Nothing says the holidays like an apple or a pumpkin pie. Is it any wonder that so many holiday songs involve pie?
Exhibit A: “There’s No Place Like Home for the Holidays”
“I met a man who lives in Tennessee, and he was headin’ for Pennsylvania and some homemade pumpkin pie …”
Exhibit B: “Sleigh Ride”
“There’s a happy feeling nothing in the world can buy, when they pass around the coffee and the pumpkin pie…”
Exhibit C: “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”
“Rockin’ around the Christmas tree, let the Christmas spirit ring. Later we’ll have some pumpkin pie, and we’ll do some caroling.”
I rest my case! But what if we shook the holiday pie traditions up a little by surprising our guests with some new, creative pies that still have holiday flavors? Check out these eight recipes, and maybe you’ll be creating new family traditions this holiday season.
This recipe caught my attention at “no-bake,” but I was sold when I saw the eggnog! I used to hate eggnog as a child, but now it’s one of my favorite drinks of the season.
This recipe is perfect for a chaotic holiday when the oven is being overrun and there are too many cooks in the kitchen.
While we are on the subject of
not baking, this is another delicious recipe that won’t take up precious oven time. A mix of pureed frozen cranberries, gelatin, juice, sugar and real whipped cream over a shortbread cookie crust makes for a fantastic holiday dessert.
This pie is made up almost entirely of pecans, with enough brown sugar, heavy cream, corn syrup and rum to hold everything together.
Top with delicious, simple whipped cream blended with brown sugar.
This dish is a mouthful to say, and it’s about the size of a mouthful, too. These mini-pies are made in a muffin tin with a decadent array of flavors, making it impossible to eat just one!
Get figgy with these crostatas, also small bites, made with green and purple figs, honey, thyme and lemon juice. I’ll take that over fig pudding any day!
Two great tastes that taste great together? Sign me up!
The only thing that needs to bake in this delicious chocolate, cream, eggnog and rum concoction is the nutty, brown sugar crust.
Apple pie is my favorite fruity pie, and this simple recipe kicks it up a notch. With cinnamon, raisins, cranberries and walnuts, how can you go wrong?
Buy a pre-made crust if you don’t want the fuss!
I did say “creative twists,” and this one has to be the most unique yet!
Made with the pulp of baked sweet potatoes, the orange flavor comes by way of orange juice and zest, mixed with sugar (of course) and spices like nutmeg and cinnamon. I like that this recipe includes an option for buying pre-made crust and simply rolling in your own rosemary and cornmeal for the finished product.
Keep your holiday guests guessing by trying one or two of these recipes each year. They’ll be the gifts that keep on giving!
