Who doesn't love pie?

Fall just isnt' fall without pie. Muffins are around all year, & cookies shine during Christmas time. But pie, sweet flaky pie, is an autumnal staple.
This past weekend, I took a trip to Julian, CA, aka the pie capitol of Southern California. I was hoping to pick some apples from the many orchards there, but I guess I missed out on the U-Pick season. The trip wasn't for nothing since Old Town Julian is known for their "homemade" pies, old fashioned soda fountains, & cider mills.

Sarsaparilla Ice Cream Float

Bumbleberry-Boysenberry-Blueberry-Blackberry Pie (yes, that's the full name!)
Instead of picking my own apples, I bought a bushel at the Old Cider Mill to use for apple pie. I think I've mentioned before that I'm much more of a baker than a cook. Instead of having the temptation of a huge pie lingering in my kitchen, I found a recipe for Mini Apple Pies from the beautiful & talented Laura Vitale of www.laurainthekitchen.com (Check her out on YouTube as well!) Perfect for brown bag lunches & sharing with loved ones!

I must say that I'm extra proud of this batch because I actually made the pie crust myself! & not even with a food processor. I busted out the pastry cutter & used good ol' elbow grease to make the dough. Reminds me of cooking class in high school :).
The apples I used were a mixture of fresh Julian fuji apples & gala apples from the grocery store. I love Laura's addition of orange zest; it brings a freshness & a unique flavor to the pie.
Click HERE for the full recipe :)