Rustic Apple and Pear Tart with Cheddar Cheese

• 8 oz pie dough (enough for a single 9-inch crust), 
  slightly cooler than room temperature 
• 3 cups coarsely chopped, cored, unpeeled apples 
• 2 cups coarsely chopped, cored, unpeeled pears 
• 1 tablespoon cider 
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 
• ½ cup tart or sweet dried cherries 
• 1 cup sugar, or to taste 
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch 
• ½ tablespoon nutmeg 
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon 
• ½ tablespoon sea salt 
• ½ tablespoon ground black pepper 
• 1 egg white 
• 1 teaspoon milk 
• 4 oz extra sharp cheddar cheese for garnish

Prepare a pie dough and keep it slightly cooler than room temperature.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. 

Place chopped apple and pear in a large bowl. Pour cider and lemon juice over fruit and toss to coat. Add dried cherries. Mix together sugar, cornstarch, nutmeg, cinnamon, sea salt, and pepper. Reserve 1⁄4 c of the sugar and spice mixture for the topping. Add remaining sugar and spices to fruit and toss well to coat.

Roll out the dough on a very lightly floured board. (You’ll want a roundish piece 14 to 18 inches in diameter.) Place the dough on a baking sheet. Mound the fruit into the center. Gather the crust up and over the fruit. Pinch the edges together, leaving at least 2 inches in the center open so the steam can vent.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg white and milk. Brush top of pastry with a little of the egg white mixture and sprinkle evenly with the reserved cinnamon sugar. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until crust is brown and fruit filling is thick and bubbly.

When ready to serve, finely grate cheddar cheese and mound ¼ cup or so on top of each slice of tart. Serve warm or at room temperature.

From Delicious Maine Desserts by Cynthia Finnemore Simonds