The falling leaves can only mean one thing: warm pie season is upon us. Forget the cool cream pies and meringues of summer. When the weather gets crisp, it’s time to get baking. And what’s a more quintessential autumn baked good than the apple pie? Oh right, that sweet answer to Thanksgiving dinner: the pumpkin pie. Looks like we have a showdown on our hands. Good thing our October Tastemaker Cathy Erway stepped in to referee.

If you’re not a fan of baked apples covered in buttery pie dough or loathe the taste of spiced pumpkin cover – well, we feel sorry for you – but the choice might be easy. For us egalitarian pie-fanatics, this competition is neck and neck. On the one hand, as Tastemaker Cathy points out, apple pie requires a top and bottom, meaning twice the dough. And we all know making dough from scratch is no walk in the park. On the other hand, to make true from-scratch pumpkin pie – you need to bake the pumpkin halves first and scrape out all the seeds before even getting started. Be strong, Hungry Nation, resist the urge to raid your local bakery! The end pie justifies the means, no matter how mean pie-making seems at the time.

No spoilers, but Cathy also links to one of her all-time favorite pie recipes: brown butter sage apple pie. We can already feel the holiday weight gathering on our waists. Check out the video to see which pie on the windowsill cools its way to victory. Don’t agree? Let us know your reasons in the comment section!