Makes one 9-inch pie

Double Crust Pastry
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup + 2 tablespoons shortening
4-5 tablespoons cold water
1/4 cup crushed Fireball candies

Filling
2 large baking apples (peeled, cored, thinly sliced),
such as Golden Delicious or Granny Smith
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter/margarine (melted)
1 small box Red Hot candies

Topping
Grated double crust pastry
3 tablespoons crushed Fireball candies
Coarse clear decorator’s sugar

Roll half of pastry onto a lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness;
roll crushed Fireball candies into pastry with rolling pin. Fit into a
9-inch pie plate. Chill remaining pastry. Arrange apple slices in pastry
shell.

Combine flour, sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle mixture over
apples with 1/2 box Red Hot candies. Pour lemon juice and melted
butter over pie.

Form remaining pastry into a ball and grate. Place over filling.
Sprinkle clear decorator’s sugar and crushed Fireball candies atop pie.
Bake pie at 375 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes.

CHOCOLATE BROWNIE PECAN PIE

Makes one 9-inch pie

Single Crust Pastry
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon shortening
2-3 tablespoons cold water
1/4 cup crushed pecans

Filling
2/3 cup light corn syrup
2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped pecans

Heat the corn syrup, brown sugar and butter together in a medium-sized saucepan
until the butter melts. Turn off the heat and add the chocolate. Let stand for
5 minutes and whisk until smooth. Let cool for 10 minutes.

In another medium-sized bowl, whisk eggs and egg yolk together until frothy.
Blend in the vanilla.

Add about half of the slightly cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until
smooth. Add the pecans and stir well.

Pour the filling into the prepared pie shell and bake for 40 minutes. The filling
will rise and the edges will crack a little. If your oven does not bake evenly, rotate
the pie in the middle of the baking time.

Optional Toppings
Tint white chocolate pink. Melt it in and drizzle the top of the pie for a
Valentine motif. Sprinkle it with edible red and pink confetti.
Make little tarts and share them with all your Valentines.