Pies and Conversation for a Post-Election Thanksgiving

One of the reasons I'm so drawn to pie is because it demands social gathering. A pie is a communal dish, meant to be sliced and shared, while sitting around a table with family and friends-- old or newly-made. At its core, pie is a community catalyst, humble, (generally) homemade, a vehicle for love. It can be employed as such, not just on Thanksgiving, but in community dinners, potlucks, and church suppers throughout the year, throughout these four years, and beyond. In that spirit, here is the Nothing in the House annual Thanksgiving Pie Guide. This year, I'm leaning towards making a Cranberry Chess Pie, Sweet Potato Pecan Pie, and a Katherine Hepburn Brownie Pie with Speculoos and Bourbon, but I'm going to make a game-time decision. If you don't find quite what you're looking for, check out the Recipe Index, as well as past guides from 2015, 2014, 2013, and 2012. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Pumpkin, Squash & Sweet Potato
Delicata Squash Pie
Drunken Pumpkin Bourbon Pie with Mascarpone Cream
One-Pie Pumpkin Pie
Sweet Potato Pie with Cornmeal Crust
Sweet Potato Sonker (pictured, bottom right)
Sweet Potato Speculoos Pie

Fall Fruits
Cranberry Chess Pie
Anna Gillen's Grape Pie (pictured, top right)
Pear Tarte Tatin
Persimmon Pie
Salted Butter Apple Galette

Chocolate & Nuts
Bittersweet Chocolate Pecan Pie
Black Walnut Pie
Bourbon Ginger Pecan Pie
Cranberry Chocolate Chess Pie
Katherine Hepburn Brownie Pie (pictured, top left)
Pecan Pie with Brown Sugar

Custard & Cheese
Black Bottom Lemon Pie (pictured, bottom left)
Hoosier Sugar Cream Pie
Maple Bourbon Buttermilk Pie with Apple Syrup
Pumpkin-Ginger Cheesecake Pie
Salty Honey Pie

Savory
Beef Picadillo Pie with Mashed Potatoes
Pear, Gruyere & Caramelized Onion Hand Pies 
Pimento Cheese and Tomato PiePuff Pastry Hand Pies with Goat Cheese & Hot Pepper Jelly 
Swiss Chard & Goat Cheese Galette

One-Pie Pumpkin Pie, Revisited

 I've advocated frequently on this blog for baking with fresh squash rather than pumpkin in "pumpkin" pie. I've also unabashedly supported the use of canned pumpkin (er, squash?) in the absence of fresh squash, excess time, or just because. And in 2009, I declared my favorite canned pumpkin-- One-Pie. I still stand by all of those statements.



I was recently in Cape Cod, where I spent a lovely week with a house full of friends, biking to the beach, kayaking the salt marshes, lounging on blankets in the grass, and coming together for lively nightly dinners at a long, candle-lit and wine-lined table. I baked a few different desserts with One-Pie while I was there-- a Pumpkin Custard Cake for my friend Sadie's 32nd birthday, and two Drunken Pumpkin Pies, requested by Magpie, age 7, with assistance from her and her brother Matthias, age 3. But I was keen on revisiting the One-Pie back-of-the-can "New England Pumpkin Pie" recipe, so I smuggled out another can in my suitcase.



I will say that as far as pumpkin pie goes, I don't think you can beat the Drunken Pumpkin Bourbon Pie recipe. It's so rich, spicy, and molasses-filled it borders on savory, and of the course the bourbon ups the ante, knocking the rather bland standard pumpkin pie recipes off the dessert table. However. If you are looking for that classic pumpkin pie flavor, One-Pie's New England Pumpkin Pie recipe is the way to go. Personally, I'd reduce the sugar by a fourth cup and substitute in brown sugar for white, but I included the original recipe below for the traditionalists out there. Apparently there are many of you-- the 2009 One-Pie post is one of the most popular on Nothing in the House.

