thanksgiving traditions and apple pie

family. turkey. mashed potatoes. apple pie. pumpkin pie. black friday shopping. guys, i love thanksgiving! so much! everything about it. and my family has created some of the best holiday traditions over the years.

one of my favorite thanksgiving traditions is our apple pie baking contest... it's probably my favorite because i've been the reigning champion for at least the past 5 years... i don't think i'd enjoy it quite as much if i lost... i'm a bad loser. so anyone who wants to participate can bake an apple pie and after dinner we blindfold everyone, give them a bite of each pie, and they chose a favorite. each year my mom and i use the same recipe and we are always head to head with votes... somehow i've managed to win... no big deal ;) so if you want to impress your family this year, try out our recipe below.

my least favorite thanksgiving tradition is the one where we all go around the table and say what we're thankful for... so many of my family members cry... i don't like crying. it makes me super uncomfortable. even happy crying. all crying. i don't know what to do when people cry.

then after we stuff ourselves full of turkey and pie, we all sit around the table to plan our black friday shopping. i usually try to get a few hour nap in before my mom, myself and whoever else wants to join that year head out to fight the crowds. we have so much fun because there is nothing we actually need... like we're not sitting in line for one of the five televisions on super sale. we just go to go and if we find some gifts to buy, we buy them. no stress. just lots of coffee, christmas music and laughing.

does your family have thanksgiving traditions? i'd love to hear about them!

below is our apple pie recipe... i'm pretty sure it comes from a betty crocker book from the 1960s or something... sometimes, you just can't mess with the originals... well unless you're me and you can't help yourself but to mess with everything.

Apple Pie Recipe
6 cups thinly sliced apples (about 2 pounds)
1 cup sugar, plus some extra to sprinkle on top
2 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
a few dashes of apple pie spice... for good measure
1 tablespoon butter

Instructions: 

1. Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and apple pie spice in a small bowl. 

2. Add sugar mixture to sliced apples and toss together until apples are coated. 

3. Place one crust (see recipe below) on the bottom of a pie plate and dump apples in dish. 

4. Place second crust over apples and seal pie edges. I use my fingers to make a swirly edge but you can also use a fork to press the two crusts together. 

5. Using a sharp knife, slice a few slits in the top of your crush to create a design and allow the pie to breath while it cooks. 

6. Place pieces of butter over the top of the pie and sprinkle with sugar prior to baking. 

7. Using thin pieces of aluminum foil, wrap your pie crust edges to avoid burning. 

8. Place pie on a cookie sheet (in case your pie leaks... sugar burning inside your oven is the worst) and bake at 375F for 25 minutes. 

9. Remove aluminum foil and return pie to the oven for an additional 20-25 minutes until the crush is golden  brown. 

10. Cool and serve... with vanilla ice cream... duh. 

Pie Crust
1 and 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
4-5 tablespoons cold water

Instructions:

1. Sift together flour and salt. 

2. Using two butter knives or a pastry blender, cut shortening into flour mixture until pieces are the size of small peas. 

3. Sprinkle above mixture with cold water and continue to blend until just combined. Use a little water at a time... you can always add more! 

4. Once all ingredients are moist, use your hands to form dough into a ball and flatten on a lightly floured surface with a rolling pin. 

5. Use a flat spatula to assist folding the flattened dough in half and then in half again... it's much easier to pick up this way... and place in pie dish. 

This recipe is enough for only 1 crust... so you have to make it twice for an apple pie. I suggest making it two separate times instead of just doubling the recipe... I've tried that and it just doesn't seem to cooperate with me as well... making pie crust is hard! 

Happy Baking!