Practice Pies

A couple of years ago I offered to make the pies for Thanksgiving dinner.  My mom was cooking the rest of the meal, so I thought it would be nice for her not to have to worry about dessert.  I don't claim to be the best cook in the world, but my baking skills are passable.  I would have made the crust from scratch too, I am my mother's daughter after all.  But, a few days before Thanksgiving she called to say that she had decided to make the pumpkin pie and I could just make the chocolate pie.  The pie that does not require a traditional crust and is made with a box of pudding mix.  In other words..."You can make the idiot proof pie and I will make the delicious one that requires my special homemade crust." 

Grumbling, I made the chocolate pie and she upstaged me with her perfect pumpkin pie.

So imagine my surprise a few weeks ago when mom asked me to make the pies for Thanksgiving.  WHAT?!?!  The pumpkin pie too???  At first I refused on the grounds that I didn't want her to call and change her mind and stick me with the can of cranberry sauce the day before Thanksgiving.  But she insisted she wouldn't do that and I've been allowed to supply the Thanksgiving pies.

Obviously, I'm going to screw them up.  Chocolate Cream Pie is a piece of cake, I'm not worried about that.  It really is an idiot proof pie, even when you make the graham cracker crust from scratch.  It's the Pumpkin Pie that has me terrified.  I have to make the crust from scratch.  Pillsbury has no place at my mom's Thanksgiving.  And since I make maybe one pie crust a year, I don't have a lot of faith in my crust skills.

Seriously, why does pie crust have to be so damn complicated.  For something with FOUR ingredients, it's absurdly challenging.

Which is why I made a practice pie today.  Apple.  If it sucks, I'll make a practice pumpkin tomorrow....and custard the day after....maybe cherry after that.  With luck, I'll be able to make a good pie by Thanksgiving, and I can hold my head up at the Thanksgiving table.

I hope it tastes as good as it looks!