In just a couple of hours, I’ll be sitting down to a late afternoon Thanksgiving dinner with a big group of friends (and plenty of holiday drinks). The husb and I are brining pies, which my husband immediately volunteered to bring. My contribution was the table runner and placemats I shared here a couple weeks ago. As I sat around, knitting, Instagramming and watching TV, my husband was busy in the kitchen creating these glorious masterpieces:
One, of course, is pumpkin and the other is pecan. The crusts are from scratch. Read on for the recipes my pie-talented husband used for today’s desserts, and have a very merry Thanksgiving and holiday season!
Flaky Piecrust
from Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything
Yield: 1 pie crust
Introduction
For any single-crust pie, 8 to 10 inches in diameter. Double the recipe for a two-crust pie.
1…› cups (about 5 ounces) all-purpose flour, plus some for dusting work surface
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
8 Tbsp. (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into about 8 pieces
About 3 Tbsp. ice water, plus more as needed
Steps
- Combine the flour, salt, and sugar in the container of a food processor; pulse once or twice. Add the butter and turn on the machine; process until the butter and flour are blended and the mixture looks like cornmeal, about 10 seconds.
- Place the mixture in a bowl and sprinkle 3 tablespoons of water over it. Use a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula to gradually gather the mixture into a ball; if the mixture seems dry, add another ½ tablespoon ice water. When you can make the mixture into a ball with your hands, do so. Wrap in plastic wrap, flatten into a small disk, and freeze the dough for 10 minutes (or refrigerate for 30 minutes); this will ease rolling. (You can also refrigerate the dough for a day or two, or freeze it almost indefinitely.)
- You can roll the dough between two sheets of plastic wrap, usually quite successfully; sprinkle both sides of it with a little more flour, then proceed. Or sprinkle a countertop or large board with flour. Unwrap the dough and place it on the work surface; sprinkle its top with flour. If the dough is hard, let it rest for a few minutes; it should give a little when you press your fingers into it.
- Roll with light pressure, from the center out. (If the dough seems very sticky at first, add flour liberally; but if it becomes sticky only after you roll it for a few minutes, return it to the refrigerator for 10 minutes before proceeding.) Continue to roll, adding small amounts of flour as necessary, rotating the dough occasionally, and turning it over once or twice during the process. (Use ragged edges of dough to repair any tears, adding a drop of water while you press the patch into place.) When the dough is about 10 inches in diameter (it will be less than ¼-inch thick), place your pie plate upside down over it to check the size.
- Move the dough into the pie plate by draping it over the rolling pin or by folding it into quarters, then moving it into the plate and unfolding it. When the dough is in the plate, press it firmly into the bottom, sides, and junction of bottom and sides. Trim the excess dough to about ½ inch all around, then tuck it under itself around the edge of the plate. Decorate the edges with a fork or your fingers. Freeze the dough for 10 minutes (or refrigerate it for 30 minutes).
- When you’re ready to bake, prick it all over with a fork.
Pumpkin Pie
from Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything
Essentially a custard pie with lots of added spice and, of course, pumpkin. Precooking the crust and filling makes the bottom of the pie nice and crisp. […]
1 flaky piecrust, fitted into a 9-inch pie pan and chilled
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
pinch ground cloves
pinch salt
2 cups canned or fresh pumpkin puree
2 cups half-and-half, cream, or whole milk
- Prebake the crust and start filling while the crust is in the oven. When the crust is done, turn the oven to 375 F.
- Beat the eggs with the sugar, then add the spices and salt. Stir in the pumpkin puree and then the half-and-half. While the crust is baking, warm this mixture in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until it is hot to the touch; do not boil.
- Put the pie plate on a baking sheet. Pur the pumpkin misture into the still-hot crust and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the misture shakes like Jell-O but is still quite moist. Cool on a rack and serve warm or at room temperature.
[See book for variations on this recipe.]
Pecan Pie
recipe from the Karo Syrup Bottle
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Bake Time: 60 to 70 minutes
Chill Time: 2 hours
Yield: 8 servings
- 1 cup Karo® Light OR Dark Corn Syrup
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon Spice Islands® Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) pecans
- 1 (9-inch) unbaked or frozen** deep-dish pie crust
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Mix corn syrup, eggs, sugar, butter and vanilla using a spoon. Stir in pecans. Pour filling into pie crust.
- Bake on center rack of oven for 60 to 70 minutes (see tips for doneness, below). Cool for 2 hours on wire rack before serving.
**To use prepared frozen pie crust: Place cookie sheet in oven and preheat oven as directed. Pour filling into frozen crust and bake on preheated cookie sheet.
RECIPE TIPS: Pie is done when center reaches 200°F. Tap center surface of pie lightly – it should spring back when done. For easy clean up, spray pie pan with cooking spray before placing pie crust in pan. If pie crust is overbrowning, cover edges with foil.
NUTRITION TIP: To reduce calories, substitute new Karo® Lite Syrup for the Karo® Light or Dark Corn Syrup.
High Altitude Adjustments: Reduce sugar to 2/3 cup and increase butter to 3 tablespoons. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
VARIATION: coarsely chopped walnuts may be substituted for pecans to make a walnut pie.
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