How to Make the Perfect Thanksgiving Pie
Thanksgiving has a reputation for endless pickling techniques, divisive side dishes, and contentious relatives. It’s no surprise that hosting can be stressful. If you don’t have the “Right Stuffing” , that is. This series is all about the Thanksgiving meal, and will help you create dishes that will show up on your table year after year, even if it doesn’t help you cope with the in-laws.
Thanksgiving food makes me think of two things: turkey and pie. We’ve been talking a lot about turkey, so I think we’ve waited long enough. Side dishes vary from year to year, but at least one pie is required for dessert. Single crust or double crust, apple or pumpkin, baked or not, pie is the first thing you think of when you wake up from your post-turkey nap. I know it can be tempting to skip making the pie and just buy a boxed one from the freezer or one of the homemade pies from the grocery store, but I encourage you to put the box aside. Making a pie can be a daunting task, but the fresh and flavorful results are worth it. Here’s a guide to help you make a great Thanksgiving pie from scratch (if not almost from scratch), no matter what recipe you use.
Let’s start with the filling
There’s a lot of fuss around making the perfect pie crust. While it’s true that the crust can be finicky and takes a little practice to work with, it’s not a priority. The filling is a star. You don’t define a pie by the type of crust you choose. It’s an apple, a pecan, a pumpkin – it’s what’s inside that matters. (Honestly, we’re all just pies, aren’t we?)
First, choose your filling. This will allow you to choose the right crust, decide whether you can bake it raw or have to blind bake it first , and think ahead about how to prepare the filling.
Why the crust matters
Perhaps you’ve eaten crustless cheesecake or pumpkin pie. This is good, but there is a certain feeling of unease. Without a crust, you’re missing out on an important component. The crust not only has a buttery, toasted flavor, but also provides a nice texture. Logistically, the crust protects the filling from drying out or burning and creates a non-stick buffer that makes the slice easily release from the pan. However, you can’t just willy-nilly use a crumb crust where a flaky crust could go. It all depends on your filling.
The best fillings
Fruit fillings
Because fruit fillings remain savory after cooking, use a classic flaky pie crust that includes shortening, flour, salt and a little liquid. You can even use a pressed pie crust if you hate the idea of rolling out a circle of dough. These crusts are soaked in shortening and placed in a pie pan to ensure they are waterproof. Ideally, there should be no cracks or tears in the crust, and no fruit juice will penetrate under the pie crust.
Fruit pies typically take 40 minutes to an hour to bake, so blind baking or partially baking the pie crust is not necessary. This is why you will see frozen apple pies in boxes with a raw dough crust. Fruit pies have plenty of time to cook, become crispy and browned on both the bottom and top crust. If your fruit filling isn’t watery (more on how to avoid that in a minute), your crust won’t be doughy or soggy.
Egg filling for pie
Pecan pies, sweet potato pies, pumpkin pies and other egg-based pies that need to be baked have legitimately moist fillings. Just like moist fruit pies, the best option for these pies is a classic flaky crust. In this case, the crust should be partially baked. This is also called blind baking, where you bake the crust before filling it.
Quiche and egg fillings turn out soggy and the crust becomes doughy, gooey and soft unless they are baked first. Let’s just say it’s less than desirable. (It’s disgusting.) It’s also hard to tear a piece off if the bottom crust falls off. Always blind bake pumpkin and sweet potato pies to ensure a perfect crust. Here are the steps to help you do this .
No-bake fillings
Puddings, mousses and cheesecakes (both baked and unbaked) have a fluffy, soft, creamy filling and don’t require runny juices to worry about. These pies usually need some time to rest and refrigerate and can be made a day or two ahead. Cookie crumb crust is a favorite for this pie.
Crumb crusts are easy to make and go great with these refrigerated treats, as they absorb excess moisture from the filling as they rest, and the hydration softens the crumb. In this case, it’s not so bad. Unlike the flaky flour and butter crust, the soft crumb crust here is a welcome texture. This particle structure is suitable for soft mousse or pudding fillings because although it is easy to break, it clings to the filling.
They are typically made from crunchy cookies, biscuits, or crackers ( perhaps even Pop Tarts ?) that are crushed into crumbs and mixed with butter and sugar. Press the mixture into the pie shell and bake until it has a slightly toasted flavor, and carefully seal the pie shell together to prevent it from falling apart. You can make this from scratch or buy a crumb crust packaged in the baking section of the grocery store.
Tips for Thanksgiving Classics: Apple and Pumpkin
Either way, you can’t go wrong with apple or pumpkin pie. I recommend making the filling two to three days in advance and storing it in the refrigerator. Pie day leaves room for mistakes and panic, and that’s not the Thanksgiving life I’m talking about.
How to make apple pie
For fruit pies, make a homemade fruit filling that is first cooked on the stovetop. Cooking the filling in a saucepan with thickeners allows you to control the consistency. You can taste it and adjust the flavor, and since it’s fully cooked, it cuts down on the overall baking time since you’ll only be baking the crust. Read more about pre-preparing fruit pie filling here .