One-Pie New England Pumpkin Pie
From the back of the One-Pie Pumpkin can

Ingredients
Nothing in the House pie crust, halved
1 can One-Pie pumpkin
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt (scant)
1 1/2 Tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups milk or 1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
1 cup sugar (I recommend reducing this to 3/4 cup and substituting brown sugar)
1/8 cup molasses
2 large eggs, beaten

Directions
1. For the crust: Prepare half of Nothing in the House pie crust as per the directions, reserving the leftover egg for an egg wash and saving other half of the recipe in the freezer for a future pie. Chill dough at least one hour before rolling and fitting into a greased and floured 9-inch pie pan. Wrap with plastic wrap and place in fridge until ready to use. 

2. For the filling: Sift sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg together. Mix this with contents of one can One-Pie Pumpkin. Add eggs, beaten, melted butter, molasses, and milk. Add a dash of lemon juice (if desired). 

3. Line a 9-inch pie plate (you've already lined this with the crust), pour in contents. Preheat oven and bake at 450 degrees F for 15 minutes. Then reduce temperature to 350 degrees F and continue to bake for 50 minutes. Enjoy!

P.S. I talk a little more about using canned pumpkin/squash in a recent episode of the Inside Appalachia podcast. Listen here!

Related recipes:
Delicata Squash Pie
Drunken Pumpkin Bourbon Pie with Mascarpone Cream
Pecan Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin & Chai Spice Nut Butter Pie
Pumpkin Ginger Cheesecake Pie
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Thanksgiving Pie Ideas

This is the first time in ten years I'll have spent Thanksgiving with my family. This past decade of Friendsgivings, celebrated from Maine to Maryland, have always been a rowdy delight and have taught me about how to do holidays at the grown-ups table right-- I hope there are many more in store. But this year I'm looking forward to spending the day at home in Indiana. In the past few years, my family has become particularly fond of Hoosier Mama's Cranberry Chess Pie, so I expect to fulfill a request for one of those, but I'll also likely venture in to new territory-- a Pumpkin-Pecan Pie, Aurora Tart, or Apple Cider Cheesecake, perhaps? If you're also still deciding, here are a few suggestions for your Thanksgiving table-- both savory and sweet. If you don't find quite what you're looking for, check out the Recipe Index, as well as past guides from 2014, 2013, and 2012.

Pumpkin, Squash & Sweet Potato
Delicata Squash Pie (pictured, top right)
Drunken Pumpkin Bourbon Pie with Mascarpone Cream
Pumpkin & Chai Spice Nut Butter Pie
Sweet Potato Pie with Cornmeal Crust
Sweet Potato Speculoos Pie

Fall Fruits
Apple Pie with Salted Caramel Glaze
Cranberry Chess Pie
Cranberry Pie
Red Wine-Poached Seckel Pear Tartlets (pictured, top left)
Persimmon Pie

Chocolate & Nuts
Bittersweet Chocolate Pecan Pie
Bourbon Ginger Pecan Pie
Chocolate Chess Pie
Cranberry Chocolate Chess Pie (pictured, bottom left)
Pine Nut & Honey Tart

Custard & Cheese
Cranberry Goat Cheese Tart with Almond Shortbread Crust
Kentucky Lemon Chess Pie
Maple Bourbon Buttermilk Pie with Apple Syrup
Pumpkin-Ginger Cheesecake Pie
Salty Honey Pie

Savory
Celery Ham Tart aka Pissaladière
Gordy's Cherry Pepper Spread Galette
Pear, Gruyere & Caramelized Onion Hand Pies 
Puff Pastry Hand Pies with Goat Cheese & Hot Pepper Jelly (pictured, bottom right)
Swiss Chard & Goat Cheese Galette

And whether from this list or not, I'd love to hear what you'll be making this Thanksgiving-- I may even have to borrow your idea. 

Delicata Squash Pie

Since the very early days of this blog, I've asserted that if you're going to make a "pumpkin" pie from scratch with purée from a fresh vegetable, you should make it with squash, not pumpkin. Not only is the flavor generally better-- sweeter and more potent-- the consistency is much preferable-- less watery and less stringy than a pie pumpkin. My favorite squash to use is delicata. The long tubular gourd that's striped dark green and cream, indicates its taste via its name, which means "sweet". Delicatas can be harder to find than butternut or acorn squash (unless you live in Vermont, where they seem to be everywhere), but the quest is well worth it for the resulting pie.

