Bake up a pie for the season

I love pies of all types. Sweet, savory, individual, single- or double-crusted — they are all wonderful. Below is a sampling of some of my favorite pies, just in time for harvest parties or Thanksgiving dinner.

My first offering that I am sharing with you is an apple pie with a crumble top. This pie is so easy and yummy that I don’t bother with a lattice top anymore. A friend of our family shared this recipe many years ago when we lived in West Palm Beach. 

You will need to get a paper bag from the grocery store for what might seem like a very unusual way of baking, but I promise it works every time. Just make sure the bag does not touch the element in your oven. 

Next up is a three-generation recipe for sweet potato pie my mother has been making since I could barely see over the counter to help. My grandmother made it before her, and now I make it for our family. 

Finally, I am sharing a different twist on a chess pie — vinegar pie. A friend of ours made it for us while were visiting them in North Carolina, and now it’s a family favorite. I encourage you to try it. Don’t be turned off by its name.

All three recipes make a simple yet deliciously perfect ending to any meal. I hope all of you have a blessed Thanksgiving, and happy baking!

Brown Bag Apple Pie

7 cups apples, diced

½ cup sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

Dash salt 

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

½ cup sugar

¾ cup flour

1/3 cup butter, diced

1 single pie crust 

(prepared or homemade)

Stir together apples through lemon juice in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine sugar, flour and butter with a fork until crumbly.

Place pie crust in pie plate add the apple mixture. Sprinkle with crumb mixture. Put pie in a paper grocery bag. Staple shut. Put bag on a baking sheet and put in oven. Bake for 1 hour at 425 degrees. Cool in bag for 5 minutes.

My Mother’s Famous Sweet Potato Pie

5-6 small sweet potatoes

3 eggs

1 cup evaporated milk 

1 cup sugar

½ tsp. + a dash cinnamon

¼ tsp. + a dash nutmeg

2 Tbsp. butter

1 tsp. vanilla

1 single pie crust (prepared or homemade)

Dice sweet potatoes and boil until tender. Drain and mash them well. 

Beat eggs and add remaining ingredients. Mix until blended. Pour mixture into a prepared pie plate and bake at 375 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Vinegar Pie

1 stick margarine, melted and cooled

1 ½ cups sugar

2 Tbsp. flour

1 Tbsp. vanilla

2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

3 eggs

1 9-inch pie crust (prepared or homemade)

Combine first six ingredients and pour into pie shell. Bake at 300 degrees for 45 minutes or until firm.