Fall is here!

Fall has become my favorite season in recent years. Summer was always my favorite throughout my childhood, because of the summer break, trips to the swimming pool, my birthday, and beach vacations. None of these happen every year any more (well, my birthday does, but now I'd rather than it not come 'round each year!), so fall has become my favorite season. I love it for its smells, foods, and decorations. As Marge Simpson says, "Next to spring and summer, fall is my favorite season." I've got to stop quoting The Simpsons - more on that in another post.

To celebrate the season, we decided to make an apple pie yesterday. But not just any apple pie... a sour cream apple pie. An online friend of mine posted the recipe, and it sounded so good that we had to try it out! Caroline helped me prepare the crust by rolling it out with her own rolling pin. The waxed paper really helps the dough to not stick!

Caroline helped cut up the apples. We chose Granny Smiths, which were fresh from the tree. A friend of mine brought us these apples from a recent trip to Ellijay, to the same orchard we visited last year.

Here is the pie with the apple filling before it went into the oven and before the topping went on.

And here is the finished product!

Sour Cream Apple Pie

1 unbaked pie shell (9 inch!), bottom only
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream (can use light but not fat free)
1 cup sugar
6 Tbsp flour, divided (can use whole wheat)
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
3 cups peeled and chopped apples (can also use rhubarb or other fruit)
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
3 Tbsp cold butter or margarine

Prepare bottom crust. Preheat oven to 375*F. Beat eggs, add sour cream. Stir in sugar, 2 Tbsp flour, vanilla, and salt. Mix well. Stir in fruit, pour into shell. Will be full! Bake for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, combine brown sugar and flour. Cut in butter until crumbly. After the pie has baked 15 minutes, pull out of the oven. Sprinkle crumbles even over top of pie. Return to oven for 20-25 minutes. Cool to set before serving. After one day (or if your kitchen is really warm) store in the fridge.

We used Sucanat in place of the sugar, and we used slightly less than a cup in the filling. I like to try to make desserts a bit healthier than they would be otherwise, and this is one way I do it.

Caroline gives her approval. It looks like she's giving the thumbs-up sign, but really she is not. She liked it all except the crust - no surprise there. She never likes pastry-type crusts - not in sweet pies or chicken pot pie.

Today we made this fall centerpiece for our dining table. I got some fall leaves from the craft section of Wal-Mart (tip: do not buy the little pumpkins at WM - two out of the five in the bag I bought were rotting - ewww! I didn't know those little pumpkins could rot!). I cut out a ring from a paper plate, and Caroline glued the leaves on (with help from me, to fill it in completely). Then we put some loose leaves in the center and topped them with the little pumpkins. Now we have a fall centerpiece! We'll have to move it to the empty fourth position at the table when we eat since our table is so skinny... but oh, well, it seats us all fine, so it serves its purpose well for now!

Happy fall, y'all!