More Apples Than You Know What to Do With?

About this time of year, we've eaten our fill of apples (we live in the apple pickin' capital of the country, it seems) and we're looking for ways to not let them go to waste.

Even if you need to buy apples to make these two desserts, I think you'll find it well worth it.

I'm a horrible pie baker, but a pie eater extraordinaire. Translation: my pie crusts suck (not a term I use lightly but absolutely appropriate here) but I won't eat a bad pie crust. What to do? Find a recipe where the filling is so scrumptious that a frozen crust won't be noticed by even the pickiest of pie eaters. Found it over at Simply Recipes. I've made it at least 10 times in the last month. I've messed with the recipe but I think it's best just as is.

It's so good that my own mother refused to believe that I made it until I made it while she watched. Thank you, Elise.

Sour Cream Apple Pie

Filling
1 cup sour cream
2/3 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
3 cups peeled, sliced tart apples (about 1 1/4 pounds of slices)
1 9" unbaked pie shell, frozen or chilled in the freezer for at least 30 minutes (see pâte brisée recipe)

Topping
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Mix together all ingredients until the mixture resembes coarse crumbs.

1 Preheat oven to 400°F.

2 Beat together sour cream, sugar, flour, salt, vanilla and egg (can beat by hand). Add apples, mixing carefully to coat well.

3 Put filling into a pie shell and bake at 400 degrees initially for 25 min.

4 Remove from oven and sprinkle with Cinnamon Crumb Topping. Bake for and additional 20 more minutes.

Let cool for a hour before serving. Serves 8

As bad as my pie baking is, my cake baking is pretty good. It will hold its own in all but the nastiest of competitions (like the Ohio State Fair--not that I've entered, but I've eaten there).
This recipe holds up in any arena.

Mom's Apple Cake

1 2/4 cup sugar 1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup oil 1 tsp salt
3 eggs 1 TBS vanilla
2 cups flour 1 cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp baking soda 2 or more cups sliced apples

Beat sugar oil and eggs together until thoroughly mixed. Add the dry ingredients and then fold in the vanilla. Add the apples and nuts. Pour into a greased and flour 9 X 13 pan. Bake at 375 for 45 to 60 minutes. If you use a glass pyrex pan, bake for 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Outstanding.