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Apple Cranberry "A Christmas Carol" Themed Pie

Course Dessert

Ingredients

Dough

  • 3 1/4 cups flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 sticks butter, cubed and frozen
  • 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
  • 9-11 tbsp  ice water

Filling

  • 3 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
  • 1 cup cranberries
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 1 egg yolk + 1 tsp water (for wash)

Instructions

  • Combine flour, butter, shortening, salt in a food processor. Pour in water until dough comes together. Wrap it in plastic wrap and place into the refrigerator until ready to use for at least 1/2 an hour or overnight.
    
Roll out 1/3 of the dough into a circle. Lay it in a 9 inch pie dish. Combine ingredients for the apple cranberry filling. Pour filling on top of rolled dough. Divide the remaining dough in half and roll one half out and place on top of the pie. Mash down on the edges of the pie dish to seal. Cut around the dish to cut off excess dough.
    Roll out remaining dough. Draw out a 5-6 inch top hat and a band the same width on paper and cut them out. Place the paper hat on top of the rolled dough. Use an exacto knife to cut out the hat shape. Do the same for the hat band. Mix the egg yolk with 1 teaspoon of water. Brush it over the area that the hat will go. Lay the hat and band on top of the pie. Draw out an old fashioned candle on the paper and cut it out. Place it on the dough as well and cut out the shape. Lay the candle on the side of the hat.
    Use holly cookie plungers to make holly shapes and add to the pie. Use letter cutters to spell out “A Christmas Carol” and place them on the pie using the egg wash as "glue." For the pines, take a small piece of dough and roll it with your hands until it’s long shaped. Place it down and cut slits with a knife up and down the dough to make pine needles or a feather look. Make 6-10 and place them all around the perimeter of the pie. Use a pine cone mold to make pie cone shapes. Pinch tiny pieces of dough to make little balls for “berries”. Add all of these elements to the pie.

 Use a pastry brush to "paint" the remaining egg wash all around the perimeter of the pie. Brush the whole pie with the egg wash when done.
 Bake in a 375 degree oven for an hour or until Crust is browned. Cool on a wire rack