And the Winner is…………???

Does your family make a big deal out of family traditions and the food that accompanies the holidays? My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is how we pass a small basket around the table and share what we are thankful for as we put kernels of corn into the basket. Often we go around the table many times as each person shares  I have learned that any dish I make for a holiday gathering better be a recipe I LOVE to make, because if it is a “hit”, I will be making it year after year. I do love baking and I especially LOVE baking pies. This year I tried a new recipe for pie crust dough and Adapted the same recipe with a modification. I prepared the pie fillings for three different pies and then when the dessert course came on Thanksgiving Day, we shared “which is your favorite pie and which is your favorite crust?” The Cranberry Apple Pie was the winner. Here is the recipe…..

BEST Pie Crust
2 ¼ cups white flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill Baking flour and highly recommend it)
1 Tablespoon sugar
½ cup cold butter (you can modify and use ½ cup butter flavored crisco but I prefer butter)
3-4 Tablespoons ice cold water

The secret to this pie crust is handle as little as possible. Mix the flour and sugar in a medium sized bowl. Using a cheese grater, grate the cold butter into the flour. Using a pie dough cutter or two knives or your hand, mix the butter into the flour. Add ice cold water one tablespoon at a time working into the dough with as little pressing and folding as possible. Dough will form a ball and be a tiny bit sticky. Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight. Roll out on a floured board to ¼ inch or thinner and place into your pie pan (a 9 or 10 inch pan works best. Finish the edges if you are doing a crumble topping. If you want to do a lattice crust, double the pie crust recipe and roll out second ball of dough and cut into 1 inch strips to weave over top of pie filling. I opted for the crumble crust.

Apple Cranberry Pie
6-8 cups peeled and sliced apples (I used a variety of rome, granny smith, pippin)
2 cups fresh cranberries
zest and juice of 1 lemon
¾ cups sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1-2 tablespoon butter

Topping
½ cup butter
3/4 cup flour
1 cup oats
½ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon lemon zest
½ cup butter

Directions
Peel and slice apples. Mix lemon zest and juice into apples. Add cranberries, sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon. Mix together and pour into unbaked pie crust. Dot with butter and put on lattice crust or topping. If making a lattice crust weave over the top and tuck edges into bottom crust pinching off to make a nice edge. If making a crumble topping mix together all topping ingredients except the butter. Cut butter into the topping until mixed thoroughly. Sprinkle topping on top of apple cranberry mixture. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes and then turn down to 350 degrees and bake for 45 more minutes. If the topping is getting too brown, cover loosely with foil and continue baking until apples are soft. Enjoy with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Best warm.

Although the pie competition was just a small part of the Thanksgiving celebration, it was FUN!!!

I was challenged to consider this…“what if you woke up this morning with only what you were thankful for yesterday?” This phrase will change the way I look at things going forward. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us to give thanks in all circumstances.
WOW, I do not know about you but this really made me stop and think.
We really do have so much to be thankful for.”