A rather different apple pie

I made this pie in honor of a man who LOVED apple pie.

*HARLAND *

To give this pie a bit of a twist, I used brown sugar instead of white, added chopped dates, and some butterscotch chips.  

Making the apple tree on the top was as easy as can be.  First I brushed the top of the pie with cream (I do this with every pie I make).  With the left over dough scraps, I used a sharp knife to cut out the shape of a tree and gently lifted it onto the top crust.  The cream acts as an adhesive.  Next I used a mini cookie cutter to cut out the apples, and then placed them on the tree.  Using gel food coloring, I painted the colors on, and added the leaves directly onto the crust.  A sprinkling of sugar, and it was ready for the oven.

It was a sweet way to reminisce with my mother in law about a man who is no doubt dancing and livening things up in 

HEAVEN.