Dutch Apple Pie

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday with your loved ones. I’ve been home in San Jose for a week and I’ve had the best Christmas with my family! I’ve got big plans for this little blog, and I don’t just mean in baked goods. :) Stayed tuned for more information to come, but let me just say: 2011 is going to be a big year for Buttercup!

Anyway, onto the pie. For the past 5 years, my brother-in-law Danny has been asking my sister Erin to make a Dutch Apple Pie on Thanksgiving or Christmas, rather than our traditional double-crust pie. Unfortunately for him, he always asks the morning of the holiday, never in advance, so we don’t have time to find a recipe to suit his tastes. Well, this year, the subject came up a few days early, so were able to track down an acceptable recipe and read up on Dutch apple Pie. My brother-in-law loves the Sara Lee version, so that was we were up against. Erin and I graciously accepted the challenge, and got to work after our Christmas morning mimosas. :)

Apple Pie

The fourth and final Thanksgiving pie was a delicious Apple Pie. For some reason, I was most nervous to make this pie, even though it is a fairly simple recipe. Something about having to alter the amount of certain ingredients based on the taste of the apples made me anxious. What if it was too sweet? Too tart? What if I messed up the most American and classic pies of Thanksgiving? Obviously, I put far too much pressure on myself over a pie. Seriously, it’s just dessert. But, alas, I can’t help it; I want everything to be perfect. I even went to bed Wednesday night thinking about what shapes I might cut out of the top crust. Apples? Leaves? Turkeys? The possibilities seemed endless and I was simply overwhelmed.