Results of Christmas baking - Both desserts came out really well. My mom gave me a stoneware pie plate with a pie bird, which I had never used before. The pie bird was like a vent for the pie, the steam escaped without causing the pie itself to leak or boil over. As a result, the crust was awesomely flaky and the apples inside weren't floating in trapped liquid. Awesome. The Cake was good too.
Deep-dish Apple Pie
Black Forest Cake
(Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte)