Brandied "Pumpkin" Pie

Some prefer apple. Others go for pecan. A few brave the world of "mincemeat." But few can deny that pumpkin is the most traditional flavor of pie to serve for Thanksgiving.

Pumpkin is easy to acquire. Just buy a can of Libby's pumpkin puree and call it a day. Or....shake things up. Ditch the can and make a better pumpkin pie by not using pumpkin at all. Instead, make "pumpkin" pie with butternut squash. After all, I've ready that Libby's pumpkin isn't really pumpkin anyway but Dickinson squash--although Libby's will call it Dickinson pumpkin, and I might point out that "pumpkin" is a sort of generic term anyway, rather than a name for specific type of squash. So, it's all good (Snopes even looked into this).

However, it's even better if you use butternut squash, which is, after all, my favorite squash, and I suspect it might be yours as well (it's really good). Just roast the squash first and puree it, making sure you have enough for 1 3/4 cups, which is about the amount you'd get in a 15 oz. can. And since booze and dessert go so well together, this recipe also calls for some brandy. Cheers to that!

Just who came up with this wonderful variation on the Thanksgiving pie? Melissa Clark, the New York Times recipe writer who, at this point, I think is safe to say is the goddess of all things delicious.  Seriously, I've never met a Melissa Clark recipe that wasn't incredibly good (her garlicky chicken thighs and pinto bean soup recipes are among my favorites).

Brandied "Pumpkin" Pie
Adapted from a New York Times recipe by Melissa Clark

For the crust:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (150 grams)
1/4 tsp. salt
10 tbsp. (1 stick plus 2 tbsp.) unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
2 to 4 tbsp. ice water

For the filling:
2 1/2 to 3 lb. butternut squash (to make 1 3/4 cups butternut squash purée)
2 tbsp. melted unsalted butter
All-purpose flour (for the work surface)
3 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup dark brown sugar (153 grams)
2 tbsp. brandy
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. grated nutmeg
 Pinch ground clove

1. Make the crust: add the flour and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse into the mixture forms pea-size pieces. Add ice water in 1-tbsp. increments, pulsing after each addition, until the dough just comes together (you may not use all the water). The dough should be moist but not wet. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and form into a ball, then flatten it into a large disc. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour, up to 2 days.

2. Make butternut squash purée: Preheat oven to 400 F. Peel and halve the squash and remove and discard its seeds (pro tip: an ice cream scoop works great for removing squash seeds and slimy membranes). Cut the squash into 1 1/2-inch pieces and place them in a large bowl. Pour the melted butter over the squash and toss to coat. Transfer the buttered squash cube to a baking sheet and roast, stirring every 15 minutes, until the squash is tender, about 30 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven and cool, then puree in a food processor.

3. Lightly flour a work surface. Place the chilled dough disc in the center and roll out to a 12-inch circle. Transfer the crust to a 9-inch pie plate. Fold the edges of the dough under so the dough comes up to the top of the pie plate (see photo above). Crimp the edges with fork tines and prick it the dough all over with the fork. Place the pie plate in the refrigerator to chill the crust for 30 minutes (don't skip this step--the dough needs to be cold when it goes in the oven to minimize shrinkage).

4. Heat the oven to 375 F. Line the top of the chilled crust with aluminum foil and weight it down with pie weights (you can also use coins or dried beans). Bake the pie crust for 20 minutes, remove the foil and weights and bake an additional 5 to 7 minutes until the crust is lightly golden. Remove from the oven and set on a rack to cool a bit.

5. Lower oven temperature to 325 F. To the bowl of a food processor, add the squash purée, eggs, cream, dark brown sugar, brandy, ginger, cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, nutmeg and clove. Turn on the food processor and blend until the mixture is smooth. Pour squash mixture into the cooled pie shell. Set the pie plate on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake until the crust is golden and the filling jiggles just a bit in the middle when shaken, about 50 to 75 minutes (Clark says to bake the pie 50 to 60 minutes; I recommend using an instant-read thermometer and cooking the pie until the filling registers 165 F). Remove the pie from the oven and cool before serving.

Thanksgiving Central

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Fall-Leaf Apple Pie

I've covered apple pies with a plain crust and a lattice, but for this pie I wanted to get more decorative. I've seen pies decorated with cutouts and the idea in Fine Cooking magazine to use overlapping leaves seemed perfect for Thanksgiving, everybody's favorite fall holiday.

