Speaking of minis...

When I make the Sour Cream Apple Pie for Court Street Grocers, I usually have some ingredients left over, so I like to make a mini for my daughter and I to try later that same night. The photo below has no sugared walnuts (which you would usually see underneath the lattice work) because 1) there were none left over, and 2) my daughter used to have the tree nut allergy. She doesn't anymore, but I still don't bake with nuts for our own home eating!

A mini Sour Cream Apple Pie, sans nuts

Re: Did you know 6...

Did you know that you can buy 5" cake rounds or pie tins?

With the minis, there's less commitment -- and ingredients -- involved. To make a 2-layer 5" mini cake, you cut in half the recipe, and if you really want to be modest, or cake-conscious, you can make a 1-layer 5" round, which uses only a quarter of the ingredients.

Plus, the look of a 2-layer 5" cake is very dramatic. Careful when cutting though; these cakes like to topple over!