This recipe, which I first made for a Burlington, Vermont "Seamonster Potluck" in 2006, was one of the four from Nothing in the House selected by King Arthur Flour to appear in their fall issue of Sift, alongside my article on the anthropology of pie. It's fitting, particularly as I'm not sure I'd had a delicata until I moved to Burlington, where my friend Andrea cut thin coins of them, topped them with masked celeriac, roasted them, and called it a "delicata cookie"-- one of my favorite savory treats to this day.

Here's the recipe that appeared in Sift, adapted from my original. King Arthur's lovely cream swirl didn't quite work out for me, so instead I whipped some extra cream just slightly, and drizzled it atop the baked and cooled pie.



Delicata Squash Pie

Ingredients
Nothing in the House pie crust, halved
1 1/2 cups evaporated milk or cream
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, beaten
3 medium (1 3/4 pounds before cooking) delicata squash
Additional evaporated milk or cream, for swirling

Directions
1. Prepare half of Nothing in the House pie crust as per the directions, reserving the leftover egg for an egg wash. Chill dough at least one hour before rolling and fitting into a greased and floured 9-inch pie pan. Let chill in the fridge while you prepare the filling. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Halve the squash lengthwise, and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Bake, cut side down, in a 9 x 13-inch pan with 1/2 inch of water in the bottom. After 30-40 minutes, press the squash with your finger; when it's soft, it's done. Remove from the oven, and when cool enough to handle, scoop out 2 cups of the flesh. Purée until smooth. Increase the oven's temperature to 425 F.

3. For the filling: Combine the evaporated milk or cream, sugars, spices, salt, and eggs. Add to the squash and blend until smooth with a hand mixer or immersion blender. Pour the filling into the prepared pie shell. Add a swirl of cream or evaporated milk on top, or sprinkle with cinnamon for decoration, if desired (you could also drizzle with cream and/or sprinkle with cinnamon post-baking).

4. Placed the pie on a baking sheet, and bake for 15 minutes at 425°F. Reduce the temperature to 350 F and bake for another 40 to 45 minutes, until the pie is mostly set, and a 1-2 inch circle in the center still wobbles a bit when you nudge the pan. Remove the pie from the oven and cool it completely before slicing. Sprinkle with cinnamon and/or drizzle with whipped cream, if desired.

Related recipes:
Drunken Pumpkin Bourbon Pie with Mascarpone Cream
Pumpkin & Chai Spice Nut Butter Pie
Pumpkin Ginger Cheesecake Pie

Thanksgiving Pie Ideas

As usual,  I'll be making a game-time decision on my Thanksgiving pie selections. In general, though I tend to go for at least one classic pick and one new, experimental, or non-traditional option. It will be hard to top last year's Cranberry Chess Pie, which has since become a new favorite, inspiring many variations with other fruits. If you're also still pondering what pies to make, here's a few suggestions for your Thanksgiving table-- both savory and sweet. If this list doesn't do it for ya, check out the Recipe Index, as well as past guides from 2013 and 2012.

Pumpkin & Sweet Potato
Drunken Pumpkin Bourbon Pie with Mascarpone Cream
Pumpkin & Chai Spice Nut Butter Pie
Sweet Potato Pie with Cornmeal Crust (pictured top left)
Sweet Potato Speculoos Pie

Fall Fruits
Apple Pie with Salted Caramel Glaze
Apple Slump (not really a pie, but so what, who cares?!)
Cranberry Chess Pie (a new favorite, pictured top right)
Cranberry Hand Pies
Cranberry-Sage Pie
Persimmon Pie

Chocolate & Nuts
Bittersweet Chocolate Pecan Pie
Chocolate Chess Pie
Pecan Pie with Brown Sugar (pictured bottom right)
Samoa Pie