The Fine Cooking recipe calls for cutting each leaf by hand, as well as making smaller leaves. I cheated a little bit: I used a leaf-shaped cookie cutter. This worked great, as each leave was the same size--about 3 1/2 inches long by 2 inches wide. I scored a line down the middle of each leaf with sharp knife (do this carefully to prevent cutting all the way through the dough).

When placing the leaves on top of the pie, they should overlap just slightly. If your leaves are cut to the same size as mine, you'll need 24 leaves to complete the top. Start with the outer ring and place 14 leaves flush against the edge of the pie plate. Then, complete the inner ring with 9 leaves. Finish with a final leaf in the center.

Since I've had such good luck with it in the past, I switched up the crust recipe and used my trusty "foolproof" double-pie crust with vodka recipe from America's Test Kitchen.

Fall-Leaf Apple Pie
Adapted from Apple with Leaves recipe in Fine Cooking and Foolproof Pie Dough recipe from America's Test Kitchen

Crust:
12 1/2 oz. all-purpose flour (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 tsp. table salt
2 tbsp. sugar
20 tbsp. cold unsalted butter (2 1/2 sticks), cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/4 cup chilled vodka
1/4 cup very cold water

Pie:
5 to 6 firm, tart apples, peeled, cored and quartered
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. salt
1 to 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1. Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, salt and sugar in a food processor, about two 1-second pulses. Scatter butter over dry mixture and process until the dough starts to collect in uneven clumps, resembling cottage cheese with no uncoated flour, about 15 seconds. Scrape sides of bowl with rubber or silicone spatula and redistribute dough evenly around the blade. Add remaining cup of flour and give 4 to 6 quick pulses until dough is evenly distributed and the mass of dough has been broken up. Empty mixture into bowl.

2. Sprinkle vodka and water over dough mixture. With the spatula, combine the liquid with the dough using a folding motion, pressing down on dough until it sticks together (use your hands a little if needed, but be careful not to overwork the dough). Divide dough into two pieces, roll into balls and flatten slightly to form thick 4-inch discs. Wrap in plastic and chill at least 45 minutes, up to 2 days.

3. To make the pie crust and decorative top: On a lightly floured surface, roll one of the dough discs into a 12-inch round 1/8 inch thick. Fold the dough over the rolling pin, ease it into a 9-inch pie pan, and unfold it so it's centered over the pie plate with edges draped over the sides. Press the dough up the sides and over the rim of the pan, and trim it to leave about an inch of dough beyond the rim of the plate. Fold the edge of the dough under itself so that the crease is flush with the top of the pie plate. Press a fork into the edge of the dough to make vertical lines--this "crimping" process seals the folded dough together. Chill the pie plate with the dough while you cut out the leaves.

4. Combine any scraps from the first disc with the second disc and roll out the dough to 1/8 inch thick. With a paring knife or a leaf cutter, cut out at least 24 leaves 3 1/2 x 2 inches in size. With the paring knife, score a "vein" down the center of each leaf, being careful not to cut all the way through the dough. Place the cut leaves on a floured baking sheet (don't stack them) and set them aside in a cool place.

5. Cut the apples into 1/4-inch slices--there should be about 7 cups. Put the apples in a large bowl and add the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Toss gently to coat the apples with the flour-sugar-spice mixture. Transfer the apples to the cooled pie shell, tucking in any apples to create a slight dome in the center. Dot the apples with large flecks of the remaining 1 to 2 tbsp. of butter.

6. Starting at the rim of the pie plate, place the leaves at a slight angle and slightly overlapping around the edge of the pie until the leaves go all the way around. Then make a second smaller circle of leaves closer to the middle of the pie--finishing with a final leaf in the middle. Chill the pie in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

7. Position two racks close together in the lower third of the oven, set a foil-lined baking sheet on the lowest rack to catch any drippings from the pie. Heat the oven to 350 F.

8. Bake the pie on the second-lowest rack until the crust is a deep golden brown all over and the apples are tender when pierced with a thin knife blade, about 60 to 80 minutes (I baked my pie for 85 minutes). Let the pie cool completely before serving.

Thanksgiving Central

Caramel Apple Custard Pie

Two years ago, I shared a recipe for Apple Custard Pie with Gingersnap Crust, my attempt to make an apple pie with a texture more like pumpkin pie. The apple custard was a great discovery--it's like rich apple sauce, sweet and satisfying but still somehow "lighter" than a pumpkin filling. That pie was very good, but I wanted to revisit it and make some changes.