1. Make the filling in advance
Peel and core six to eight apples. I like Golden Delicious or Fuji apples because they taste great and stand up to cooking. Cut them into one-inch thick pieces and add to a large pan. Add two tablespoons of water and four tablespoons of brown sugar and cook the apples over medium-low heat until they are slightly softened, but they should not be mushy. A sufficient amount of juice should be released from the apples. This will be a sauce that you will thicken with a cornstarch slurry.
Prepare the paste in a small bowl. Mix a tablespoon of cornstarch and two tablespoons of cold water or cold apple juice until smooth. When the juice in the pan boils, add the gruel. Remember that the sauce will thicken slightly as it cools. If you are happy with the thickness, remove it from the heat, taste and add any spices you like. If you would like the dough thicker, add more cornstarch slurry a little at a time until you are happy.
Let the fruit filling cool to room temperature on the stove. Pour the filling into a container or zip-top bag and store in the refrigerator for up to four days.
2. Ready cake.
The classic apple pie has a double crust; there is one at the bottom and one covering the top. There is no need to blind bake the crust for this type of pie, so you can make the dough and freeze it at any stage. Freeze it after mixing, rolling, or even after placing it in the pie pan. If you make this a day or two in advance, you can leave it in the refrigerator.
Roll out two circles of pie crust or buy a frozen pie crust without a pan (since you need a top crust too) and place one crust in the pie pan. Roll out the top crust an inch larger in circumference than the top of the pie plate to prevent the apples from piling up. Keep the flat top crust between two cardboard circles to prevent damage and place both crusts in the refrigerator or freezer. (Try a simple pie crust design if you’re so inclined, and read tips for creating a foolproof lattice crust here.)
3. Bake a pie
Some people don’t mind a pie baked a day or two in advance, but for me, the crust loses its crispness and becomes soft after more than 16 hours. It will never be as good as it was during that first period of time. Bake this pie late morning on Turkey Day. Your oven is most likely already running, but if it isn’t, preheat it to 400°F.
Remove the frozen or chilled top and bottom crusts and let the flat top crust come to room temperature until pliable but not melted. Fill the pie with the pre-prepared filling, chilled in the refrigerator. Brush the top edge of the bottom crust with egg. This will help the two crusts stick together and hold the filling in place. Place the top crust over the filling and press the edges down so the egg mixture can do its job. Trim the edges of any uneven excess dough. If desired, egg wash the top and bake the pie at 400°F for about 20 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 375°F and bake for an additional 30 to 40 minutes or until the pie is browned and the filling is softly bubbling through the vents.
Check the pie in the last 20 minutes. If the edges are too browned, cover them with foil to prevent burning. Cool the pie to room temperature before slicing. Store leftovers in the container at room temperature.
How to make pumpkin pie
1. Make the filling in advance
Prepare the filling two days before you plan to bake the pie and store it in the refrigerator. Pumpkin pie filling is only as complex as the recipe you choose. Some suggest cooking the puree on the stovetop to remove excess moisture, others make it easier ; asking you to mix a few ingredients in a bowl and call it a day. Either one keeps well in the refrigerator.
2. Bake the cake blind.
Pumpkin pies that don’t have a pre-baked (also called blind) crust end up with a gooey bottom. Blind baking is an extra step, but it’s worth it. If you prefer a crispy bottom with a toasted butter flavor, grab these pie weights.
If you are rolling out the crust yourself, place it in a pie plate and then let it set in the refrigerator—this will take about 15 minutes. If you are using a pre-made crust, you can start with this step. A cold start means the saturated fats are solid, and a firm crust reduces the danger of a paper liner, pie weights or long fingernail poking through the crust. Remove the cold crust from the refrigerator.
Line the crust with a large coffee filter or parchment paper, scrunched into a ball and then patted down until it fits snugly. Fill the liner with weights. This could be dry beans, ceramic pie weights, rice or sugar . Bake pie crust for 20 minutes at 400°F or until you see exposed edges begin to brown. Carefully remove the cake and remove the liner with the weights inside. This is usually enough, but if you want the crust really dry and crispy, return the pie pan to the oven with the weights to dry out the bottom, this will take about five or 10 more minutes.
Cool the cake completely. Wrap and freeze the crust if you made it more than two days in advance. Otherwise, you can store it in the package or in the refrigerator or at room temperature.
3. Bake a pie
When Thanksgiving finally arrives, preheat the oven to 375°F or whatever your recipe calls for. Typically, you want the filling to be close to the same temperature as the crust it goes in—either cold in the refrigerator or both at room temperature. Pour the filling onto the crust, smoothing if necessary. Bake the pie at 375°F for the first 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature by 75°F (300°F in this case) for the last 30 minutes or until the edges are set and the center jiggles slightly when moved. Pie. Lowering the temperature will prevent the egg filling from curdling and ensure more even cooking. Cool the pie completely to room temperature before serving. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator.
No matter what pie recipe you use, fruit or custard, your refrigerator is your ally. Prepare the crust and filling in advance. If necessary, blind bake the crust and try not to rush. If you store pies in the refrigerator, use cardboard “shelves” to save space.