Custard & Cheese
Cranberry Goat Cheese Tart with Almond Shortbread Crust
Pumpkin-Ginger Cheesecake Pie
Salty Honey Pie

Savory
Celery Ham Tart aka Pissaladière
Colcannon Pie
Gordy's Cherry Pepper Spread Galette
Pear, Gruyere & Caramelized Onion Hand Pies (pictured bottom left)

As always, I'd love to hear what you're baking this holiday, whether from this list or not. Have fun and happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Pie Ideas

I never know what pies I'm making for Thanksgiving until the very last moment. There's just so much to choose from and I wonder if should go with an old standby or try something new and experimental and potentially risky?! I feel overwhelmed by the possibility. If you're like me and still at a loss, here's a handy list of suggestions to help guide you in your selection. Still haven't found what you're looking for? Visit the Recipe Index for more ideas, and take a gander at last year's guide.

Pumpkin & Sweet Potato
Drunken Pumpkin Pie with Mascarpone Cream
Pumpkin & Chai Spice Nut Butter Pie, pictured top left
Sweet Potato Speculoos Pie

Fall Fruits
Apple Pie with Salted Caramel Glaze
Cranberry-Lime Galette, pictured bottom left
Pear & Cardamom-Fig Pie
Quince Biscuit Pie, pictured bottom right

Chocolate & Nuts
Bittersweet Chocolate Pecan Pie (a long-time Thanksgiving favorite)
Chocolate Chess Pie
Lemon-Hazelnut Tart

Custard & Cheese
Cranberry Goat Cheese Tart with Almond Shortbread Crust (a favorite from last year's Thanksgiving)
Maple Bourbon Buttermilk Pie
Pumpkin-Ginger Cheesecake Pie
Salty Honey Pie, pictured top right

Savory
Gordy's Cherry Pepper Spread Galette
Red & Golden Beet and Goat Cheese Tart
Swiss Chard & Goat Cheese Galette

I'd love to hear what you come up with, whether it's from this list or not (and maybe it will help me in my own decision). Happy baking!

Pumpkin & Chai Spice Nut Butter Pie

Durham's Big Spoon Roasters did not yet exist when I lived on the Carolina Piedmont. Since I moved away, though, I've heard murmurs about the handcrafted nut butters from various food sites and magazines and friends who can't get enough of the stuff and I wondered how I too could get my hands on a few jars. As I was browsing the Big Spoon website, deciding which of the flavors--from Chai Spice to Peanut Cocoa I most wanted, I realized that the nut butters--those two in particular would make perfect pie ingredients.



So I emailed the owner Mark to tell him my idea, and the next week, a box showed up on my door with those two flavors packaged inside. Though the Chai Spice--a peanut and almond butter with local wildflower honey, salt, and chai spices-- could make a delicious pie filling almost all by itself (or in a Chocolate & Peanut Butter Pretzel Tart or a Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie or... the possibilities are endless--stay tuned!), I decided to start with the seasonal and perhaps unsuspected pairing of pumpkin. Chai spice and pumpkin pie spice are kissin' cousins as is, and I thought the smooth pumpkin and slightly grainy nut butter would compliment each other's textures and flavor well. I had also done a similar butter 'n' orange-veggie in this Sweet Potato Speculoos Pie, adapted from a Pumpkin-Nutella version from Sally's Baking Addiction.

The duo got along just splendidly, the nut butter adding a hint of honey and a darker, richer flavor to the fairly standard pumpkin pie base. The consistency was thick and hearty, a substantial slice that would also work well substituting sweet potatoes for the pumpkin purée. Though I added bourbon to my whipped cream, in my humble opinion it never hurts to throw in a dash in the pie itself. This recipe is definitely in the running for what will be on my dessert table this coming Thanksgiving, though I've yet to bake with that Peanut Cocoa butter...

You can check out where you can buy Big Spoon Roasters nut butters near you here, and if there's nowhere close, you can also order online.

