PIE!

Today I am baking my pies for Thanksgiving.

I got started on Friday night, when my church's women's group made pie fillings (apple, pumpkin, and pecan) in massive batches. They had bought pie shells in bulk, and we assembled the apple pies there but took the pecan and pumpkin fillings home in plastic tubs to finish our pies at home.

The good news is that pumpkin pie filling freezes and thaws well. (I didn't like the idea of raw eggs spending 5 days in the refrigerator, so I froze the pumpkin filling when I got home, and started thawing it on Monday.) The bad news is that the uncooked apple pies didn't freeze very well, and when they thawed, turned mushy and oozed. I baked those pies on some cookie sheets that I got at the dollar store at the Auburn Mall. The cookie sheets are sturdy enough to support the foil pie pans, and to re-use. But, because they were only a dollar apiece, when they get very dirty, or caked with burned-on sugar, I can just dispose of them.

Today, at home, I made a no-sugar-added apple pie. I came up with this pie so that there's a healthier alternative to the sugary desserts, but also one that doesn't use artificial sweeteners (which don't agree with me).
I use pre-fab pie crusts, but if you have a crust recipe you like, you can use it. The gooey-ness of apple pie is usually from sugar, but in this pie, margarine or butter makes up for that. Brushing the top crust with milk makes for a nice golden brown finish.

NO SUGAR ADDED APPLE PIE

Pie crusts for top and bottom
5-6 apples
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon each ginger and nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2-3 Tablespoons margarine or butter (I use soft margarine), cut up into small pieces if solid.
Milk to brush top with, approximately 1/4 cup

Heat oven to 400F.
Mix the spices in the bottom of the mixing bowl. Cut apples into small chunks. (I leave the skins on, because it's faster and fiber is good for you.) Toss together spices, apples, and margarine/butter until well mixed.
Fill the bottom crust. Add the top crust, cutting slits or designs into it.
Brush the top crust with milk.
Bake for 50-60 minutes.