First, I wasn't fully sold on the crust. It was delicious, but it burnt a bit in the oven and was hard to cut. For this pie, I wanted to use a more traditional pie crust. When looking at options in the Cook's Illustrated book, The Science of Good Cooking, I came across the rather clever idea of rolling the crust out using graham cracker crumbs. This adds a bit of that "cookie" flavor while still having a traditionally flaky crust. I also decided to add a caramel sauce that would form layers above and below the apple-custard filling. The caramel sauce was a big plus, giving the pie a needed richness boost. I had also considered topping this with meringue, but decided it really wasn't necessary (plus meringue is difficult to deal with for Thanksgiving, as it should be done just before serving for best results). So, no meringue, but I didn't miss it.

Admittedly, this dessert has a lot of steps. I cut a few corners when I made it, and I regretted this, as the pie was a bit "runny" because I hadn't allowed the custard to completely chill nor the caramel sauce. The next day though, after spending the night in the fridge, it was perfect.

If you were going to make this for Thanksgiving, I suggest making it ahead of time, given all the steps involved. For example, you could do the following the day before, then on Thanksgiving Day, just serve it:

11:15 a.m. (or earlier) mix the pie dough; chill in the refrigerator
12:20 p.m. allow pie dough to warm a bit at room temperature
12:30 p.m. roll out pie dough and form pie shell in pie plate
12:45 p.m. chill formed pie shell
1:00 p.m. bake pie shell (allow to cool afterwards for about an hour)
2:00 p.m. make the caramel sauce
2:30 p.m. pour first layer of caramel into pie shell, then chill in refrigerator; make the filling
3:00 p.m. assemble and bake the pie
3:30 p.m. remove pie from oven, allow to cool on rack
4:00 p.m. place baked pie in fridge to chill
5:00 p.m. pour final layer of caramel sauce and return to fridge

Caramel Apple Custard Pie
Crust recipe adapted from Foolproof Single-Crust Pie Dough for Custard Pies recipe from Cook's Illustrated: The Science of Good Cooking by America's Test Kitchen and Guy Crosby; caramel sauce recipe adapted from Bourbon-Caramel Pumpkin Tart, Fine Cooking.

Note: Take note of the time required before making this pie, as it requires not just cooking time but chilling and cooling time too (see suggested schedule above).

Equipment: food processor, pastry rolling mat (optional, may use other flat surface), pie plate, immersion blender (optional, may use food processor), pie weights (optional, may use spare change), aluminum foil.

Crust:
1 1/4 cup (6 1/4 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
10 tbsp. unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 tbsp. ice water (plus more if needed)
2 tbsp. chilled vodka
3 whole graham crackers, crushed into crumbs (about 1/2 cup of crumbs)

Caramel sauce:

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup bourbon

Filling:

4 large Granny Smith apples (use 5 if they are smaller), about 2 pounds, peeled, cored, quarted and chopped into 1/4-inch thick pieces
1/3 cup water
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. cornstarch
2/3 cup whole milk
2/3 cup heavy cream
4 large egg yolks, lightly beaten

Crust:

1. Add 3/4 cup flour, sugar and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. Scatter the cold butter cubes across the top of the mixture and process until the butter is incorporated and the mixture forms uneven clumps with no remaining floury bits, about 10 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of flour over the dough and pulse until the mixture has broken up into pieces and is evenly distributed around the bowl, about 4 to 6 pulses.

2. Transfer mixture to a medium-size bowl. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp. of ice water and the vodka. With a spatula, use a folding motion to stir and press together the dough until the dough sticks together. Add a little additional ice water (no more than a tablespoon) if the dough doesn't come together. Using your fingers, form the dough into a disc about 4 inches across. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

3. Set dough on counter to warm up for about 10 minutes. Spread half the crushed graham cracker crumbs on the surface where you'll be rolling out the pastry. Place the dough in the middle of the crumbs, sprinkle with some of the crumbs and roll out, sprinkling with crumbs as you roll until the dough is a 12-inch round about 1/8 inch thick. Carefully transfer the rolled dough to a pie plate (I like to wrap the dough around the rolling pin and then carefully unroll it into the plate, gently lifting up the edges to ease the dough into the corners of the plate). Trim the overhang to about 1/2-inch evenly around the pie plate. Fold the overhang under itself to the edge of the dough is flush with the rim of the pie plate. Flute the edge of the dough or press with the tines of a fork (I always do the latter as my "fluting" skills aren't up to snuff). Chill the pie dough for at least 15 minutes.

4. Preheat oven to 425 F with oven rack in middle position (depending on how long it takes to heat your oven, you may want to start the preheating while the dough is first chilled, before rolling it out).

