Apple Cranberry Pie

Given his choice of any type of pie, Alex will always choose a fruit pie. Our conversation went something like this:

Me: What kind of pie should I make for Thanks---

Alex: Fruit pie, please.

Me: ---giving. What?

Alex: Fruit pie, please.

Me: Um, okay! Done.

I didn't want to make a typical apple pie, even though it's always delicious. I also had a large bag of dried cranberries that needed a home, so I scoured allrecipes.com for some suggestions and found a winner. This pie is a perfect combination of sweet, spicy and tart. The filling is just sweet enough and the little bites of cranberry add to the unique pie personality! The only changes I made was to use cinnamon instead of allspice, and I left out the brandy because Alex's cousin is pregnant and there were a few kids who might eat the pie. This recipe is definitely a keeper.

Ingredients:

1 cup dried cranberries
2/3 cup white sugar
3 TBS all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp ground allspice (I used cinnamon, which I think is a better choice!)
2 1/4 pounds apples - peeled, cored and thinly sliced (I used Granny Smith)
1 1/2 tablespoons brandy
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C.) Position oven rack in the bottom third of the oven.

In a medium bowl, toss together the dried cranberries, sugar, flour and allspice. Mix in the apples, brandy and vanilla. Place bottom crust into a 9 inch round pie pan so that it hangs 1 inch over the edges.

Pour filling into the crust and cover with top crust. Seal and flute the edges. Cut slits in the top using a small knife, and place the pie on a baking sheet to catch drips.

Bake in the preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, or until apples are tender and crust is golden.