Apple Cheddar Pies with Ginger Pecan Crumble

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and set out two 9-inch pie plates. Melt the butter and divide it: two-thirds for the crust and one-third for the crumble.
2. Make the crust: in a bowl, stir together two-thirds of the flour, the granulated sugar, the cheddar and half of the salt. Add the crust portion of melted butter and the cold water and stir until it forms moist clumps.
3. Divide the crust mixture between the pie plates and press it evenly over the bottoms and up the sides. Prick with a fork and bake for 12 minutes until just set; leave the oven on.
4. Make the crumble: in another bowl, mix the remaining one-third of the flour, the oats, the pecans, half of the brown sugar, one-third of the cinnamon and the remaining half of the salt. Stir in the remaining one-third of the melted butter until crumbly.
5. Make the filling: in a large bowl, toss the apple with the lemon juice, then add the remaining half of the brown sugar, the cornstarch, the fresh ginger, the ground ginger and the remaining two-thirds of the cinnamon. Toss until the apple is evenly coated.
6. Divide the apple filling between the par-baked crusts, mounding it slightly, and scatter the crumble evenly over both pies.
7. Set the pies on a rimmed baking sheet and bake 50 to 55 minutes, until the juices bubble thickly at the edges, the apples are tender when pierced with a knife and the crumble is deep golden. Cover loosely with foil if the topping browns too fast.
8. Cool the pies on a rack for at least 3 hours so the filling sets, then cut each pie into 6 slices.