I love pie!!!!!! Actually any pie but particularly Holiday pie such as pumpkin, mincemeat, pecan and…..you name it and I’ll eat it. Yum, yum, yum… Now about making the pie crust, I’m not good at it at all. Mom did the best pie crusts you would ever want to eat..I would work side by side with her (from the time I was little) and I either handled it too much or too little so, guess what I do, I buy Pillsbury piecrust, yes, I do!!!!  Now you know my secret. I do make graham cracker, vanilla wafer, and ginger snap crusts but in today’s post most of the pies are shortening crusts with decorative details. I thought you might enjoy trying one or two for your Holiday pies.  I’m including a few recipes as well  Happy Holiday’s!

The cartoon above from  The New Yorker….

Suggested toppings for pumpkin pies use your own mixture for your filling, I always use Libby’s pumpkin as shown.
   I always add more brandy, a bit of lemon zest and juice to the mix and use either None Such or Crosse and Blackwell. I serve with hard sauce, I make my own but you can tart up (add brandy) to store bought.  Above photos are suggested special toppings for mincemeat or fruit pies.

Two more glorious toppings…the first is one I am doing for my mince pie, I’ll share my finished pie on Instagram,

TOMMY’S APPLE-PUMPKIN PIE

FILLING:

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 Tablespoon corn starch

1 teaspoon cinnamon, divided

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon all spice

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup water

2Tablespoons butter

3 cups Granny Smith apples peeled and sliced

3/4 cup packed canned oumpkin

3/4 cup evaporated milk

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg beaten

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Prepare your own pie crust for a 9” pie.

In a skillet combine brown sugar, corn starch, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon salt, add the vanilla, water, butter and bring to a boil stirring.  The mixture will thicken creating a caramel sauce.  Add the apples and continue cooking over medium heat for 4-5 minutes stirring constantly.  Pour mixture into the unbaked pie crust and set aside.  Whisk together pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, egg, 1/2 teaspoon, nutmeg, all spice and 1/4 teaspoon salt.  Pour over the apple layer.  Bake at 375 for 50 minutes until a knife comes out clean.  Cool completely before cutting.  This pie should be refrigerated.  Serve with whipped cream

TOMMY’S PECAN PIE

Heat oven to 400 degrees

Prepare your own pastry pie crust

Beat together with a beater

3 eggs

2/3 cup sugar

1/3 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup melted butter

1 cup dark corn syrup

Mix in 1 cup pecans

Pour into pastry shell.  Bake until set and pastry is browned.  Bake in 400 degree oven for 40 to 50 minutes.

Isn’t this glorious….let’s all strive to create something fun, pretty, perhaps a bit over the top, why not it’s the Holidays, the most special time of the year!  Most of all relax and enjoy the season!

All photos from Pinterest, photo credits unknown as is the top illustration. Above  illustration from Norman Rockwell.