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Easy as Pie

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If there’s ever a time of year to make, share and enjoy a homemade pie, it’s that time of year called autumn, when your part of the globe undergoes magical changes in nature’s color and crispness. But the ironic thing about the idiom “easy as pie” is that not all of us do, in fact, find pie easy to make. Rolling out crusts, peeling and coring apples, and watching so as not to over-brown a delicate pastry in the oven does not exactly fit the “easy” description for a portion of the population. Because holidays should be more about sweet times and gratitude than stressing out about culinary performance, our aim today is to make things a bit easier in the entertaining department while enjoying the benefits of our dōTERRA® oils in the process.

Have you ever popped a can of pre-made pie filling into your shopping cart with a twinge of guilt, wishing you could have avoided all that aluminum and extra corn syrup if only you knew a quick way to whip up your own filling in a snap? Today is your day, my friend!

To make your Homemade Apple Pie Filling, you’ll need:

• 5 cups apple slices, peeled

• 1/4 cup water

• 3/4 cup brown sugar

• 1/4 cup flour (substitute with gluten-free flour if needed)

• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

• 3 tablespoons butter (or dairy-free substitute such as coconut oil)

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

• One toothpick dip of dōTERRA® Lemon, Cinnamon Bark, Clove, and Ginger

Combine your apples, brown sugar, and water in a large pan on the stove. Cover and cook for about 8 minutes. Blend flour and granulated sugar together, then stir into apple mixture. Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened and making sure to boil down the juices to avoid a too-watery pie filling. Remove from heat, then add butter, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and those toothpick-dips of essential oils. Taste your creation and adjust flavors as desired. Now for the best part: add filling to your prepared store-bought pie crust of choice, and let the crust package directions take it from there!

Ta-da! Way to bypass canned fruit for the homemade route. By focusing on the inner substance of the pie, it’s easier to allow yourself to go with a convenient no-fuss crust option to contain all that fruity brilliance. Another option is to bake your homemade filling in a dish topped with streusel, or to simply use it as a delicious topping for pancakes or waffles.

Searching for something still easier? Spruce up some of your favorite holiday toppings with essential oils. Serve them to guests, upping the fancy factor at your table, or give them away in decorative jars. Serve rolls or fresh bread with a nicely presented dish of Honey Lemon Butter: combine 1 tablespoon honey with 1 tablespoon unsalted butter and 2 drops dōTERRA Lemon. If you like the idea of gifting oil-laced condiments, purchase your favorite fruit preserves in bulk, then divide into small decorative jars infused with a drop of Lemon, Bergamot, Grapefruit, Clove, Cinnamon Bark, or other favorite flavors. The taste-testing will be both fun and important in discovering the best gift combination. Doesn’t that sound easy as can be? Whether or not pie is your thing, lean on dōTERRA to help you entertain easier this season!