Thanksgiving Apple Crumble Pie

So this year I wanted to make something other than pumpkin or sweet potato, so I decided on apple crumble. I combined two recipes. I found an apple crumble pie recipe in the Ms. American Pie cook book and I added ingredients that my instructor had in her pie from class last week. So I hope this tastes as good as it smells!

My Pie Plate Collection

So I noticed in some of the baking magazines, there were photos of these really neat and old tin pie plates. They would have different graphics on them and just look really neat. I never thought I would be able to find them, but I did! I found one at Goodwill, another at an antique shop and the third at a re-use shop. I just think they are very rustic and show off my love for pie!

(From left to right: Pie'd Piper, Blue Bird Pies and Poppin Fresh Pies.)

Apple Pie Class!

Today I went to "The Perfect Pie" class, through Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, IA. I have been wanting to go to this pie class for years! And I finally made it. The lady who teaches the class, Alison Kosek works as a Sous Pastry Chef for the University of Iowa. And she knows her stuff! And she is very fun to talk to. This is the kind of lady that I could sit and drink with... But anyway, the class was great. We learned how to make a really good crust. And we learned about the chemistry of a crust and how the ingredients make it work.

So, Apple pie is a pie that I've had a hard time with. I've made apple soup pie, and I've also made apple pies that have turned out too dry. So I'm hoping when I try this pie in the morning that I'll feel a whole lot better about this obstacle in my learning to make pie mission.

All I know is that it looks really good, and it smells really really good, so it must be good right?

Update! It was really really good! But, next time I might add some brown sugar to the filling.

Sweet Potato Pie!

Yum yum! This pie turned out really well. It was really simple to make too. The hardest part was waiting for the sweet potato water to boil. It's got 1lb. sweet potatoes, vanilla, butter, nutmeg, cinnamon, orange zest and sweetened condensed milk. There is no sugar in this recipe because the milk makes up for it. I've already tried some and it is just a very very good warm pie. mmmm.

Getting ready to make pie!

Lately it doesn't seem like I have time to do all of the steps to make a pie after work. So I figured I'd make it a two step process.

Day 1) Crust
Day 2) Filling and Bake!

You'll just have to wait and see what this crust ends up being tomorrow.

Maxine!