A Nissen-Hanson Thanksgiving tradition.

From Lee: “I”m deeply honored to share the apple pie recipe with you, especially because your mom’s apple tarts are such things of beauty and elegance. But there is a certain rustic appeal to a huge pie piled with apples (Don seems to think so anyway).

“I assume you will use the usual pate brise for the crust. I actually always use Julia Child’s recipe … The apple choice is personal. Macintoshes make the pie soft and somewhat creamy, Winesaps make it crisper and tarter. And a mix of various kinds gives a different feel. Use your imagination and go for whatever turns you on. I always try to cram at least 12 apples in the piece to make it really tall, so go for broke.”

12 apples
3/4 cups each if brown and white sugar
A ton of cinnamon – about a 1/4 cup
A pinch of salt

Unsalted butter

• Mix the peeled, cored, and sliced apples with both brown and white sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
• Pile the annointed apples in the bottom crust of a nine-inch pan, and dot liberally with butter. Thanksgiving is no time to be worrying about calories!
• Top with the second crust and cut several vents in the top and sides (very important). I usually use this opportunity to get creative with aspic cutters in the shape of leaves, etc.
• The pie starts out in the oven at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, then 350 for 20 minutes, and 250 degrees. Or 450, 400, 350. If you have a convection oven, use that option at 50-degree lower temps for a more evenly browned crust.
• Make sure you put a large cookie sheet under the pie pan to catch the drips. This pie is an oven destroyer!
• Unlike your mom, I don’t use an egg wash on my pies, but feel free to do so if you wish. That’s about it.
• It’s really a matter of experiment to get the desired end. I’m sure you’ll give it the Hanson twist, so let me know how it goes, I’m experimenting myself every year with different apples!

From a bed and breakfast in Santa Fe.

1 cup of butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp lemon extract
2 cups of flour
1 Tbsp dried lavender flowers
1/8 tsp salt

• Cream butter, sugar, vanilla, and lemon extract.
• Add flour; mix until dough is smooth.
• Add salt and lavender to mixture.
• Dough should be soft and not sticky!
• Chill until firm.
• Pre-heat oven to 325F degrees.
• Place dough onto lightly floured baking sheet and press into pan.
• Bake up to 20 minutes, or until lightly browned.
• If needed, place foil around edges of pan to avoid burning.
• Place on cooling rack.
• Cut into 1-2 inch rectangles while still slightly warm.