 Pumpkin & Chai Spice Nut Butter Pie

Ingredients
Nothing-in-the-House Pie Crust, halved
2 c. (15 oz.) pumpkin purée, canned or fresh (sweet potato purée would also be delicious)
3 large eggs, lightly whisked
1/2 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. light brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. cardamom
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 c. Big Spoon Roasters' Chai Spice Nut Butter

Directions
1. Prepare half of the Nothing-in-the-House pie crust as per the directions, reserving the leftover egg for an egg wash. Chill dough at least 1 hour before rolling out and fitting into a greased and floured 9-inch pie pan. Let chill for 15 more minutes in the fridge. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add pumpkin purée, whisked eggs, heavy cream, brown sugar, spices, and salt and mix well to combine. Add the Chai Spice nut butter and stir just until incorporated.

3. Pour filling into the chilled pie crust and distribute evenly using a rubber spatula. Bake 40-45 minutes until filling is well-set. Let cool and once at room temperature, chill pie until you're ready to serve. Serve chilled or at room temperature with a dollop of bourbon whipped cream.

Related Recipes:
Drunken Pumpkin Bourbon Pie with Mascarpone Cream
Pumpkin Ginger Cheesecake Pie
Sweet Potato Speculoos Pie

Pumpkin Ginger Cheesecake Pie & Other Thanksgiving Ideas

It's already started. I spent an hour or so this evening making, what my brother jokingly calls "butter-flour" (pronounced buda-flah) aka pie crust, and in the next few days I'll be busy cutting apple and mixing pecans and melting chocolate for Thanksgiving pie orders, along with a few for my own Thanksgiving table.

I don't necessarily have a go-to Thanksgiving pie recipe. I usually make a few each year and like to switch it up, try something new, or bake whatever will complement the rest of the dessert table. Last year I made a Drunken Pumpkin Bourbon Pie with Mascarpone Cream (which is also a by-order offering) and a Maine Blueberry-Cranberry Pie, and in years past I've made lots of others: Apple-Cranberry, Pear-Cranberry, and Maple Pie that was requested for a return appearance a few years running. If you're still looking for the perfect pie for your dessert menu, there's lots to chose from, and you can visit the Recipe Index for ideas, but here are a few specific suggestions:

-Bittersweet Chocolate Pecan Pie (as well as a vegan version)
-Pear Tarte Tatin
-Apple Pie with Salted Caramel Glaze
-Fig-Pistachio Tarte Tatin
-Chocolate Chess Pie
-The aforementioned Drunken Pumpkin Bourbon Pie with Mascarpone Cream
-Pumpkin Whoopie Pies, either with Maple-Marshmallow or Maple-Cream Cheese Filling
-Or go savory with a Tri-Color Potato, Caramelized Onion, Goat Cheese, and Rosemary Galette



Here's another that you might enjoy--A Pumpkin Ginger Cheesecake Pie from Gourmet. I've made it a few times now, for a baby shower (er rather, the post-baby shower sleepover), a friend's 30th birthday party, and the Pie CSA. In a gingersnap cookie crust, the standard pumpkin pie is sweetly spiced with crystalized ginger, mellowed with the addition of cream cheese, both in the pumpkin filling, and swirled in contrasting white-and-orange. The cookies and brilliant swirl scream kid pleaser to me (those over 21 might opt for the Drunken Pumpkin Bourbon pie) but the adults I served this to had no complaints eating it all up.

Pumpkin Ginger Cheesecake Pie
Adapted only slightly from Gourmet

Ingredients
For crust:
1 1/2 c. gingersnap crumbs
4 Tblsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 Tblsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt

For filling:
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. crystalized ginger, chopped
8 oz. (1 package) cream cheese, softened
2 large eggs
1/4 c. whole milk
1 Tblsp. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
1 c. pumpkin purée (canned or fresh)

Directions
For crust:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Pour gingersnap crumbs in a bowl and add melted butter, sugar, and salt until well mixed. 

2. Pat the buttery crumbs into a 9-inch pie pan, pressing mixture into the bottom and sides to form a pie crust. Place in oven and bake until crust is lightly browned, about 10-12 minutes. Place on a cooling rack and let cool to room temperature before adding the filling. Leave the oven at 350 degrees F.

