Thanksgiving Recipes
Nothing is more classic for Thanksgiving dinner than following up the turkey and stuffing with pie. Whether it is a traditional apple pie, something to settle the chocolate cravings, or something with a new twist, Thanksgiving always goes right with a little pie!
Apple Pie
By LittleSpoonFarm.com
INGREDIENTS
2 (9”) pie crusts
7 large Granny Smith apples peeled, cored and sliced into ½ inch slices
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar loosely packed
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon lemon juice plus the zest of half of a lemon
1 large egg lightly beaten in a small bowl for egg wash
2 tablespoons sanding sugar optional
INSTRUCTIONS
Place oven rack in the center position and Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C).
In a large bowl, combine the sliced apples, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice and lemon zest; toss to coat evenly.
Remove the pie crust dough from the fridge and let rest at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. On a lightly floured surface, roll one disc into a 12” circle that is ⅛” thick. Carefully lay the crust into the bottom of a deep dish pie plate.
Spoon the apple filling over the bottom crust and discard juices at the bottom of the bowl. Roll out the second disc of pie crust until it is ⅛” thick and lay it over the apple filling.
Use a sharp knife to trim the dough along the outside edge of the pie plate. Lift the edges where the two pie crust meet, gently press to seal and fold them under. Rotate the pie plate and repeat this process until edges are neatly tucked under themselves. Cut 4 slits in the top of the dough to allow steam to vent. Place the pie on a baking sheet.
Brush the surface of the pie crust with the egg wash and sprinkle with sanding sugar. Cover the edges with a pie shield or a strip of foil to keep them from over browning during the first 25 minutes.
Bake at 400°F (204°C) for 25 minutes. Carefully remove the pie shield, turn the oven down to 375° and continue to bake for an additional 30-35 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the juices are bubbly. Cool at room temperature for at least 3 hours.
Chocolate Cream Pie With Oreo Crust
By Samantha Seneviratne on Cooking.NYTimes.com
INGREDIENTS
FOR THE CRUST
2 cups Oreo crumbs (from about 24 standard-sized Oreos)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (½ stick), melted
½ teaspoon kosher salt
FOR THE CUSTARD
½ cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
¾ teaspoons kosher salt
3 cups whole milk
6 large egg yolks
8 ounces semisweet bar chocolate, finely chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
FOR THE TOPPING
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
Crushed Oreos, for garnish (optional)
PREPARATION
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Add Oreos to the bowl of a food processor and process until fine crumbs form. Add melted butter and salt, and process until crumbs are evenly moistened. Tip mixture out into a 9-inch pie plate, and press crumbs evenly into bottom and sides of pan. Bake until crust is fragrant and set, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.
Set a fine mesh sieve over a medium bowl. In a medium saucepan, whisk together granulated sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder and salt. Pouring just a little at first, whisk the milk into the sugar mixture until you have a smooth paste. Gradually add remaining milk, whisking constantly. Whisk in egg yolks. Cook mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it has thickened and just come up to a low boil, about 8 to 9 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
Pour custard through sieve, pushing it through with a rubber spatula. Discard any solids. Stir in chocolate, butter and vanilla, and let it stand for 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Pour mixture into prepared crust. Let cool slightly, then cover loosely with plastic wrap and chill until firm, at least 6 hours.
To serve, whip cream and confectioners’ sugar until soft peaks form. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with crushed Oreos, if using.
LEMON MERINGUE PIE
From SimplyRecipes.com
Ingredients
1 (9-inch) frozen pie crust
For the lemon filling:
5 large egg yolks
6 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/3 cup (266g) sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
For the meringue:
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/3 cup water
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar or 1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (128g) sugar
5 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
If you are using a packaged frozen pie crust, follow the directions on the package to pre-bake. If you are using a homemade crust, line your frozen pie shell with aluminum foil so that the foil extends over the edges (will make convenient handles). Fill two-thirds of the way with pie weights or dry beans. Bake for 20 minutes. Then remove the foil and the pie weights. Poke the bottom of the crust in several places with the tines of a fork. This will help prevent the bottom from bubbling up. Put the crust back in the oven and bake for 15 minutes more, or until the crust is lightly browned. Remove from oven and set aside.
To make the lemon filling, whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl and set aside. In a medium saucepan, add 6 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 1/3 cup sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 1/2 cups water, and whisk to combine. Bring to a boil on medium heat, whisking constantly. Let simmer for a minute or two until the mixture begins to thicken.
Once the cornstarch mixture has thickened up well (consistency of Cream of Wheat) remove from heat. Take a spoonful of the cornstarch mixture and whisk it into the beaten egg yolks to temper the yolks. Continue to whisk in spoonfuls of the cornstarch mixture until you’ve used about half of the cornstarch mixture.
Then add the egg yolk mixture back to the pot with the cornstarch. Return to a boil, on medium to medium high heat, stirring constantly. Cook 3 to 4 minutes. (The starch will keep the eggs from curdling.) Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest, and butter.
Turn the oven temperature down to 325°F.
In a small saucepan, whisk together 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1/3 cup of cold water until the cornstarch dissolves. Heat on medium heat and whisk until the mixture bubbles and thickens. Remove from heat and set aside.
Whisk together 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar, set aside. (If you do not have cream of tartar, instead add a teaspoon of white vinegar to the egg whites with the vanilla in the next step.)
Place egg whites and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract in the bowl of your mixer. Start beating the egg whites on low speed and gradually increase the speed to medium. Once the egg whites are frothy, slowly add in the sugar and cream of tartar, a spoonful at a time. Beat until the egg whites form soft peaks. Add the cornstarch water mixture (it should look like a gel) a spoonful at a time, as you continue to beat the egg whites. Increase the speed to high and continue to beat until the egg whites have formed stiff peaks. Do not over-beat, or your meringue will be grainy. Scoop the steaming hot filling into the pre-baked pie shell, spreading it evenly.
Working quickly, use a rubber spatula to spread the meringue mixture evenly around the edge of the pie. Make sure the mixture attaches to the crust with no gaps. The crust will help anchor the meringue and help keep it from shrinking and weeping. Fill in the center with more meringue mixture. Use the back of a spoon to create peaks all over the meringue.
Bake the pie for 20 minutes at 325°F, until the meringue is golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely to room temperature. If the pie is even remotely warm when you cut into it, the lemon base may be runny. To help firm up the base, after the pie has cooled down, you can place the pie on top of a cooling pack covered with a tea towel.