5. Line the top of the pie shell with aluminum foil and weight it down with pie weights or spare change (don't worry--the money won't melt at this temperature). Bake until the dough is dried out, about 15 minutes. Remove the weights and foil and continue baking until the pie shell is a golden-brown color, about 10 minutes longer. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely, about 1 hour.

Caramel Sauce:

6. Combine brown sugar, butter and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sugar melts and begins to darken around the edges, about 5 minutes. Carefully whisk in the cream (it will sputter a bit) and simmer, whisking frequently, until the mixture is smooth and thick enough that the whisk leaves the bottom of the pan visible, about 7 to 9 minutes. Add the bourbon and continue simmering, whisking occasionally, until the whisk leaves the bottom of the pan visible again, another 2 minutes. Transfer caramel mixture to a heatproof glass measuring cup and allow to cool.

7. Pour half of the caramel sauce into the baked pie shell and return pie shell to refrigerator for at least 10 minutes before adding the filling below. Refrigerate remaining caramel sauce until ready to use (you may need to gently reheat it in a microwave before pouring it over the pie below).

Filling

8. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add apples and 1/3 cup water. Cover and cook until the mixture boils. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the apples are very soft, about 15 minutes. Using an immersion blender, puree the apples until they are very smooth (alternatively, transfer to a food processor, puree until very smooth, then transfer mixture back to the saucepan). Cook apple puree over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until mixture is thickened (it should be as thick as pumpkin puree). You should have about 2 cups (16 oz.) of puree (don't fret if you have a little less). Set aside.

9. Combine apple puree, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt and cornstarch in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once the mixture begins to sputter, cook, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes. Add the milk and heavy cream and cook until the mixture simmers.

10. Add the lightly beaten egg yolks to a medium bowl. Whisk in about 1 cup of the hot apple mixture, then whisk the egg mixture into the saucepan with the apple mixture until well combined. Remove the saucepan from the heat.

Assemble and bake

11. Preheat oven to 400 F.

12. Pour the hot apple mixture on top of the first layer of caramel in the pie shell. Bake until the filling is puffed and dried out on top, about 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack then refrigerate about an hour. Pour the remaining caramel sauce on top of the cooked filling and chill a final 15 minutes to set the caramel before serving (or chill overnight and serve the next day).

Related

Apple Custard Pie with Gingersnap Crust

Bourbon-Caramel Pumpkin Tart

Apple Pie with Vodka Crust

Lattice Apple Pie with Rye Whiskey Crust

Thanksgiving Central

S'mores Pie

In theory, s'mores are a wonderful thing, the merger of toasted marshmallow, chocolate and graham cracker enjoyed near the crackle of a warm campfire. In practice, they are a disaster. The unmelted chocolate is odd against the melty marshmallow and how exactly would you melt the chocolate with a campfire? And if you're making them on the beach, which is where I usually toast marshmallows, sand is sure to be a fourth ingredient in your sandwich. The finished product is a sticky mess.

This s'mores pie, however, is fabulous. The marshmallows are browned and easier to deal with. The chocolate is melted. You can eat it with a fork! And it tastes great. It's also perfect for enjoying s'mores--typically a summer treat--during the cold season. Just think of how delicious this would be with a piping hot mug of cocoa.

I found this recipe on the Tasty Kitchen site and made a few changes. First, I added salt to the filling. Combining salt with sugar helps bring out the latter's sweetness. You don't need a lot, but a little salt is a welcome player in almost any dessert. I used a little less chocolate bar than in the original recipe because I only needed 8 ounces instead of 12 to cover the bottom of the pie crust with chocolate squares, although I did fill in some cracks with chocolate chips.

The crust is wonderfully easy: just combine graham cracker crumbs with melted butter. You can buy crumbs in a box or make your own by grinding up graham crackers in a food processor. If you do the latter, be sure to get a small, even crumb.

This was my first time working with marshmallow creme, sometimes called marshmallow "fluff." Interesting stuff. The container is so light, much more than I expected. The creme is quite thick however and very, very sticky. I used an offset spatula to spread it along the bottom of my formed graham cracker crust.

If the pie looks a little sunken before you pop it in the oven, don't worry about it. Unlike a fruit pie, this pie expands as it bakes, instead of contracts. Compare my photos of before the pie goes into the oven with after it comes out and you can see that it turned out just fine.

S'mores Pie
Adapted from a recipe by Tasty Kitchen

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for the pie plate
1/2 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp. baking powder
7 oz. container of marshmallow creme
8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate bars (this is two of the large, flat Ghirardelli chocolate bars for cooking)
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup mini marshmallows
1/4 cup (or more as desired) bittersweet chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli 60% cacao chips)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9-inch round pie plate with butter.

