Well how about that?! 2014 left us just like that! I mean, you literally blink and it’s gone. Never to come back again.
Ben and I were just talking about how 2014 seemed to be cruel to many. I’ve seen a flood of posts that go something like this: “Sayonara 2014!”, “Hoping 2015 will be much kinder“, “Excited for a fresh start after a rough year“, “Good riddance 2014! Bring on the new year!”, etc.
Wow! Was 2014 really that bad???
Ben and I must have lucked out. 2014 wrapped up to be quite the year of excitement and blessings for us. Our reflection list goes a little something like this:
- Bought a new house.
- Went on an all expense paid for vacation to Puerto Vallarta.
- Spent the summer with family in Utah along with a week long vacation to San Diego.
- Went on an all expense paid for vacation to Cancun.
- Were surprised with tickets to spend Thanksgiving with family in Utah.
- Celebrated my grandma’s 80th birthday with a family bash in St. George.
- Paid my respects to my amazing Papa who passed away.
- Got Emry her much needed ENT surgery that removed her adenoids and inserted tubes in her ears. (home girl is now talking up a storm!)
- Snagged $19 plane tickets for the family to celebrate the Christmas holiday in Utah. Did not have to drive!!!
Yep, pretty much sums up our year. I’m telling you, if luck is cyclical, we are in for one rough and tough 2015…but I’m staying optimistic. Knock on wood.
But you know, you can’t leave having a spectacular year all up to luck. You gotta work for it too. That’s where those pesky New Year’s Resolutions come into play that nobody seems to follow past the first week of January. Seriously, my resolution has been the same every year for the past decade:
No more procrastinating!
Hahahaha! Yeah, right. No really, this is the year! This year I will be on the ball.
Just like I was on the ball posting this killer Citrus Cranberry Apple Crumb Pie…for Thanksgiving…in November…and then in the beginning of December…and then for Christmas…and lastly for New Year’s. Obviously, this post never happened.
But pie is pie and good is good. So really, even though the holidays are over, there is never a more perfect time to make a perfect pie.
This pie is pure Christmas. All the flavors you wish you could wake up to wrapped up in one decadent, flavorful, sinful pie. The base of this pie is my flakey, tender gluten free pie crust. The filling is a juicy cinnamon and nutmeg apple pie filling sprinkled with pockets of tart cranberries and flavored with the zest and juice of a fresh orange. Pure heaven.
But wait, it gets better.
You top this masterpiece with a cinnamon pecan crumb topping and that’s it; you are in pure bliss. In fact, to truly make 2015 a great year, all you have to do is take one bite of this pie, topped with a dollop of maple whipped cream, of course. I’m quite confident that this single bite will provide you with enough happiness to last for months.
So there you have it. Happy New Year’s you party animals!
What good intentions do you have as New Year’s resolutions this year?
- Single gluten free pie crust (from pecan pie recipe, link in body of text)
- For Filling:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 large Granny Smith apples (or 4 medium sized)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup gluten free all-purpose flour blend (I prefer King Arthur brand)
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 1½ cup fresh cranberries
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- zest and juice from one orange
- For Crumb Topping:
- ½ cup gluten free all-purpose flour (I prefer King Arthur brand)
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- dash of salt
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- For Maple Whipped Cream:
- 1 pint heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon maple extract
- Make gluten free pie crust or used prepared store bought gluten free pie crust.* Place pie crust in a 9" pie tin and cover lightly with foil. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Prepare pie filling by peeling apples and cutting into thin slices, about ⅛". Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once pan is hot enough to sizzle (may need to increase temperature to slightly more than medium), add apples and sauté for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until apples are crisp tender.**
- Remove apples from heat. In a large mixing bowl combine salt, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, flour, sugar, and brown sugar. Stir to incorporate evenly. Add sautéed apples, cranberries, vanilla extract, and zest and juice from orange. Stir to coat. Pour filling into prepared pie crust.
- Make crumb topping by chopping pecans. In a small bowl combine flour, brown sugar, pecans, cinnamon, and salt. Mix to incorporate ingredients evenly. Pour 3 tablespoons of melted sugar over mixture and stir to combine making sure butter is incorporated into dry ingredients. Spoon crumb topping over pie filling.
- Bake pie at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes until filling is tender, covering pie lightly with foil after 20 minutes of baking to avoid over browning of crust. Allow pie to cool for at least one hour before serving.
- To make whipped cream, pour chilled heavy whipping cream into a bowl with powdered sugar and maple extract. Beat on high speed for about 3 minutes or until soft peaks form. Top cooled pie with maple whipped cream and serve immediately.
**You may microwave apple slices with 2 tablespoons of water for 4 minutes covered on high in a microwave safe bowl. Stir and microwave for an additional 3-4 minutes until apples are crisp tender.
