Thanksgiving Moments & Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie.

Thanksgiving in our family of three goes a little like this: bake all week and decorate all day. It's a pretty relaxing, no-stress thing, unless we can't agree on only one pie everyone wants (we never can) or you manage to break the twisty top thingy off the whipped cream and are forced to either brave the lines at the grocery store or eat naked pie.

Not that that's ever happened. 

There's light-hanging.

Oops.

Sorry, Dad.

Finally some stormy, wintry weather. 

(And a rainbow! But you can barely see it in this picture.)

Tree decorating and glittery things. 

House decorating and Christmas magic.

Try not to giggle, I dare you.

Puppy-cuddling.

Peanut butter blossoms and chocolate fudge.

Christmas movies and food comas.

And pumpkin pie! 

Usually we make a pumpkin pudding pie, but this year we switched it up and made an apple butter pumpkin pie. It tasted like pure autumn... slightly sweet and fruity from the apple butter, but still having that traditional pumpkin pie flavor everyone loves. Can you believe this is the first pie I've ever made? It happens. 

Andddd I forgot to take pictures in between baking it and sneaking slices at midnight. That also happens. This is the last slice and that makes me sad. 

P.S. Beauty & the Beast comes back to theaters January 13th. I'm just saying.

Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie

Printable Recipe

1 cup apple butter

1 cup fresh or canned pumpkin

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

3 eggs

3/4 cup evaporated milk

1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell

Sweetened whipped cream and praline pecans, for garnish

Preheat oven to 425°F. Place unbaked pie shell on a foil-lined baking sheet and set aside.

Combine apple butter, pumpkin, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger in a bowl. Stir in eggs.

Gradually add evaporated milk and mix well. Pour into pie shell. 

Bake for about 40 minutes or until set (I had to bake mine an extra 15 minutes).

If the crust begins to burn, place tin foil around the crust and lower the temperature of the oven.

Serve with sweetened whipped cream, sprinkle with praline pecans, and enjoy!

Source: Paula Deen.