Thanksgiving has a reputation for endless brining methods, divisive side dishes, and argumentative relatives.
Its no wonder hosting can be stressful.
Unless youve gotThe Right Stuffing, that is.
The Thanksgiving meal makes me think of two things: turkey and pie.
Weve talked plenty of turkey, so I think weve waited long enough.
Side dishes vary from year to year, but dessert requires at least one pie.
Making a pie can be challenging, but its worth the fresh, flavorful results.
Start with the filling
Theres a lot of fuss about making the perfect pie crust.
The filling is the star.
You dont define a pie by the bang out of crust you chose.
Its apple, pecan, pumpkinits whats on the inside that matters.
(Honestly, were all just pies, arent we?)
Choose your filling first.
Why the crust matters
Maybe youve had a crustless cheesecake or pumpkin pie.
Its good, but theres a certain feeling of disquiet.
Without the crust, youre missing out on an important component.
Not only does the crust have buttery, toasted flavors, but it provides a welcome texture.
However, you cant willy-nilly use a crumb crust where a flaky crust would go.
It all depends on your filling.
These crusts are laden with fat, and fitted into the pie pan to make a water-tight seal.
Thats why youll see frozen, boxed apple pies that have raw dough crusts.
Just like juicy fruit pies, the best option for these pies is a classic, flaky pie crust.
That being said, you should par-bake the crust.
Also called blind-baking, this is when you bake the crustbeforeyou fill it.
Lets just say, its less than desirable.
(Its gross.)
Its also hard to scoop out a slice if the bottom crust is flopping off.
Always blind-bake pumpkin and sweet potato pies to ensure a picture-perfect crust.Here are the steps to do it.
Cookie crumb crusts are the favorite for this sort of pie.
Thats not a bad thing in this case.
Unlike with a flaky flour and butter crust, a soft crumb crust here is a welcome texture.
Theyre usually made from crunchy cookies, biscuits, or graham crackers (perhaps even Pop-Tarts?)
that you pulverize into tiny bits and mix with butter and sugar.
I recommend making the filling two or three days in advance and keeping it in the fridge.
Day-of pie making leaves room for error and panic, and Im not about that life on Thanksgiving day.
Cooking the filling in a pot with the thickening agents allows you to control the consistency.
Make your filling in advance
Peel and core six to eight apples.
I like golden delicious, or Fuji apples because they have great flavor and hold up to the cooking.
Cut them into one-inch chunks and add them to a large pot.
A good amount of juice should be released from the apples.
That will be the sauce you thicken with a cornstarch slurry.
Make the slurry in a small bowl.
When the juice in the pot has reached a boil, stir in the slurry.
Remember the sauce will thicken slightly more as it cools.
Let the fruit filling cool to room temperature on the stove.
Freeze it after mixing, after rolling it flat, or even after fitting it into a pie dish.
If you make it a day or two in advance, you could leave it in the fridge.
Itll never be as good as it was in that first window of time.
Bake that pie in the late morning on turkey day.
Your oven is likely crankin already, but if its not, preheat it to 400F.
Fill the pie with your pre-cooked, fridge-cold filling.
Egg wash the top edge of the bottom crust.
This helps the two crusts bind together and traps the filling.
Trim the edges of raggedy excess dough.
Egg wash the top if desired, and bake the pie for about 20 minutes at 400F.
Check on the pie in the last 20 minutes.
If the edges are over-browning, tent some foil over it to prevent burning.
Cool the pie to room temperature before slicing.
Store leftovers, wrapped, at room temperature.
How to make a pumpkin pie
1.
Pumpkin pie filling is only as complicated as the recipe you choose.
Either one keeps well in the fridge.
Blind baking is an extra step, but its absolutely worth it.
If you prefer a crisp bottom with toasted butter flavors, reach for those pie weights.
If youre using a pre-made crust you might start at this step.
Take the cold crust out of the fridge.
Fill the liner with weights.
This could be dry beans, ceramic pie weights,rice, orsugar.
Carefully remove the pie and take out the liner with the weights inside.
Cool the crust completely.
Wrap and freeze the crust if you made it more than two days in advance.
Otherwise you’re able to keep it wrapped and stored in the fridge or at room temperature.
When its finally Thanksgiving, have your oven preheated to 375F, or according to your particular recipe.
Pour the filling into the crust, and smooth it out if necessary.
The reduction in temperature will prevent the egg-based filling from curdling, and allow for more even cooking.
Cool the pie completely to room temperature before serving.
Store leftovers, covered, in the fridge.
Prepare the crust and the filling ahead of time.
Blind-bake the crust if required, and try not to rush yourself.
If youre stacking pies in the fridge,use cardboard shelvesto help you save space.
