No matter how stuffed full of bird, booze, and spuds you are, there is always room for pie—always. You may regret your gluttony when you can’t fit into your skinny jeans the next day, but these pies are worth any residual guilt you may harbor the next few days. You only live once, am I right?
The Best Darn Apple Pie with an Oatmeal Streusel Topping
If I’m being honest, I’m not a fan of the double crust pies. Don’t get me wrong—I finish every last bite of those homemade pie crusts and love each and every flakey, buttery nibble. I just prefer the crust remain on the bottom. This apple pie is definitely on par with nana’s (dare I say better?).
Note: Homemade crusts are, incontestably, better than store bought crusts. However, when in a time crunch over the holidays, skipping the arduous process is understandable. I won’t judge anyone who opts for the Pillsbury refrigerated crust, but I will suggest the French pastry crust recipe on allrecipes.com—it’s pastry perfection.
Ingredients:
Filling:
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ cup white sugar
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 6 apples (I recommend granny smith, gala, or pink lady—one that can stand up to the heat)
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
Directions:
- Melt butter in sauce pan over medium heat. Then, stir in flour to form a paste.
- Add both sugars and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the temperature and simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Toss the apples with cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Place apples in the pie pan lined with crust. (The apples will form a surprisingly large mound. Do not fret.)
- Gently pour sugar liquid over the apples. Cover with topping (directions below).
Topping:
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¾ cup flour
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ¾ cup rolled oats
- ½ cup butter, slightly softened
Directions:
- Combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar and oats. Mix thoroughly.
- Cut in butter until the mixture forms a crumbly texture. (Warning: this will be a tedious process… as well as a nice work out for your biceps.)
Bourbon Pecan Pie
Last Thanksgiving marked the very first time I tried this sinfully sweet confection—it was love at first bite. In fact, I made this very pie this past Halloween weekend because, hey, who doesn’t want a piece of heaven when they’re nursing a hefty hangover? The orange zest makes this recipe particularly special. The flavor is very subtle and justifies eating a piece for breakfast for the boost of Vitamin C.
Again, I encourage you to make your own piecrust—cutting the butter in and smacking the dough around with a rolling pin will release some of your pre-exam jitters. The ingredients are also staples for any household, easing the burden on your wallet. Not to mention, homemade crusts leave out those artificial additives like “red one” that no one knows exactly how they impact your health in the long run. For the sake of your health and wallet, take the extra hour and put a little love in your holiday’s featured pie.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- ½ cup dark corn syrup
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 1 ½ to 2 cups pecan halves
- 2 tablespoons good bourbon (Maker’s Mark, no Kessler’s please)
- ½ teaspoon orange zest
- 1 pie shell, unbaked
Directions:
- In a medium bowl stir sugar and melted butter. Add the corn syrup, beaten eggs, pecans, bourbon and orange zest. Stir until completely combined.
- Pour mixture into the pie shell. Place pie on a baking sheet (for any spillage). Bake in a 375 degree oven for 10 minutes.
- Lower the temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking for about 25 more minutes or until toasty brown.