2. Combine butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium-high until creamy (or use a large bowl and a hand mixer). Add egg and vanilla and beat on low until combined, then add the flour, graham cracker crumbs and baking powder, and continue beating on low until mixed. Divide the dough in half.

3. Using your fingers, press half the dough evenly on the bottom and sides of the greased pie plate. Spread the marshmallow creme evenly on the bottom of the pie crust (I recommend using an offset spatula for this). Break the chocolate bars into squares and line them up flush in a single layer on top of the marshmallow creme (break them in smaller pieces or use a few chocolate chips to fill any gaps). Sprinkle the chocolate layer with salt, then spread the mini marshmallows on top. Break up the other reserved half of the dough into little pieces, spread them evenly around the marshmallows and pat them into place so that they mostly (but not completely) cover the layer of mini marshmallows. Lastly, sprinkle the top with chocolate chips.

4. Bake the pie until lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven set on a wire rack to cool. Allow to cool completely before cutting (refrigerate if not serving immediately).

Lattice Apple Pie with Rye Whiskey Crust

Pumpkin pie and pecan pie are wonderful things, but for Thanksgiving, my heart truly belongs to apple pie. It's just got to be there, the final touch to a wonderful meal.

A couple years ago, I made an Apple Pie with Vodka Crust, which proved to be very popular among readers (it even garnered a mention from the now-defunct New York Times Diner's Journal blog).

The use of the vodka is a technique I learned from America's Test Kitchen. The alcohol inhibits gluten formation and evaporates faster than water alone, promoting a flakier crust. If you're concerned about taste, vodka is a good choice because it's nearly flavorless. However, this technique also provides the opportunity to experiment by using a more flavorful spirit--something that would complement the flavor of the pie. I chose rye whiskey, since it goes nicely with apples. For pumpkin pie, I might choose a dark rum.

Cutting the lattice strips.

The real joy of this pie though is the lattice top. I almost always weave a lattice onto the top of my Thanksgiving apple pie. It's such a lovely look when it's done, and it's not hard to do. The most important thing to remember is to make the lattice while the dough is cold. Don't let it warm up, as it becomes too pliable and may tear easily. While you're rolling out the dough for the pie bottom, keep the other piece of dough in the refrigerator until you've filled the pie and are ready to make the lattice. Then roll it out and cut it into strips. I like to use a fluted pastry cutter wheel to give the edges that zig-zag look.

I've included instructions below for forming the lattice with drawings. If you want to see the process with photos, check out The Aubergine Chef's post about lattice pies.

Pie with lattice ready for baking.

Lattice Apple Pie with Rye Whiskey Crust
Adapted from Foolproof Pie Dough and Classic Apple Pie recipes by America's Test Kitchen

12 1/2 oz. all-purpose flour (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 tsp. table salt
2 tbsp. sugar
20 tbsp. cold unsalted butter (2 1/2 sticks), cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/4 cup chilled rye whiskey
1/4 cup very cold water
2 lbs. Granny Smith apples (about 4 medium apples)
2 lbs. Honeycrisp apples (about 4 medium apples)
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon zest
1/4 tsp. table salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon (original recipe calls for 1/4 tsp, but I love cinnamon, so I use more)
1/8 tsp. ground allspice
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
Cinnamon-sugar, for topping

1. Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, salt and sugar in a food processor, about two 1-second pulses. Scatter butter over dry mixture and process until the dough starts to collect in uneven clumps, resembling cottage cheese with no uncoated flour, about 15 seconds. Scrape sides of bowl with rubber or silicone spatula and redistribute dough evenly around the blade. Add remaining cup of flour and give 4 to 6 quick pulses until dough is evenly distributed and the mass of dough has been broken up. Empty mixture into bowl.

2. Sprinkle whiskey and very cold water over dough mixture. With the spatula, combine the liquid with the dough using a folding motion, pressing down on dough until it sticks together (use your hands a little if needed, but be careful not to overwork the dough). Divide dough into two pieces, roll into balls and flatten slightly to form thick 4-inch discs. Wrap in plastic and chill at least 45 minutes, up to 2 days.

3. Preheat oven to 425 F with oven rack in center position. Remove one disc of dough from the refrigerator and allow to warm slightly if stiff and very cold. On a floured surface, roll out the first disc to a circle with an even thickness and 12-inch diameter. Gently fold dough into quarters, lay in 9-inch pie plate and unfold so that dough has an even overhang around the rim of the pie plate. Refrigerate while preparing the apples.

