Pies, Pies, and More Pies for the Holidays

It’s that time of year again: a time for stuffing your face with all the pie flavors the holiday season offers. As the daughter of both a father in the food industry and a mother who describes herself as a “novice baker,” my childhood thanksgivings were not only large, but held a diverse assortment of flavors for every guest to feel satisfied. To my family, food is synonymous with home.

In an effort to spread the holiday spirit, I’d like to share the pie recipes my parents have collected over the years and served for family gatherings, like fall birthdays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. My personal favorite is my mother’s strawberry rhubarb pie, but the list also includes pumpkin pie, apple pie, and options/suggestions for those who are vegan or gluten free that my dad picked up from working at the hospital.

Pumpkin Pie

Pie filling:

• 3 large eggs

• 1 (15 ounce) can of pumpkin puree

• ½ cup heavy whipping cream

• ½ cup light brown sugar

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon ground ginger

• ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves

• ½ teaspoon salt

Pie Crust:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon white sugar

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled, and cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) pieces

• 1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Directions:

First, decide if you want to use homemade pie crust (which takes roughly 30-60 minutes) or store-bought crust. If using the recipe above read the instructions and watch the demonstration here. Once you have your crust, prepare the filling by first whisking the eggs in a large mixing bowl. Then, add the rest of your ingredients and stir. With pumpkin pie, it's recommended you stir either carefully to avoid over-mixing or mix by hand (over-mixing is what causes the filling to crack). Pour the mixture into the pie shell and bake for 45-55 minutes at 375 degrees (the crust will brown, but the filling will still look slightly wet in the center). Be careful, over baking can also cause cracking. Once finished, refrigerate or eat right away.

Vegan/Gluten-free Options: Since pumpkin pie is not vegan or gluten-free, the recipe would require substitutions, such as this recipe here or here.

Apple Pie

Pie Filling:

• 6 cups granny smith apples-thinly sliced

• ¾ cup white sugar (can substitute brown sugar if preferred and adjust sugar according to bitterness of the apples)

• 1 tablespoon butter

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1 ½ tablespoon flour

• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

Slice the apples, ensuring they’re thin enough. Then, mix the apples in the spice mix and sprinkle in the lemon juice. This recipe is very dependent on personal preferences, such as the sweetness or the consistency of the filling, so experiment with the ratios. Once you have your apple mixture, fill in your pie crust (same as the recipe above) and ‘dot’ the top layer with pieces of butter. Cover the pie as you prefer.

Vegan/Gluten-Free Options- Simply use a vegan or gluten-free crust of your choosing and use vegan butter. Adjust the recipe if necessary.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Pie Filling:

• 1 pound rhubarb, cut into ½ inch pieces

• 1 pound strawberries, cut into roughly 1 ½ inch pieces

• 3 tablespoons cornstarch

• ¾ cup white sugar

• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• Glaze:

• 2 tablespoons milk

• White sugar

Directions:

Combine the cut strawberries and rhubarb in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the cornstarch, sugar, and ground cinnamon. Then, spread about 2 tablespoons of this mixture in the bottom of your pie crust (use the same recipe above). Use the remaining mixture in the strawberries and rhubarb, gently tossing to combine. Once combined, pour fruit into the pie crust and sprinkle the top with lemon juice and ‘dot’ with butter. I recommend using lattice on the pie and brushing the lattice pastry with milk and sprinkling sugar on top to create a glaze in the oven. Bake the pie for about 40-45 minutes at 400 degrees (if the edges of the pie brown too much, too quickly- cover them with a ring of aluminum foil) or until the fruit juice has begun to boil. Serve at room temperature.

Vegan/Gluten-Free Options: Like the apple pie, this pie requires substitutions and adjustments, specifically in the crust. You can also use recipes here and here.

Happy Holidays and enjoy some pie- you’ve earned it!

References

[Apple Pie]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2015/07/30/EU-grants-protected-status-to-UK-Bramley-apple-pie-filling

Apple Pie 1. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://allrecipes.com/recipe/12324/apple-pie-i/?internalSource=hub%20recipe&referringContentType=search%20results&clickId=cardslot%208

Dana. (n.d.). Vegan Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie. Retrieved from https://minimalistbaker.com/vegan-gluten-free-pumpkin-pie/

Ella. (n.d.). Strawberry and Rhubarb Gluten-Free Crumble Pie. Retrieved from http://pureella.com/strawberry-rhubarb-crumble-pie-gluten-free-and-vegan-recipe/

Mattie. (n.d.). Vegan Strawberry Rhubarb Pie. Retrieved from http://www.veganbaking.net/recipes/pies/strawberry-rhubarb-pie

Pie Crust Recipe and Video. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.joyofbaking.com/PieCrust.html

[Pumpkin Pie]. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://americanheritagecooking.com/2013/12/easy-foolproof-pumpkin-pie/

Pumpkin Pie Recipe and Video. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.joyofbaking.com/pumpkinpie.html

[Strawberry Rhubarb Pie]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://smittenkitchen.com/2008/05/strawberry-rhubarb-pie/

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Recipe and Video. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.joyofbaking.com/StrawberryRhubarbPie.html

Vegan Pumpkin Pie. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/vegan-pumpkin-pie-3362738

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