Three-cheese apple and bacon pizza

Now that we have an abundance of apples from apple picking last weekend, I'm going to try to be using them up in all sorts of new ways as I do every year. Sure, we eat plenty out of hand and I can some applesauce (and sometimes apple butter), but coming up with new recipes to incorporate our apples is part of the fun. This year we took our copy of Apples of Uncommon Character: Heirlooms, Modern Classics, and Little-known Wonders into the orchard with us. I adore this book and have been looking forward to taking it apple picking with us since it came out last year. We go to LynOaken Farms where they have an orchard with well over one hundred heritage apple varieties growing, in addition to all the classics. It's amazing to step back into the past and bite into these apples with names like Moonlight, Old Fashioned Limbertwig, Hidden Rose, White Winter Pearmain, Crow's Egg, and so many more. I dream of owning an apple orchard sometimes, or at the very least having a nice little collection of trees in my yard.

This year I knew I wanted to incorporate apple into a pizza and bacon, blue cheese, cheddar, and caramelized shallots all seemed to make sense to pair with a crisp, sweet apple. It was an experiment that worked perfectly. This recipe will make one pizza. 

Three-cheese apple and bacon pizza
1 recipe for you favorite pizza crust (this is my go-to recipe and I'd use 1/2 of this recipe for 1 pizza)
4 pieces of bacon
1 small shallot, halved, peeled, and thinly sliced
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small crisp and sweet apple
1/3 cup blue cheese crumbles
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese

Cook the bacon until crispy ans set aside on a paper towel. Drain the bacon fat from the skillet, reserving about 2 teaspoons. Heat the pan on low and add the shallot. Cook on low, stirring occasionally, until the shallot is golden and caramelized. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Lightly dust your pizza stone with cornmeal (or use an upside-down baking sheet). Roll out the dough to about an 11-inch circle (or to fit your pan). Transfer to the baking sheet. Spread the olive oil evenly around the dough followed by a couple grinds of black pepper.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

Crumble the bacon onto the dough, leaving about 1/2 inch diameter crust along the edge. Follow with the shallots, apple slices, and cheeses.

Bake on the bottom rack of the oven for about 12-15 minutes, until the crust is cooked through and the cheeses are bubbly and golden.

Let cool for about 3-5 minutes and then slice and eat.

What was I cooking one year ago?: pumpkin spice snickerdoodles
Two years ago?: cabbage roll soup
Three years ago?: chocolate chip pumpkin blondies
Four?: roasted chicken thighs & garlic cloves
5?: shiitake mushroom & barley soup