4. Peel, core and chop the apples into 1/4- to 1/2-inch slices. Put in a large bowl and toss with the sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and spices. Transfer the mixture to the dough-lined pie plate, mounding the fruit mixture in the middle.

5. Roll out the other dough disc to a circle with an even thickness and 12-inch diameter. Using a pastry cutter wheel or knife, cut the dough into 10 to 12 strips about 3/4-inch wide.

6. Weave the lattice:

A. Place five or six strips over the pie in a row, leaving about 1/2 inch of space between each strip (if you only do five strips, omit strip 6 in the following directions). See figure 1 below.

Fig. 1

 B. Fold back every other strip (stripes 2, 4 and 6 in fig. 2 below) halfway. Place a strip (strip A) across strips 1, 3 and 5--the strips that you did not fold back (see fig. 2 below).

Fig. 2

C. Unfold strips 2, 4 and 6 back down over strip A. This makes the first weave: strip A is woven over strips 1, 3 and 5 and under strips 2, 4 and 6. Next, fold back strips 1, 3 and 5 and place another strip (strip B) over strips 2, 4 and 6 (see fig 3 below).

Fig.3 

 D. Unfold strips 1, 3 and 5 back down over strip B. Strip B is now woven over strips 2, 4 and 6 and under strips 1, 3 and 5--the opposite of strip A. Fold back strips 2, 4 and 6 and place another strip (a shorter one--strip C) over strips 1, 3 and 5 (see fig. 4 below). Unfold strips 2, 4 and 6 back down over strip C.

Fig. 4

E. Continue weaving in two to three more strips, this time working from the top (the next strip, strip D, will go directly above strip A: fold back strips 1, 3 and 5 so that strip D would be woven under strips 1, 3 and 5 and over strips 2, 4 and 6. Alternate with strip E, and if you have space, strip F.

7. Trim the strips and bottom dough edges to 1/2-inch beyond the pie plate lip. Fold the 1/2-inch overhang over itself so the folded edge is flush with the plate lip, sealing in the ends of the strips as you fold. Use a fork to flute the edge, which further fastens the strips to the bottom pie crust. Sprinkle the top of pie with cinnamon-sugar. Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet for baking (because the lattice provides larger holes than a top crust would, it's important to bake the pie on a bakings sheet in case it bubbles over).

8. Bake until pie is golden, about 25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 F and bake another 30-35 minutes (up to 45 minutes) until the pie is bubbly and golden brown. Remove pie from oven and place pie on a wire rack to cool.

Other Recipes

Thanksgiving Central (links to all recipes and stories)

Apple Pie with Vodka Crust

Apple Custard Pie with Gingersnap Crust

Old Fashioned Texas Pecan Pie

Thanksgiving Ice Creams (Pumpkin Spice and Ginger-Brown Sugar)

Old-Fashioned Texas Pecan Pie

Pecan pie is a Thanksgiving staple, and the basic formula is pretty much the same in most recipes: combine eggs, corn syrup, sugar, butter, vanilla extract and pecans. Place in pie crust and bake. So synonymous with pecan pie is Karo's corn syrup that a recipe for the pie appears on the bottle.

But while making pecan pie with corn syrup may be traditional, it isn't the original method. In Dan Jurafsky's The Language of Food (yes, back to that again, it's a great source for inspiration), he writes about regional differences in the pronunciation of "pecan" (basically whether you say it "pih-CON" like I do or "PEE-can" like many southerners do), and notes that the earliest recipes for pecan pie originated in Texas dating back to the late 19th century. They did not contain corn syrup, and were more like custard pies.

Jurafsky cites the recipe as appearing in the Ladies Home Journal. I tracked down the following slightly older recipe (apparently by the same author) that appeared in the Dallas Morning News, January 23, 1898 (courtesy of The Big Apple):

"Tiaga, Grayson Co., Tex., Jan. 21.—(To The News.)—Knowing that The News is strictly for Texas and for Texas enterprises, and thinking that it might be of interest to many Texas kitchen queens, I herewith inclose you a copy of the recipe for making what I have decided to call in honor of the great Lone Star state, “The Texas Pecan Pie.” 

Having never seen it in any paper or cook book I have read, and failing to find any one who had ever eaten it, I feel justified in claiming to be its originator and the right to christen it. 

It is a most delicious pie—an instant favorite with all who have eaten it at my table. It is my desire that it may be added to the long list of delicacies Texas cooks are so greatly noted for preparing, and I want every lady to test its merits and I will be glad if they let me know of their success or failure in making it. 

