Apple Pie

1 pie crust
4-6 apples (preferably Harrelsons)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Prepare pie crust (or purchase a ready-made crust) for a 9" deep dish pie plate. Peel and slice apples into the crust, heaping. Pour sugar and cinnamon over the apples and shake the plate a bit so it settles (I turn some of the apple slices over so the cinnamon is facing into the pie).

With a fork, mix topping ingredients together:

1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup soft butter or margarine
3/4 cup flour

Sprinkle topping on top of pie and pat lightly. Place the pie on a foil-lined pan into a pre-heated 450 degree oven. Bake for 10 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350 degrees and bake for 40 minutes more.


To freeze: Make as directed, but don't bake. Wrap tightly and freeze. To bake, allow frozen pie to sit on the stovetop as the oven preheats. Bake at 450F for 20 minutes, then at 350F for 40 minutes. Apples will be more toothsome and the pie will sink less- even better than baked fresh.

Derby Pie

A Kentucky classic...


2 deep dish or 3 regular pie crusts, unbaked and in pie plates (a shortbread crust is ultra-decadent)

Filling:
10 oz chocolate, melted (bittersweet or dark)
6 large eggs
1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1 1/3 cups light corn syrup
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup bourbon (such as Maker's Mark)
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
4 cups (about 16 ounces) walnut halves, coarsely chopped and toasted


Preheat oven to 350.

Melt chocolate and spread in the bottom of the prepared pie crusts.

Whisk eggs in large bowl. Whisk in both sugars, then next 5 ingredients. Stir in walnuts. Divide filling into prepared crusts.

Bake pies until filling is puffed and just set in center (filling may begin to crack), about 55 minutes. Cool pies completely on rack.

Store at room temperature for a day, in the fridge for a few days or freeze for a couple of months. Serve at room temperature or warmed.