Fall Pies

Two pies in three weeks . . . I'm on a roll!  I usually don't make pies but I've felt like it lately and I thought I'd share these with you as we head into the holiday season.  What's your favorite pie or pie memory?

First up, sour cream apple pie:  Two apple pie lovers had birthdays in October - my uncle Joe and my husband.  I made my first apple pie in a long, long time for the two of them.  I have this thing where I don't like making pies with a top crust so this recipe with the streusel topping was perfect.  My streusel topping didn't turn out too pretty but I thought the sour cream apple filling was delicious.  

Sour Cream Apple Pie (8 servings)

Filling:

1 cup sour cream

2/3 cup sugar

2 T flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

3 c. peeled, sliced tart apples (about 1.25lbs)

1 9 inch unbaked pie shell, chilled in the fridge for 30 minutes (or frozen)

Topping:

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1/3 cup flour

1/4 cup butter, room temperature 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Mix together the topping ingredients until they resemble coarse crumbs.  Chill until needed in the recipe.

Beat together the sour cream, sugar, flour, salt, vanilla and egg (by hand or with a mixer).  Add apples, mixing carefully to coat well.

Put filling into pie shell and bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with the crumb topping.  Bake for 20 more minutes.

Let cool and hour before serving.

Next, a free form (galette?) persimmon apple pear pie:  I was on my way back from a Sunday run and had to stop at farmer's market when I saw beautiful Fuyu persimmons.  I looked at a bunch of recipes and couldn't decide what to make, so I made up my own with some fall fruit, spices, and ended up with a rustic pie / tart of sorts.  No photo, sadly, but it turned out pretty good.  I think it would be even better with the homemade cinnamon ice cream my mom made yesterday.  And, some toasted nuts or dried fruit (currants or raisins or cranberries?) would be a nice addition to the filling.  My husband suggested a caramel drizzle on top.

Persimmon Pear Apple Pie (6 servings)

1 pie crust, unbaked

3 fuyu persimmons, cut into 1/2 in chunks

1 pear, cut into 1/2 in chunks

1/2 Granny Smith apple, diced

1 tsp flour

1 T orange zest

scant 1/4 c. sugar

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. cloves

Optional:  Beaten egg and sugar 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Roll out your pie crust and place on parchment paper or silpat on a baking sheet.  Combine the rest of the ingredients in a bowl.  Heap in the center of the pie crust.  Spread it out a little bit, leaving an edge of pie crust about two inches all around.  Fold the pie crust up over the filling, pleating as necessary, leaving the filling exposed in the middle (does this make sense?  I wish I had taken a photo . . . check out this - looks similar to the shape etc. of my pie )  

If you want to, brush the crust with your egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.  Bake for about a hour - until crust is nicely browned and fruit is soft and bubbly.  Let the pie sit for at least 15-20 minutes before serving.