Pastries, Tarts & Pies | Saveur

Seasonal Squash Tart

Alex Saggiomo — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:21:32 +0000

Photo: Paola + Murray • Food Styling: Barrett Washburne • Prop Styling: Carla Gonzalez-Hart. Photo: Paola + Murray • Food Styling: Barrett Washburne • Prop Styling: Carla Gonzalez-Hart

By using seasonal squash, this light and tasty dish—developed by Denver, Colorado-based chef Alex Saggiomo—can be made year-round. Try it with zucchini and yellow squash in the summer, then use all butternut in the fall. Feel free to get creative with the topping for this tart, which will help stretch leftover squash and other vegetables—whichever adventure you choose, it will pair beautifully with the buttery pastry and tangy goat cheese topping.

Yield: 2–4

Time: 2 hours

One 10- by 15-in. sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed and rolled out slightly to soften
½ medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into large cubes
3 garlic cloves
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
¼ cup heavy cream
½ tsp. finely grated lemon zest
3 Tbsp. fresh goat cheese, divided
1 medium yellow summer squash, sliced into ¼-in. rounds
1 medium zucchini, sliced into ¼-in. rounds
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment, then place the puff pastry on it. Using a fork, create a border around the edges, poking holes throughout the dough of the sheet to prevent it from rising. Place another sheet of parchment over the top and place dried beans or pie weights over the surface. Bake until the edges rise slightly, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool to room temperature. Turn the oven up to 400°F.
Line a second large baking sheet with foil, then arrange the butternut squash and garlic atop it in a single layer. Toss with oil and season lightly with salt and black pepper. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove from the oven and set aside to cool to room temperature. Turn the oven down to 375°F.
When the butternut squash has cooled, transfer to a food processor along with the cream, lemon zest, and half of the goat cheese, then process until smooth.
On the reserved pastry sheet, spread the butternut squash purée in an even layer, leaving a thin border along all four edges. Arrange the yellow squash and zucchini slices over the top, allowing each one to slightly overlap. Drizzle a little oil over the top, then dot with the remaining goat cheese. Bake until the squash is slightly browned, about 30 minutes. Remove the tart from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Cut into slices and serve warm or at room temperature.

The post Seasonal Squash Tart appeared first on Saveur.

Plum-Blackberry Pie

Mitchell Davis and Laurent Gras — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 22:20:00 +0000

Belle Morizio. Belle Morizio

This plum-blackberry pie recipe and technique—from chef Laurent Gras and writer Mitchell Davis—can be adapted to use just about any summer fruit that you like. Try substituting the vanilla to your taste with almond extract or any liqueur. If working with extremely ripe and juicy fruit, add an extra tablespoon or two of cornstarch to adequately thicken the filling.

Featured in “4 Simple Steps to Baking Better Pie.”

Yield: Makes one 8-inch pie

Time: 10 hours 50 minutes

Ingredients

For the crust:

3¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt
12 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed and chilled, plus more for greasing
⅓ cup vegetable shortening, chilled

For the filling:

1 lb. fresh plums, pitted and sliced into ⅓-in. pieces (about 6 cups)
5 oz. fresh or frozen blackberries (about 1 cup)
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. kosher salt
¼ cup plus 1 Tbsp. cornstarch

Instructions

Make the crust: In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, and salt. Using a pastry cutter, incorporate the butter and shortening into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse sand. Drizzle 5 tablespoons of cold water over the flour mixture. Using a fork, gently work the mixture into clumps to begin to form a dough. Drizzle in an additional 5 tablespoons of cold water and continue working just until the dough comes together. Use your hands to pull in the last bits of flour, being careful not to overwork and melt the butter. Shape the dough into a ball.
Transfer the dough to a clean surface, and flatten into a ½-inch-thick disk. Fold it over itself, then flatten and fold an additional 4 times to form layers. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a disk, wrap them each in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to 24. Pull the dough from the refrigerator 15–20 minutes before you are ready to roll it out.
Make the filling: In a large bowl, stir together the plums, berries, sugar, vanilla, and salt and set aside at room temperature until the juices begin to run from the fruit, about 30 minutes. Carefully pour off the excess juices, then sprinkle the fruit with the cornstarch and mix gently to incorporate the starch into the filling.
Assemble the pie: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400°F. Grease an 8-inch pie plate with butter. Dust a countertop with flour and roll half of the pie dough out to a 15-inch circle. Gently lift the crust and settle it into the pie plate, leaving any overhanging crust intact. Pour the fruit mixture into the crust and press it down carefully to fill.
Make the lattice top: Roll the other half of the dough out to a 6-by-14- inch rectangle. Use a knife or a fluted pastry cutter to cut the rectangle into ½-inch-wide strips. Place one strip across the center of the top of the pie. Leaving an equal amount of space between each strip, lay one strip parallel to the first. Working in the opposite direction, weave the remaining strips of dough over and under to create a lattice. Trim the ends of the lattice strips to the same size as the bottom crust, then fold the bottom layer up and over the loose strips. Crimp the edges together to decorate the rim of the pie. Chill the pie in the freezer for 15 minutes, or until the dough is firm.
Bake for 20 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 350°F. Continue baking until the juices are thickened and bubbly and the crust is evenly golden, about 1 hour 15 minutes. (If the outside edge begins to darken before the filling has thickened, loosely cover the rim and any dark spots with foil for the remaining time.) Let the pie cool completely, about 2 hours, before cutting into wedges and serving.

