Pies are an integral part of the holiday tradition in fall and winter. Many, like pumpkin, only really require one bottom crust, but as good as they are it is hard to beat a perfectly made double crust fruit pie, like a classic apple. I know that I am not the only one who puts a few pies into the holiday baking schedule, and since that schedule can be a busy one, it’s nice to have a few tools to help things along. This Apples & Leaves Pie Top Cutter from Nordicware is just one of these tools. It is basically a big cookie cutter that lets your make a gorgeous design on your pie crust in seconds. It’s reversible, giving you an apple pattern on one side and a leaf pattern on the other. You’ll still have to crimp the edges of the crust yourself, but it really helps to make a pie get a bakery-quality look to it with virtually no effort (and no heartbreak from trying to hand-cut designs, as I have in the past).
This week, I’m giving away one of these Apples & Leaves Pie Top Cutters along with a copy of my book, The Baking Bites Cookbook! There are a couple of pie recipes in the book, as well as a very good pie crust recipe, so it’s a good place to start your pie baking if you don’t end up starting with one of the recipes already on my site.
To win, just leave a comment on this post telling me what you favorite type of pie is on this post by Friday, November 20th. There are no penalties for picking a pie that doesn’t need a double crust. If you want to increase your odds of winning, Tweet about this giveaway on Twitter and you’ll get an extra entry! Leave a comment to let me know you Tweeted, or make sure to include @bakingbites so I see it! No matter how you enter, the winner will be selected randomly from all the entries. Don’t forget to include your e-mail on the form where you leave a comment (not in the comment itself) so I can contact you if you’re the winner!
The last giveaway I held, for the Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake Pan and another copy of my book, was won by Amy at Baking and Mistaking. I neglected to make the announcement on the site sooner (although I sent off the prizes). Congrats!
Update: This contest is now closed. Thanks to everyone for participating – I’m inspired to bake some more pies! The winner will be announced shortly!
EBPitcher
November 17, 2009I love pumpkin pie the best! But my husband’s a cherry pie guy!
Mireya
November 17, 2009Dutch Apple Pie! Thanks for the giveaway!
Emily
November 17, 2009I love baking pies they are so much fun. My favorite pie to make is Apple. My favorite pie to eat is carmel pie. It is so yummy! I hope I win.
Courtney
November 17, 2009Cherry pie!
Emily
November 17, 2009My favorite pie has got to be the classic apple pie. I absolutly love baking with apples and cinnamon and apple pie is the perfect way to enjoy it.
Jennifer
November 17, 2009My favorite spring/summer pie is key lime…the more tart, the better.
My favorite autumn/winter pie is sweet potato, minus the crust.
Jack
November 17, 2009My favorite pies by season:
Winter: Mince Meat
Spring: Shoo-Fly or Pecan
Summer: Key Lime
Fall: Dutch Apple
Sarah S.
November 17, 2009I love pecan pie, especially Derby pie.
Shra
November 17, 2009Like so many other people, warm apple pie with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Also good is pumpkin and apple pie but I only think of pumpkin pie during the fall holiday seasons.
Jessica
November 17, 2009Cherry pie — but only made from fresh pie cherries, if you can manage to find them.
Double Dipped Life
November 17, 2009My favorite is Apple Pie. I make it each year and it has become a favorite with my In-laws.
Naomi
November 17, 2009Favorites? too difficult to choose! However, I am very partial to the fruit pies my mother used to make including (in seasonal fruit order, rather than preference) cherry, blueberry, peach and apple. My mother’s blueberry pies were so scrumptious, my father requested them for his August birthday, rather than a cake!
Mom also makes a brilliant pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and lemon meringue pie.
I make a decent cherry pie and peach pie.
What a wonderful blog you have!!!
Double Dipped Life
November 17, 2009I tweeted! @ddsweets
Yvonne B
November 17, 2009I love fruit pies! But, if I could only pick one I’d go with cherry, no wait, peach…
Chris Mower
November 17, 2009Without a doubt, lemon meringue pie.
DDL
November 17, 2009I tweeted! @ddsweets
Nancy K
November 17, 2009It’s a toss up between apple pie or cherry with cherries just picked from my sour cherry tree.
sprite
November 17, 2009Apple, although admittedly, I’m partial to an apple crisp or crumb over the traditional two-cruster.
Shanan
November 17, 2009Pumpkin. Easy.
Julie
November 17, 2009My favorite pie is my mother’s Apple pie recipe – it’s to die for!
Giulia
November 17, 2009Oh yes please! I’d love to win this contest 🙂 So I tweeted too.
