Easy Thanksgiving Pies

Here's how to make both a pumpkin and an apple pie and have them cook in the oven simultaneously.

Single Crust (for pumpkin pie)

• 1 1/3 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup Crisco*
• 3 tbs water

Double Crust (for apple pie)

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup Crisco*
• 1/4 cup water

Apple Filling

• 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled
• 4 Macintosh apples, peeled
• 1/2 of a lemon
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 + 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg

Pumpkin Pie Filling

• 1 (15 oz) can pure pumpkin puree
• 1 (14 oz) can fat free sweetened condensed milk
• 3 egg whites, lightly beaten
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger

Directions

1. Combine ingredients for pie crusts using a pastry blender and form into balls (1 ball for pumpkin pie, 1 ball for bottom of apple pie, 1 smaller ball for top of apple pie).
2. Chill pie crust in refrigerator for one hour.
3. For pumpkin pie: Combine all pumpkin pie filling ingredients.
4. For apple pie: Slice apples into 10-12 pieces per apple, squeeze with lemon juice to keep fresh and combine sugar with cinnamon and nutmeg in a separate bowl.
5. Remove bottom pie crusts from refrigerator and place into pie tins.
6. For pumpkin pie: Add pie fillings.
7. For apple pie: Add 1/2 of apple slices, add 1/2 of sugar mixture, add rest of apples, add rest of sugar mixture.
8. For apple pie: Place top crust piece over pie and use beaten egg or cold water to attach it to bottom crust, then cut top crust to vent.
9. Brush pie crusts with beaten egg or melted butter to encourage browning.
10. Place both pies in 425 degree oven for 15 minutes. Next, bake both pies in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.
11. For pumpkin pie: Remove from oven - knife inserted in center should come out clean. Cool on wire rack. Store in refrigerator when cool.
12. For apple pie: Increase oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake for 10 minutes - Crust should be golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

*Note 1: Use the bars of Crisco for easier measuring
**Note 2: I actually baked these pies both at 375 degrees for 10 mins, then at 425 degrees for 15 mins, then at 350 degrees for 23 mins, removed the pumpkin pie, then baked the apple pie at 375 degrees for 10 mins to finish it off - the recipe above is easier.