Thanksgiving For Sports Moms: Make Your Kids Part Of The Team In The Kitchen, Says Katie Workman

BEST APPLE STREUSEL PIE EVER

What the Kids Can Do: Measure the streusel ingredients and, if you choose to make the streusel topping by hand, kids can help with that or-with supervision-help pulse the streusel in the food processor. If they are old enough, they can peel the apples. They can make the custard and help whip the cream.

For the streusel topping

1⁄3 cup granulated sugar
1⁄4 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
1⁄2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1⁄2 teaspoon ground ginger
1⁄2 teaspoon kosher or coarse salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

For the pie filling

6 large Granny Smith apples, or a mixture of Granny Smith and any other firm baking apple, peeled, cored, and sliced about 1⁄2-inch thick
1 unbaked 9-inch deep-dish pie shell
1 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 large egg
1 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream (optional, but well worth it), for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Make the streusel topping: Combine the 1⁄3 cup of granulated sugar, the brown sugar, 1⁄2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of flour, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, the ginger, and salt in a food processor and give it a good whirl. Add the pieces of butter and pulse until the butter is incorporated and the mixture is crumbly. Do not overprocess; you don't want a paste (see Cooking Tip #1). Set the streusel topping aside.
3. Make the pie: Put the apples in the pie shell.
4. Combine the 1 cup of granulated sugar and the 3 tablespoons of flour, the 1⁄2 teaspoon of cinnamon, and the cloves in a small bowl. 
5. Beat the egg in a large bowl, then add the cream and vanilla and blend well. Add the sugar mixture to the egg mixture and stir to blend. Pour the custard mixture over the apples; if the mixture comes more than three quarters of the way up the side of the crust, stop pouring so it won't bubble up and overflow.
6. Place the pie on a baking sheet in the oven (see Cooking Tip #2) and bake it for 20 minutes. Carefully remove the pie from the oven, making sure the custard mixture doesn't pour over the side. Evenly and carefully (take your time) distribute the streusel topping over the top of the pie. Carefully (again) return it to the oven and bake until the top is browned and a knife inserted into the pie ensures that the apples are cooked through, about 50 minutes longer.
7. Let the pie cool on a wire rack for at least 20 to 30 minutes, then serve it warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if desired (and who wouldn't desire that?).

LAZY OVEN FRENCH TOAST

What the Kids Can Do: They can help put together pretty much the whole French toast, although you'll have to decide if they are old enough to help slice the bread. Kids can also pick and choose whatever dried fruits or nuts they like to go in the casserole.

Butter or nonstick cooking spray, for greasing the baking dish
4 cups milk
6 large eggs
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup, plus more maple syrup for serving (optional)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1⁄2 teaspoon kosher or coarse salt
1 large loaf challah bread, preferably slightly stale, sliced 3⁄4 to 1 inch thick (see the Cooking Tip)
3⁄4 cup whole raisins, chopped dried fruit, or chopped nuts (optional)
Fresh fruit such as berries, sliced peaches or pears, and/or confectioners' sugar, for serving

1. Grease a 13 by 9-inch baking dish with butter or spray it with cooking spray.
2. Place the milk, eggs, sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt in a medium-size bowl and whisk to mix well. Set the milk mixture aside.
3. Arrange half of the slices of bread in the prepared baking dish, cutting the bread so that it fits in a solid layer. Pour half of the milk mixture over the bread, then evenly distribute about half of any dried fruit or nuts, if using, on top.
4. Repeat, creating a second layer of bread and then pouring the rest of the milk mixture on top and distributing the rest of the fruit or nuts over the bread. Lightly press the bread down into the liquid.
5. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight. The bread will have absorbed almost all of the milk mixture. Uncover the baking dish and if there are dryer looking pieces on top, take them off and carefully tuck them underneath the bread on the bottom so that the more milk-soaked pieces are now on top (this is messy but it all works out in the baking). Note that any dried fruit sitting on the top of the French toast will get pretty chewy when baked and nuts on top will get toasty; the fruit and nuts that are tucked into the French toast will be softer, so disperse the fruit and nuts as you see fit.
6. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
7. Bake the French toast, uncovered, until it is puffed and golden, 30 to 35 minutes.
8. Let the French toast sit for 5 minutes to firm up a bit, then cut it into squares and serve it hot with your choice of maple syrup, fresh fruit, and/or confectioners' sugar.