For filling:
1. Place chopped crystalized ginger and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until ginger is finely chopped and mixture is well combined. Add cream cheese and pulse until mixture is smooth. Add eggs, milk, flour, nutmeg, and salt and pulse to combine.

2. Measure out 2/3 of the cream cheese mixture and set aside. Pour the remaining 1 1/3 c. cream cheese mixture into a large bowl and whisk together with the pumpkin puree until well combined.

3. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the baked gingersnap crust. Stir the remaining cream cheese mixture, as it may have separated a bit. Drizzle the cream cheese mixture over the pumpkin filling, and swirl decoratively with a butter knife or the back of a spoon.

4. Bake pie for 35-45 minutes, until the center is just set. Let cool completely to room temperature, about 1-2 hours, then refrigerate at least 4 hours. Happy Thanksgiving and enjoy!

5th Annual Portland Thanksgiving in March!

So I know it's March and 81 degrees here in D.C., but before we slip too far into warm weather and the end of storage crop season, I first want to show you some pics and share some recipes from last year's Thanksgiving! There was a bit of a stall in getting the photos, but it was well worth the wait, as they were taken by my talented photographer friend Maria (MAV) of 3191 and More & Co.

Though I was not able to make it to Maine for the 2010 Thanksgiving, last year marked my 5th year spending Turkey Day with the Portland crew. It's always the best of times, with music playing, record shopping, and food making, and this year my friend Jamie (of Nothing-in-the-House plate lickers club fame), was in on the fun.

I assembled the crust in Maria's beautiful kitchen on Wednesday, while she prepped the cookie tray. I love being in the kitchen with and working alongside this lady (remember the apple galette I made last time I was visiting?). On Thursday morning, after a midnight trip to the 24-hour L.L. Bean headquarters the night before, Jamie and I made the pies. We settled on a drunken pumpkin bourbon pie with marscapone cream (adapted from Tartlette) and a Maine blueberry-cranberry pie (with frozen Maine blueberries Maria had picked in the summer, and fresh Maine cranberries). The recipe for the drunken pumpkin bourbon pie is as follows.

Drunken Pumpkin Bourbon Pie with Mascarpone Cream
Adapted from Tartlette 

Ingredients for pie:
Nothing-in-the-House pie crust recipe, halved
2 c. canned pumpkin purée (for why I often use canned pumpkin instead of fresh, read here)
3 eggs
1/2 c. light brown sugar
1 c. heavy cream
2 Tblsp. bourbon
1 Tblsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. sea salt
2 Tbslp. molasses
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Ingredients for mascarpone cream:
4 oz. marscapone
1/4 c. honey
1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped until soft peaks form
Roasted pumpkin seeds (for garnish, optional)

Directions for pie:
1. Prepare Nothing-in-the-House pie crust. Chill dough for at least one hour. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Then roll out single crust and fit into a greased and floured 9-in. pie pan. Flute crust decoratively (I tried out a braid and I liked it!).
2. Place pumpkin purée in a large bowl. Add eggs and brown sugar and mix with a Kitchen Aid or handheld mixer. Add remaining ingredients and blend until mixture if fully combined and fluffy. Pour filling into pie crust and place in oven. Bake for 15 minutes at 375, then reduce heat to 325 and bake for 45 minutes or until filling only slightly wiggles in the center when nudged. Let cool and keep at room temperature or chill in the refrigerator if making ahead.

Directions for mascarpone cream:
1. In a medium bowl mix (by hand or with a mixer) together mascarpone and honey. Gently fold in whipped cream. Scoop on top of baked and cooled pie and garnish with roasted pumpkin seeds! Enjoy! 

Dang, this is a great pumpkin pie (you know it's good when it's got molasses, brown sugar AND bourbon!) with a good amount of spice that adds flavor without being too overbearing. I don't think I'll ever make another pumpkin version. For the Maine blueberry-cranberry pie, I essentially followed this recipe, but with the berries instead. 'Twas also quite tasty, and with the tartness of the cranberries, similar to a blueberry-rhubarb pie (one of my favorites), yet seasonally and regionally appropriate.

