Hudson Valley Apple Pie with Sour Cream Ice Cream, Aged Cheese and Honey

   The third and final course was as American as, well, the inauguration of the president. Executive Chef Shannon Shaffer made President Obama’s reported favorite, apple pie. For a twist on the often-played vanilla ice cream accompaniment, Shaffer whipped up a sour cream ice cream and served the dish with artisanal chesses from the Cooperstown Cheese Co. and honeycomb.

Hudson Valley Apple Pie with Sour Cream Ice Cream, Aged Cheese and Honey

   Serves 4

Pie Dough

• 6 ounces butter, soft
• 1 1/2 ounces sugar
• 1/2 pound flour, all purpose
• 2 teaspoons water
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/2 each egg

Preparation:

1. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until mixed well and then fold in the egg. 
2. Combine the flour and salt and then fold into the butter mixture.
3. Add the water 1 teaspoon at a time until dough pulls together.
4. Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap and allow to rest in refrigerator for at least 1 hour (can be made up to 2 days in advance).
5. Portion dough into 10 equal parts and roll out thin, approximately ¼ inch thick and place in individual metal ring mold or aluminum pie shells.

Cinnamon Crumble

• 1/2 cup flour, all purpose
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch salt
• 3 tablespoons butter, unsalted, chilled, cut in to 1/2 inch cubes

Preparation:

1. Blend first 5 ingredients in a food processor.
2. Add chilled butter cubes; using on/off turns, cut in until mixture resembles wet sand.

Apples

• 1 pound apples, peeled, cored, sliced thin
• 3 ounces sugar
• 1/4 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tablespoon corn starch
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation:

1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl. 
2. Layer the apples tightly into pie dough until full, this will be piled higher then the sides of the shell.  The apples will drop as it is baked.
3. Top each pie with cinnamon crumble and bake at 350º F for 25-30 minutes.

Sour Cream Ice Cream

• 2 cups half and half
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 each vanilla bean
• 8 each egg yolks, large
• 4 cups sour cream

Preparation:

1. In heavy saucepan combine half-and-half, ¾ cup sugar, and vanilla bean and bring just to a boil.
2. Remove pan from heat.
3. In a bowl whisk together egg yolks and remaining ¼ cup sugar and hot half-and-half mixture in a steady slow stream, whisking until incorporated.
4. Return mixture to pan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until 170º F on a candy thermometer.
5. Remove pan from heat. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into mixture until combined well and discard pod.
6. Stir sour cream into custard until combined well and strain through a fine sieve into a bowl.
7. Stir sour cream into custard until combined well and strain through a fine sieve into a bowl.
8. Chill custard until cold and freeze in an ice-cream maker.

Maples Caramel Sauce

• 4 ounces butter
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/2 cup maple syrup, dark amber

Preparation:

1. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, melt butter. Add sugar and salt.
2. Cook, stirring constantly, until sugar is completely dissolved, then adjust heat to medium and boil 2 minutes longer.
3. Add maple syrup and boil, stirring frequently, until sauce is thick, smooth, and coats a spoon, 2 to 4 minutes longer. Remove from heat and hold warm for serving.

Garnish

• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 ounces honeycomb

Artisan Cheeses

• 4 each toma celena, 1/2 ounce, cut thin
• 4 each jersey girl colby, 1/2 ounce, cut thin

For the first course, Steamed Lobster with New England Clam Chowder Sauce, click here.

For the second course, Hickory Grilled Bison with Red Potato Horseradish Cake and Wild Huckleberry Reduction, click here.

Photography by Brendan Hoffman.

Recipes courtesy of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies.