Saving room for Thanksgiving pie

In our house holiday pies are never an afterthought. They are an event in and of themselves. My daughter Gabriella likes to remind me that her stomach has a special division devoted exclusively to dessert. She's a girl after my own heart, because I know exactly how she feels.

So, with Thanks-giving right around the corner, I am already thinking about pie. Last year our family went apple picking and got a little carried away. Thus, with an abundance of apples on hand, I was inspired to create the ultimate apple pie using my favorite Honeycrisp apples. Honeycrisps have a sweet flavor that has notes of honey and pear, but their juiciness can make them tricky to bake with.

After years of baking fruit pies, one of the key things I have learned is to use a good aluminum pie pan. This will ensure that you have a crisp crust. The other thing I do when I have a juicy fruits like Honeycrisp apples is to begin cooking the fruit on the stove so the filing has a chance to thicken a bit before it bakes.

My Honeycrisp apple pie has a flaky buttery crust with a spiced apple filling. This gloriously sweet and crispy pie is definitely worth saving room for. In our house we all try to eat a smidge less turkey and take a long Thanksgiving walk, because there is nothing like a slice of homemade apple pie.

- Amy McCauley of Hinsdale is the paper's food columnist. Readers can email her at [email protected].