The Texas pecan pie—One cup sugar, one cup sweet milk, one-half cup pecan kernels chopped fine, three eggs, one tablespoonful flour. When cooked spread the well-beaten whites of two eggs on the top, brown and sprinkle a few of the chopped kernels over it. Above is for one pie. 
MRS. MATT BRADLEY." 

Like a lot of old recipes, it's not particularly easy to follow, especially for the un-initiated. There's no hint as to how long to bake it or at what temperature (I guess back then, home cooked were considered more skilled and should know such things). Thankfully, the A Book of Cookrye blog has translated this recipe for the modern age. She had omitted the meringue topping, which I have decided to add back. I've also included a pie crust recipe, courtesy of America's Test Kitchen.

If you make this for Thanksgiving, I suggest making it the day of, since the meringue isn't quite as perky on day two (although it still tastes really good).

Old-Fashioned Texas Pecan Pie
Inspired by Mrs. Matt Bradley's 1898 recipe for Texas Pecan Pie as adapted by A Book of Cookrye, with pie crust and meringue adapted from America's Test Kitchen recipes

Pie crust:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out the dough
1 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
7 tbsp. unsalted butter, cold
4-5 tbsp. ice water

Pie filling:

1 cup sugar
1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
3 large eggs, beaten
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

Meringue:

1 tbsp. cornstarch
1/3 cup water
4 large egg whites
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

Pie crust:

1. Add flour, sugar and salt to a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to combine. Cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes and scatter across the flour. Pulse for 10 to 15 seconds until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal.

2. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and sprinkle with 3 tbsp. of ice water. With a folding motion, use a rubber spatula to mix the ice water with the flour mixture, pressing with the spatula until the dough sticks together. If the dough does not come together, add additional ice water in 1-tsp. increments until it does. Shape the dough into a flattened disc and wrap with plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1 hour (up to 2 days).

3. Place the chilled dough on a floured rolling surface and roll the dough out to a 13-inch diameter. Carefully transfer the rolled dough to a pie plate, pressing the dough into the corners. Trim away the edges of the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang, then fold that overhang under so the folded edge is flush with the top rim of the pan. If desired, flute the edge of the dough, then chill the dough again until firm, about 1 hour.

4. Preheat oven to 400 F with oven rack in the center. Remove chilled dough from the refrigerator. Prick the bottom of the dough a few times with a fork (this is to allow air to escape to prevent the dough from puffing up). Bake the crust for 20-25 minutes until it is lightly browned. Look at it every 5 minutes and gently press down the bottom with an oven mitt if it puffs up. Remove from oven and set aside.

Pie filling:

5. Preheat oven to 350 F.

6. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar and flour, then whisk in the milk and eggs until well mixed. Stir in the pecans. Transfer to a saucepan and heat over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture is thick enough to coat a spoon and reaches a temperature of 160 F to 170 F.

Meringue:

7. Combine cornstarch and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking occasionally. When the mixture starts to simmer and turns translucent, remove from the heat. Let cool.

8. Using a stand mixer with the whip attachment or a hand mixer, beat the egg whites and vanilla until frothy. Combine the sugar and cream of tartar and beat into the egg white 1 tbsp. at a time until all the sugar is incorporated and the mixture forms soft peaks. Add the cornstarch mixture and continue beating until the mixture forms stiff peaks.

Assemble:

9. Pour the pecan mixture into the pie shell. Using a spatula, spread the meringue over the mixture, being sure to seal the edges of the meringue against the top of the pie crust. Using a spoon to create little peaks all over the meringue. Bake the pie until the meringue is golden brown and jiggles only lightly, about 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and set on a wire rack to cool. Serve immediately (meringue pies are best the day they are baked).

Other Recipes

Thanksgiving Central (all Thanksgiving recipes)

Bourbon-Caramel Pumpkin Tart

Apple Custard Pie with Gingersnap Crust

Apple Pie with Vodka Crust

Blueberry Pie

Not long ago, we spent our annual week in Oregon, which we spent mostly at the Oregon coast with a brief visit to Portland. As usual, the weather at the coast was a nice break from the humid East Coast summer, with minimal rain and even some sun. And we ate (and drank) like kings. All this week I'll be writing about what we enjoyed, starting with this fabulous blueberry pie.

Oregon blueberries

Blueberries grow in a lot of places, but the berries I can get on the East Coast don't hold a candle to what's available in Oregon. The blueberries I see in D.C. are small, expensive and sometimes a little sour. Frankly, I can't bring myself to buy them, since I know they can be so much better. In Oregon, blueberries are plump, flavorful and cheap. They are in season right now and are just simply fabulous. We used to buy them from a farm as we passed through the rural rolling hills on the way to the beach. Unfortunately that farm doesn't sell to the public anymore, but even the berries at the grocery store this time of year are excellent.

