Making pies for Thanksgiving with my Granddaughters...

I have three daughters- my oldest daughter is married with two little girls of her own- and this week they are off from school- so her sisters and I are 'sharing' them...

Yesterday ( Tuesday ) we woke up at a reasonable time, had a great breakfast of 'cheese' eggs, pancakes, and fresh raspberries and then we cleared off the table and got things laid out for Thanksgiving pie-baking!
My granddaughters are 9 and 5 and while grandpa was outside getting Christmas lights strung up before the bitter cold weather hits in the next 48 hours, we were inside baking up a storm!!

breakfast in our p.j.'s

pancakes with Vermont maple syrup, 'cheese' eggs, fresh raspberries and juice...each got their own little 'pitcher' of syrup to pour

Some of us eat our eggs with our eyes closed!

OK, let's start peeling apples!! We sliced about 12 granny smiths

After they get peeled, we slice in a 16 'slicer' from Williams-Sonoma....I keep fresh lemon juice on hand to toss in with the fresh slices - keeps 'em from turning brown

The girls love taking turns with the 'ol peeler

Grandpa gives it a try, too!

"Let ME do it, Grandpa!"

It's always good to carry a 'walkie-talkie' while you're making pie!

lots and lots and lots of apples!

Then we add the cinnamon

Next goes the sugar!

Now that 'special' ingredient.....ground almonds! 

and 1/2 container organic sour cream

stir it all together

get out the pie 'pans'....I LOVE these!!

Roll out dough and shape into pans

half of the mixture went into one pie....the other half we added 1/3 bag cranberries to and a few chopped pecans

A little light brown sugar was added to the cranberry apple pie

Now for the top!! Roll out dough on floured surface.....and cut as straight as possible

cut out leaves and acorns....I got this little set from Williams-Sonoma a few years agao

The leaves are then lightly dusted with a cinnamon sugar mixture

Weave the strips, add the leaves and acorns....

Make more for the 2nd pie!

Here's the detail of the acorn up close

then those little hands mixed up and egg/milk 'wash' for the crust

These little leaves are so easy to make

I put the pie on a baking sheet to help my newly-cleaned oven stay that way

I love the little edge protectors- keeps the edges of pie from over baking

Bake at 350 degrees fro 1 hour and 5 minutes

and voila!! Pie # 1 is done!!  Bravo Girls!!!

Cool on wire rack before covering....chill until the 'BIG DAY'!!

They had so much fun doing this---and afterward, I had some remaining dough, so they were allowed to make a 'birdie' pie----roll out the dough...fill with bird seed....and then we put it outside on their favorite feeder......I mean, they have to have Thanksgiving, too!  

Hope you enjoyed that half as much as I did!!