Part 6 of a web-exclusive holiday recipe series that will enliven your holiday cooking. Click here to see all of the recipes from the series.
No holiday spread is complete without pie. Read on for three excellent holiday pie recipes.
Pumpkin Pie
David Davenport
Bloomington Cooking School
1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust
1 15-ounce can pumpkin
1 cup heavy cream
3 eggs
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch of cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
Bake the day before you plan to serve.
1) Preheat oven to 375ºF with the rack in the center of the oven.
2) Place the crust in a pie tin (if it didn’t come in one) and place the tin on a cookie sheet to prevent spills.
3) Whisk pumpkin, cream, eggs, and brown sugar together.
4) Mix the spices and salt. Then whisk the mixture into the batter.
5) Pour batter into the pie crust and dust the top of the batter with cinnamon.
6) Bake for 30-40 minutes, rotating the pie 180º at 20 minutes.
7) Start checking the pie at 30 minutes by inserting a knife into the middle of the pie. When it is finished, the knife will come out clean.
8) Let the pie cool and place in the refrigerator overnight.
Sugar Cream Pie
Ashley Baughman
4 cups flour
3 cups cold butter
1/4 tbs. salt
1 1/4 cups cold water
1) Place flour, cold butter, and salt in a food processor.
2) When butter pieces are pea size, slowly pour in the water.
3) Mix just until combined.
4) May need to add more water depending on the humidity and the dryness of the dough.
5) Roll out the dough and line a pie tin with it.
Sugar Cream Filling
2 1/2 cups milk
1 cup sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp. vanilla
Nutmeg
1) In a saucepan bring milk, sugar, and salt to a boil.
2) In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and a splash of milk.
3) Gradually whisk together the cornstarch mixture and milk mixture.
4) Add butter and return to the heat.
5) Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thick (approximately 5 minutes).
6) Remove from heat and add in vanilla.
7) Pour into pie shell and sprinkle nutmeg on top.
8) Bake at 375° for approximately 20 minutes.
Dutch Apple and Pear Pie
David Davenport
Bloomington Cooking School
Topping:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 sticks salted butter
1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
1) Combine flour and sugar.
2) Slice the butter into small pieces and cut it into the flour mixture. Then fold in walnuts.
Filling:
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup corn starch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
3 Honeycrisp apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
3 pears peeled, cored, and sliced
1 lemon, juiced
Rum, to taste
1 unbaked pie shell
1) Combine dry ingredients.
2) Combine apples, pears, lemon juice, and rum. Then mix with the dry ingredients.
3) Place in pie shell and cover with topping. (Any leftover topping can be frozen and used in the future.)
4) Place pie tin on a baking sheet and bake at 375ºF for 35 minutes. The pie is done when a knife easily penetrates an apple slice and the topping is bubbling. Bake time will be roughly 45 minutes.