After dinner and some music playing, we set up our dessert buffet, which featured a cookie tray by Maria, a walnut torte by Robs and Tals, two varieties of chocolate-pecan pie, and various other treats. Afterwards we retired to the living room for more song-singing, joke telling, and an awe-inspiring dance performance by 3-year old Miles. You can see and read more about our Thanksgiving via MAV's blog 3191.

Big thanks to MAV, CDR, RTS, Robert, Talya and Jamie for being awesome hosts and all-around rad people. Looking forward to my 6th Portland Thanksgiving, which is now only 8 months away!

Cae's Pumpkin Pie Pops!

This post comes from my friend, former NELP student, and now guest blogger, Cae Keenan! Though I have read a lot of Cae's writing before, it was mostly in the form of lovely journal entries and creative responses. I'm so excited to read and be inspired by her baking and bit of food writing. Here's what she has to tell us about her pumpkin pie pops...

The apple pie cookies over at Smitten Kitchen are what first got us goin’ on this mini pie kick. They are awfully cute – a new twist on a wonderfully old tradition. They also fit in the palm of your hand and you can walk up and down the stairs while eating, no problem! Suddenly, ‘the pie is mobile’ idea had us braving holiday rush hour traffic for the grocery store. We wanted to add a stick, turn this apple pie cookie into a pumpkin pie pop.

A word on the crust: homemade is tops. But if you’re in a pinch, spinning from a long To Do list, or, in our case, if the number of holiday dinner guests you’re expecting grossly outnumbers the hours left ‘til they show up hungry… yes, we used store-bought piecrusts. I ain’t proud of it, but it’s the truth.

So! Two 9-inch pie dough crusts will do it. If you'd like to use homemade crust, use the Nothing-in-the-House pie crust recipe.

Pumpkin Pie Pops

(With a few adjustments, adapted from Cakespy, via Serious Eats)

For the filling:

¾ cup brown sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 eggs

1 15-ounce can of plain pumpkin puree

1 12-ounce can of condensed milk

Also:

1 egg for glazing

25 wooden skewers, lollipop or Popsicle sticks

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Mix together the dry ingredients. Send the sugar, salt, and spices into a small bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together 2 eggs. Add the pumpkin puree, the dry ingredients, and the condensed milk. Stir to combine. Set filling aside.

We were able to make 25 mini pies from the 2 pie dough crusts. Be mindful, though, that this means cutting out 50 little circles.

2. Roll out each piecrust on a floured surface. Even though our store bought (!) crusts came smooth, flat and round, we rolled each for a thinner pie pop crust – and to get 25 pops. Once the dough reaches your desired thickness, use a round cookie or biscuit cutter (I grabbed a small water glass and turned it over), and cut out 50 circles. Gather and re-roll the dough as needed to get as many pops from your dough as possible.

To assemble:

3. Lay the 25 bottom crusts across several cookie sheets, or work in batches. Press one wooden stick into each crust. Be sure the top of the stick reaches at least ½ way up the crust. Add a spoonful of filling in the center of each crust, covering the stick. (My sister Aidan says: “A small spoonful is crucial to avoid over-spillage or bursting pies.”) Top each bottom crust with its mate, Mates! Seal the seams of each pie by pressing a fork around the edges, all 360 degrees of the pop. Score the top of each pie pop with a small knife. (Aidan calls these “air breathers,” “slits,” or “filters.” We scored a few smiley faces, too.) Whisk 1 egg in a small bowl. Brush the top crusts with the egg wash… We also sprinkled sugar for added sparkle.

4. Bake, baby, bake. About 15 minutes, or until golden. Remove from oven, carefully transfer to wire rack. Allow to cool and for sticks to set.  

Enjoy your pie pop. Walk around, talk on the phone, play the piano with your free hand while eating!

