With both boys at home and an excess of apples in the kitchen I decided it would be nice to make some apple coffeecake for breakfast today. We had a late breakfast and hopefully this will hold us until mid-afternoon when it’s time for turkey. Half of it has disappeared already.

Fresh Apple Coffeecake

1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
5 cups apples, peeled and chopped
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon, ground

Beat butter at medium speed.  Gradually add 2 cups sugar and cream together.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well  after each addition.
Combine flour, baking powder and salt.  Add to creamed mixture.  Stir in apple and vanilla.  Spoon batter into a greased and floured 9x13x2 pan.  Combine remaining sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over cake batter.  Bake at 350 F for 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Usually we make a praline topped pumpkin cheesecake but this year Jason lobbied for pumpkin pie. For the crust I used Martha’s pate brisee recipe. We’ve done a plain pumpkin pie once before but I failed to make notes on the recipe so this is an experiment of sorts. It smells lovely so hopefully it tastes better than it looks.

Pumpkin Pie

3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups cooked pumpkin, well mashed
1 can evaporated milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Blind bake the crust until light brown. Whisk together filling ingredients. Transfer the filling into the crust while it’s still hot and return to the oven for about 35 minutes or until filling begins to set around the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.

I am not a big pumpkin pie fan myself.  Most years I spent thanksgiving at Grandma’s house in Alabama until I moved up here and it was too expensive to travel home. Most of my strongest food memories for Thanksgiving are from her table. She always made pumpkin and pecan pies and often mincemeat as well. I’ve never had much luck with pecan pie but this one seems to have set nicely so I have high hopes for it.

Pecan Pie

2 cups pecans, lightly toasted
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup sugar
1 cup Karo syrup
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon bourbon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Blind bake the crust until light brown.
Whisk together filling ingredients. Transfer the filling into the crust
while it’s still hot and return to the oven for about 35 minutes or
until filling begins to set around the edges. Remove from the oven and
let cool completely on a wire rack.