My favorite is pecan pie!! But traditional apple pie with a dash of cinnamon is great too.
Joanna from Colorado
November 17, 2009My favorite type of pie is French Silk! I just learned to make it, and when I brought it to a get-together, one guy took like, a quarter of it as his piece! I’m glad those calories weren’t going to my hips!
Those cutters are so cute, I have never seen anything like them. My mother-in-law taught me her “only-one-my-husband-will-eat” pie crust recipe (which makes a double crust). I have also already put your cookbook on my Amazon wish list, but I would love to win it here!
Snow
November 17, 2009pumpkin pecan pie. two in one kinda thing.
Sarah
November 17, 2009Apple! Yum.
Jeannette
November 17, 2009my favorite piiiie…. it HAS to be apple. with LOTS of cinnamon and spice!! there is just SOMETHING about that aroma of apples and cinnamon baking together hamoniously in a deliciously flaky crust.
and your book is on my amazon wishlist 😉 and those pie cutters are beautiful!!!!
Julie
November 17, 2009I just tweeted about your contest. http://www.twitter.com/juliahutchins
My tweet – “I just entered a giveaway that @bakingbites is having – I want to win a pie crust cutter! Enter here for your chance… http://ow.ly/D5n3“
Jacqueline
November 17, 2009My favourite is baked custard pie, I love the silky texture of egg custard with the crunchy crust.
Thanks!
Jaclyn
November 17, 2009My all-time favourite is pumpkin, but my favourite double-crust pie is definitely apple. Extra cinnamon and vanilla ice cream on the side… Yum!
Amanda
November 17, 2009Apple boysenberry with a crumb top is to die for!
Lauren
November 17, 2009Walnut Witchery! My grandma always made it for thanksgiving.
Carrie
November 17, 2009The best pie I ever had was a pumpkin cranberry. I’ve yet to find an acceptable recipe.
Patricia Eddy
November 17, 2009Ooo. I am so bad at cutting vents on pie crusts!
My favorite type of pie is apple, preferably with some pear brandy mixed into the apples.
Janna
November 17, 2009Mmmm, what pie to choose? I think my hands-down fave would be caramel apple pie. Yum, yum, yum.
Cate
November 17, 2009Fall is all about apple pie for me…but I’d never turn down my mom’s chocolate silk pie, any time of year!
Kara
November 17, 2009Dewberry pie hands down. Most people have never heard of a dewberry but my grandmother used to make this and it is unbelievable. They are sort of cross between a blackberry and a raspberry. 🙂
Lindsay
November 17, 2009I love french silk pie.
Liesl
November 17, 2009Oh my favorite pie is a peach pie!!! My mother-in-law is bringing me a fresh peach pie from the amish store back home for Thanksgiving! I can’t wait! I have been dreaming about that pie!! haha
Jen
November 17, 2009I’m an apple/blackberry pie gal myself. YUM!
Ashley
November 17, 2009strawberry rhubarb pie is my favorite!
🙂
Kelly
November 17, 2009I love all kinds of pies but my favorite is peanut butter pie.
lesley
November 17, 2009Banana cream pie please!
doodles
November 17, 2009by far my favorite is Key Lime…………made with real key limes. Twitter is giving me fits trying to leave a message.
m00se
November 17, 2009Some variation on a chocolate nut pie – usually involving pecans.
shelly
November 17, 2009Oooh…what a genius invention!!!
Love apple pie, but my Grandma’s cherry pie is the Best!
Rachele Jean Beck
November 17, 2009I love that pie that is made out of Jello, whipped cream, and a graham cracker crust. Does anyone know what that is called anyways? Jello pie maybe? It’s wonderful!
Amy R
November 17, 2009Hello!
My name is Amy…I’ve been reading your blog for while and trying out recipes…I love the ideas you have and all your tips 🙂
I don’t have a website myself but I’ve been making loads of pies…
Anyway, my favorite pie is: TRIPLE BERRY pie! YUMMM
And I do love double crust. Lately, I’ve been making only a single pie crust and splitting it in two, rolling it out very thin…my family likes it best that way because sometimes the crust is overwhelming…but I recommend trying this!
Jen
November 17, 2009Apple pie – just for the smell alone!
grace
November 17, 2009i’ll take any pie i can get, be it sweet or savory. my favorite, however, is the blessed mile-high caramel apple pie.
Kersten
November 17, 2009Any kind of fruit pie, but especially tart berry pies with sweet cream. Yum!
These cutter’s are amazing. You have all the best finds. Thanks for sharing!
Debbie
November 17, 2009Rhubarb pie!