Thanksgiving is for pie

What are you baking for Thanksgiving? This year I’ll be traveling to Syracuse, sans pie in my car, but that doesn’t mean I can’t share two of my favorite recipes, both of which I’m sure would be a hit around your family table.

Last week, my Hazelnut Praline Dutch Apple Pie (with overly ambitious hand-twirled top crust … seriously, you can skip this. I know how Thanksgiving can be!) was selected as one of Dailybuzz Food’s Thanksgiving Table: Perfect Pies recipes. Talk about an honor! It was very cool to discover that while on vacation, and I agree–it’s an excellent pie to wow your guests. You can make it as is, with a full crust, or replace it with a traditional Dutch Apple Crumble topping–it’s all about how you want to make it.

My second suggestion for something delicious and a little different than your typical pumpkin pie would be mincemeat pie. The flavors of apples, raisins, spices and brandy mull together into a seriously delicious pie that isn’t too sweet, and is totally satisfying. My recipe is even vegetarian-friendly, using butter in lieu of lard.

So, what are you baking for Thanksgiving? Whatever it is, I wish you the best of luck!