the little zip you get in the back of your mouth from a reeeeaalllly sharp one.
Despite my love of really sharp cheddars, I think that’s a little much for this flavor combination. I went with medium cheddar in this recipe but I would go up a bit in sharpness and still be good with the balance. However something like an extra reserve sharp or super sharp (or even a sharp white cheddar) might be a little much for the balance on this one. But if you are a strong lover of sharp cheddar cheese, give it a try and report back!
apples + black pepper + cheddar + cinnamon
Now it’s your turn! What would you make with this flavor combination? Tell me in the comments!
Printspiced apple cheddar bars
this is like apple pie and blondies had a baby with a slightly savory hit of cheddar cheese – delicious!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 16 2″ square bars 1x
Ingredients
Spiced Apples:
- 2 honeycrisp apples, peeled and diced
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
Dough
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8″x8″ baking dish and set aside until ready.
Spiced Apples: In a medium sauce pan, melt butter and add diced apples. Let cook over medium low heat for about 2 minutes, then add brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, salt and ground black pepper. Cook for 10-15 more minutes or until apples are fork tender. Set aside to cool.
Dough: In a mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add egg and beat until fully incorporated. In a small bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat in gradually to butter mixture until mixed in. With a spatula, stir in cooked apple mixture and 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar. Spread bar mixture in prepared dish and sprinkle with remaining 3 tbsp shredded cheddar.
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until deep golden brown on top. Let cool completely then cut into squares and enjoy!
Looking for other recipes with apples, cinnamon, cheddar or black pepper in the flavor combination? Check out the ones below!