Texas Thanksgiving Pies

My friends Stacy and Chris are the official Nothing-in-the-House Texas correspondents (though let's not forget our friend Shannon!), always sending photos of pies they eat and bake. This year, Chris sent me three pics of Stacy's Thanksgiving pies-- all fall classics of pecan, apple, and pumpkin.

The pecan pie recipe is from Homesick Texan, though Stacy likes to toast her pecans first for added flavor. The apple pie was "grandma" style, with Granny Smith apples and Grandma Ople's recipe, which calls for pouring the sauce/filling over the apples as opposed to mixing the apples with the sauce.

 Stacy and Chris also had another pie at this year's Thanksgiving--cutie pie Hudson, who helped roll out the crust. Baby's first pie crust--looks like he did a great job!

Pennsylvania Dutch Pie Recipes

Via the Schlesinger Library Culinary Pamphlet Collection. I am particularly intrigued by the Rivel (Crumb) Pie with molasses...a "Dutch" breakfast favorite! It gives wonderful good pie...aint?

Thanksgiving Prep

Emily Wallace is at it again. Here's her depiction of all your favorite Thanksgiving food stuffs getting ready for the big day.

From the Independent Weekly. See more of Wallace's adorable and witty illustrations here and here.

American Girl Magazine Cover, November 1936

I am always a little sad to see the end of October, as it is my favorite month of all, but now it's on to November with several different Thanksgiving/potluck (Kickasserole!) pies to start planning! I am starting to try out recipes-- on Sunday I tried this apple cider cream pie recipe with a rye crust. It was good, though I'm not sure it will make it onto the Thanksgiving short list (more on that pie soon). In the meantime, here's the cover of the 1936 issue of American Girl magazine to get you inspired.

Pumpkin Pie Painting

My aunt Michelle did this lovely painting of a pumpkin pie slice with a dollop of whipped cream, and a few crusty crumbs. Yum!

P.S. 6 days 'til Pi(e) Day!

Indiana Thanksgiving Pies

I unfortunately haven't been unable to spend Thanksgiving with my family for the past five years or so. North Carolina to northern Indiana is a long trek, and Vermont to Indiana even farther, especially with the Christmas trip home just a few weeks away.

But my mom sent me some photos of our family's Thanksgiving pies, enjoyed at my aunt and uncle's house in South Bend, IN. Here is my mom's pumpkin pie, with turkeys trotting around the perimeter. You can surely see where I got my love of pies, and my penchant for crust design.


Here is the pie board at their dinner, with the above pumpkin pie made by my mom, an apple cranberry with an oak leaf crust design made by my aunt Chantelle, and a blueberry pie made by another dinner guest.


Check back here soon for more Thanksgiving pie re-caps. What pies did you enjoy this holiday?

O Pi(e)-O-Neers!

The next morning Angélique, Amédée's wife, was in the kitchen baking pies, assisted by Old Miss Chevalier. Between the mixing-board and the stove stood the old cradle that had been Amédée's an in it was his black-eyed son. As Angélique, flushed and excited, with flour on her hands, stopped to smile at the baby, Emil Bergson road up to the kitchen door on his mare and dismounted.

-Willa Cather, O Pioneers!

Our friend, the lovely and talented Ms. Becky Wright of Philadelphia, PA held a "Pie and Pioneers" (note the Conestoga wagon in the above photograph) event at her apartment a few weeks ago. She made 20 flavors, all by hand from scratch. Here are a few of the highlights...

apple (with a heart)

banana cream (whole wheat crust)

black bottom chocolate cream

butterscotch cream (with birds)

california prune

peach (with a braid!)

plum (it had to be cooked in a brown paper bag!)

raspberry glacé

strawberry

The other flavors were pecan, chocolate pecan, peaches 'n' cream, caramel raisin walnut, ginger-pear, sour cream apple, pumpkin, lemon meringue, coconut cream, dark cherry, and cranberry-blueberry. Way to go Philly Pie and Pi(e)-o-neers!

Speaking of pi(e)...what you got cookin' for pi(e) day 3.14?!