This particular project was inspired by a movie. A few months ago, we watched Labor Day, and ever since I've been in the mood to make pie. The scene where Josh Brolin's character makes a peach pie is one the film's most memorable: the step-by-step making of the rustic dough, prepping the fruit and baking it to a browned finish. It's a great depiction of cooking on celluloid. Ever since, I've been hungry for good pie. I'd never made a blueberry one before and decided to give it a shot.

An important step in making berry pie is mixing the berries with some kind of thickener. A lot of recipes call for either tapioca or cornstarch, but I had neither on hand when I made this pie. Instead I just used flour, but wasn't sure how much to use. I consulted recipes showing a range from as much as 1 cup to as little as 1/4 cup. A whole cup struck me as excessive, something that would result in a gooey filling. Yet, I wanted to make sure that I used enough so that the filling retained some structure and didn't just ooze out when the pie was cut. My friend Jason, the Aubergine Chef, suggested using just enough flour to evenly coat the berries. Along with the 3/4 cup of sugar, this turned out to be about 6 tablespoons (a little over 1/3 cup).

For the dough, since I'd had good luck using vodka to promote flakiness in the apple pie, I added rum (since I didn't have vodka) to this pie's crust. It worked just as well and, despite rum's stronger flavor, it also wasn't noticeable.

Otherwise I kept the pie pretty simple. I didn't add additional spices or brush the top with egg or milk (I did sprinkle it with sugar). The filling turned out really nice, not gooey but not too runny either. And it was just sweet enough. I recommend tasting your berries first to judge whether you might need a little more or a little less sugar.

Despite this being my first blueberry pie, I was pretty pleased with it. Okay, I loved it. I went a little overboard with the crust edge, which was so thick it was like a cookie, but that provided a good tool for soaking up all of the berry sauce left in the plate after devouring the pie.

Blueberry Pie

2 lb. (about 5-6 cups) fresh blueberries
3/4 cup sugar, plus additional for dusting the pie
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp. lemon zest
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Pinch of salt
1 flaky double pie crust, chilled, with bottom piece in a pie plate (see recipe below)

1. Preheat the oven to 450 F. Rinse the blueberries and examine them to remove any bad ones (discolored, shriveled or damaged). Also remove any rocks (yes, I've found rocks in a carton of blueberries) or remaining stems.

2. Place the blueberries in a bowl and add the sugar, flour, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt. Toss to evenly coat the berries.

3. Pour the berries into the pie plate with the dough, mounding them slightly in the middle. Place the other pie crust on top. Using scissors or a knife, cut around the dough so there is no more than about an inch hanging over. Pinch the two layers of pie dough together to seal them and fold them under so the pie dough is flush with the edge of the pie plate. Using a fork, make indentations along the rim of the pie crust to completely seal it.

4. Using a paring knife, make four 2-inch slits in the top of the pie (this allows steam to escape). Dust the top of the pie with sugar. Bake at 450 F for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 F and bake for another 40-50 minutes until the pie is well-browned and the filling is bubbly. Do not underbake the pie. Set the pie on a rack to cool completely before serving.

Flaky Double Pie Crust
Adapted from a recipe by America's Test Kitchen
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling the dough
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
20 tbsp. (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, very cold
1/4 cup (or more as needed) ice water
1/4 cup 80 proof spirit, (something fairly neutral such as white rum or vodka)

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar and salt. Cut the butter into 1/2-inch cubes and scatter over the mixture. Using a pastry blender, cut into the mixture, blending the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse pebbles (alternatively, pulse mixture in a food processor until sandy). Sprinkle the ice water and rum (or vodka) over the mixture. With a spatula, use a folding motion to combine the liquid into the dough, pressing down as is folded. If the mixture is too dry to come together, add a little more ice water. Divide dough into two pieces and flatten into large discs. Wrap with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

2. Remove the chilled dough from the fridge. On a floured surface, roll out the first disc into a circle with a thickness of about 1/8 inch (the circle should be at least 12 inches in diameter). Carefully transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie plate, making sure there are no air pockets between the dough and the side of the pie plate. Leave any overhanging dough attached. Chill the pie plate with the dough for about 15-20 minutes. Roll out the other disc to a similar size and thickness and transfer to a baking sheet to chill in the fridge for the same amount of time.