Pies and the Like

I pride myself on making desserts from scratch, or at least buying from a place that you know makes them homemade. That's why on Thanksgiving morning, when I asked Amy where that homemade pumpkin pie she promised to bring was, I was directed to an ENTENMANN'S BOX!

The nerve! I give up one of my greatest joys- bringing a homemade pie with homemade pie crust, even if it isn't that good, to the table- and what does she do? Humiliate me! Embarrass me! The only reason I had even allowed Amy that one dessert responsibility was because she knew of a pie-sale fundraiser in her hometown. Fine, I thought, it's for a good cause...

I'm usually a fan on Entennmann's- for a mass-produced baked goods company, they actually make some not half-bad stuff. But never good enough for Thanksgiving!

As I placed my homemade desserts on the table at Thanksgiving, my Apple Pie got some covetous looks. My Pecan Tart even got a couple of "oohs" and "ahhs." The Pumpkin Pie got a cool glance. (Which I was secretly happy about.)

I also had made these delicious Chocolate Crinkle Cookies, which I found on the "Baked Perfection" blog. They are amazing! Mine came out a little chewy on the inside, and when heated in the microwave for a few seconds, remind me of delicious brownies. Perfect with a nice tall glass of milk, and I think good enough for Santa!

I got pretty into the whole pie dough this year- I tried very hard to keep my butter cold, and I made the stuff on Sunday to reheat on Thursday. I think they turned out pretty great, but I'm still learning. I even used little fall-themed cookie cutters to make great decorations on top. Check out the photos below! (You can see the decorations on my Apple Pie got a bit burnt...but still tasty!)







What do you pride yourself on during the holidays! And do you think a homemade pie or other dessert is worth all that trouble like I do?