Alas...

My holiday baking is sadly curtailed by the size of my kitchen and the fact that I gave away my KitchenAid stand mixer.  So I am reduced to making pecan bars from a mix and scooping cookie dough from a refrigerated tub.

Oh well, my heart is in the right place, even if I am lacking in counter space and small appliances.  I made some goodies for my friends Cari and Linda.  I have to stop at the store on the way home tomorrow and get some cheese and milk for my holiday mac & cheese feast, so I will probably just buy a pumpkin pie.  Tim's daughter still has my two prized Longaberger pie plates from two years ago - I don't expect I'll ever see them again.  Don't you hate when people don't return your dishes?  I had made two sour cream apple pecan pies for Christmas at their house - did I say two years ago? - and the pie was well received.  Apparently, so were the pie plates.  Don't mind me, I'm just grumpy today.

Here's the apple pie recipe, if you're so inclined:

CRUST:

1 c. all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 c. cold butter, cut in small pieces
3 to 4 tbsp. cold tap water

FILLING:
3/4 c. sour cream
1 lg. egg
1/3 c. granulated sugar
1 tbsp. all purpose flour
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
3 lbs. tart apples (Pippins, Granny Smiths or Greenings) peeled, quartered, cored and cut in 1/4 inch thick slices (10 cups)

CRUMB TOPPING:
1/3 c. all purpose flour
1/3 c. packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 c. cold butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 c. (2 oz.) pecan pieces, chopped coarse

To make crust: mix flour and salt in a medium size bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle water over flour mixture 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring lightly with a fork after each addition to distribute moisture evenly. Press lightly to form a ball. Flatten into a 1 inch thick round. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate about 1 hour until firm enough to roll. Have a 9 inch pie plate ready. Roll out dough; line pie plate.

To make filling: whisk sour cream and egg in a large bowl until blended, whisk in sugar, flour, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg; stir in apples. Spread in pie plate, mounding mixture in center.

To make topping: mix flour, sugar and cinnamon in a medium size bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in walnuts. Sprinkle evenly over filling, then press down lightly. To bake, place oven rack in center of oven; heat to 400 degrees. Bake pie 50 to 60 minutes until topping is dark brown and apples are tender when pierced. (If topping browns too quickly during baking, drape a piece of foil over pie). Cool on wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 8 servings.