The post Plum-Blackberry Pie appeared first on Saveur.

Pumpkin Pie with Pine Nut-Pecan Crust

Lois Ellen Frank and Walter Whitewater — Wed, 22 Nov 2023 17:50:00 +0000

Get the recipe for Pumpkin Pie with Pine Nut-Pecan Crust. Photo by Lois Allen Frank

This pumpkin pie recipe, adapted from food historian and cookbook author Lois Ellen Frank’s Seed to Plate, Soil to Sky: Modern Plant-Based Recipes Using Native American Ingredients, riffs on a U.S. holiday classic by incorporating two Indigenous ingredients: pine nuts and pecans. In the past, when there was no wild game, or a hunt was unsuccessful, both nuts provided Native communities with protein, calories, and nutritious plant-based fats. Not only does this subtly sweet pumpkin pie recipe, topped with an irresistible coconut whipped cream, nod to the cultural importance of these two ingredients, it’s also a festive addition to any autumnal holiday celebration. As an added bonus, it happens to be both vegan and gluten-free. Follow our pumpkin pie spice recipe to make your own at home.

Excerpted from Seed to Plate, Soil to Sky: Modern Plant-Based Recipes Using Native American Ingredients by Lois Ellen Frank. Copyright © 2023. Available from Hachette Go, an imprint of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

Featured in “The Indigenous American Ingredients That Changed the Course of Food History,” by Megan Zhang.

Yield: 8

Time: 4 hours

Ingredients

For the crust:

1 cup (3.9 oz/112g) raw pecans
1 cup (5 oz/142g) raw pine nuts
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. kosher salt
3 Tbsp. sunflower oil

For the filling:

One 15-oz. can unsweetened pumpkin purée
¾ cup full-fat unsweetened coconut milk
⅔ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup arrowroot powder
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

For the coconut whipped cream:

Two 13.5-oz. cans full-fat unsweetened coconut milk, chilled overnight
1 Tbsp. agave nectar
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Instructions

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with a round of parchment paper. (Alternatively, use a pie dish coated with sunflower oil or nonstick spray.)
Make the crust: To a food processor, add the pecans, pine nuts, sugar, cinnamon, and salt and pulse until the mixture resembles small pebbles. Add the sunflower oil and pulse again until a rough dough forms. Transfer to the pan, firmly pressing the dough into an even layer along the bottom and sides of the pan. Place on a baking sheet and bake until the crust is golden-brown and fully set, 20–25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, make the filling: In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin purée, coconut milk, brown sugar, arrowroot powder, and pumpkin pie spice until well-combined and no lumps remain.
Pour the pumpkin mixture into the baked crust and tap on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles. Return to the oven and bake until the filling is fully set and browned, about 45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and set aside to cool to room temperature, then chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours, up to 24 hours.
Make the coconut whipped cream: Open the coconut milk cans and, using a spoon, poke a hole through the solids on top. Set a fine sieve over a medium bowl and strain out the liquid, reserving any solids in the sieve. (Use the liquid within a few days, or freeze for later use. If the solids and liquid haven’t separated, scoop out and use the thickest part of the milk, usually about half the can, and save the rest for later use.) To a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or to a large bowl with a handheld mixer, transfer the coconut solids. Add the agave and vanilla and beat until stiff peaks form, 2–3 minutes, then beat in the cinnamon. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Cut the pie into slices, top each with a dollop of the whipped cream, and serve.

The post Pumpkin Pie with Pine Nut-Pecan Crust appeared first on Saveur.

Nell Huffman’s Blueberry Pie

Nell Huffman — Mon, 09 Mar 2020 16:19:05 +0000

Photography by Murray Hall; Food Styling by Jessie YuChen

In Alaska, wild blueberries (also called Kyani berries) are picked in the summer and frozen for use throughout the winter, especially in pies. During crunch time just before the Iditarod, locals have been known to resort to commercial crusts; when time allows, we like to make this flaky all-butter crust from scratch. (This pie recipe is a favorite of longtime Takotna, Alaska resident Nell Huffman, and is adapted from The Joy of Blueberries by Theresa Millang.)

Featured in, “Pies and Alaskan Hospitality Along the Iditarod Trail.”

Yield: makes one 9-inch pie

Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Dough for two prepared pie crusts, homemade or store-bought
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling the dough
½ cup sugar
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. kosher salt
6 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 Tbsp. whole milk
1 large egg yolk
Coarse sugar, for sprinkling (optional)

Instructions

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 400°F.
About 15 minutes before rolling out the pie dough, remove it from the refrigerator to soften slightly. Lightly flour a clean work surface and a rolling pin. Roll out one of the pieces of dough into an even, ¼-inch-thick circle, then carefully lift the dough into a 9-inch aluminum or glass pie plate. Use a sharp knife to trim the edges, leaving 1 inch of overhang all the way around.
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Add the blueberries and vanilla and toss well to coat, then transfer the filling to the pie shell, mounding the berries slightly in the center. Dot the surface of the berries with the butter.
Once again, lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin. Roll out the second piece of dough into an even, ¼-inch-thick circle, then carefully lift the dough and place it over the berry mixture. Use a sharp knife to trim the edges, leaving about 1½ inches of overhang all the way around, then tuck the edges of the top crust under the edges of the bottom crust. Pinch the edges together decoratively to seal, or use the tines of a fork to crimp all the way around. Using the tip of a paring knife, make 6–8 slits on the surface of the crust to vent. Place the pie in the freezer just until the crust is firm, about 15 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and egg yolk. Brush the surface of the pie crust with the egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar, if using. Place the pie on a large, rimmed baking sheet and bake until the crust is set and just beginning to brown, 20–25 minutes. Turn the temperature to 350°F and continue baking until the crust is evenly golden brown and the juices are bubbling and thickened, 30–40 minutes more for fresh berries or 60–70 minutes more for frozen. (If the edges begin to darken before the filling has thickened, cover them with strips of aluminum foil to finish baking.) Cool to room temperature before cutting into slices and serving.

The post Nell Huffman’s Blueberry Pie appeared first on Saveur.

Wild Blueberry Tart

SAVEUR Editors — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:50:18 +0000

Photography by Murray Hall; Food Styling by Jessie YuChen

A woman from a family in North Haven, Maine gave this recipe to Nancy Harmon Jenkins and told her the story of the recipe’s origins: A Swedish au pair named Lotta came to Maine and fell in love with either the father or the eldest son of the host family (that particular detail was lost to time). Lotta was promptly sent back to Sweden but left behind this elegant open-topped wild blueberry tart recipe. Look for the tiny, sweet wild berries at your local grocery store (Wyman’s is a popular brand), or online, or substitute regular blueberries. Glazing the tart (see step 5) is an optional step that makes the dessert all the more stunning.

Yield: 8

1 cup rolled oats
1⁄4 cup finely chopped blanched almonds or walnuts
14 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1⁄2 cup plus 3 Tbsp. sugar, divided
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Pinch ground cinnamon
Pinch fine salt
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
3½ cups blueberries, preferably wild
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1⁄4 cup red currant jelly or strawberry or raspberry jam (optional)
Whipped cream and vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)

Instructions

To a food processor, add the rolled oats and pulse to the texture of flour, 5–6 pulses. Add the chopped nuts and process until the mixture resembles coarse sand, 5–6 pulses more.
Using a stand or handheld mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter and ½ cup of the sugar until fluffy. Beat in the vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Add the oat mixture and flour and, using your hands, mix to form a shaggy dough. Transfer to an unfloured work surface, shape into a flat disk, then press the dough evenly into the bottom and sides of a 10½-inch tart pan. Run a knife over the perimeter of the pan to trim any overhanging dough, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400°F. Bake until the crust is lightly golden and risen slightly, 12–15 minutes. Set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss the blueberries with the cornstarch, lemon zest, and remaining sugar. Using a fork, lightly mash about an eighth of the berries. Scrape into the baked crust, using a silicone spatula or spoon to flatten the top, then bake until the blueberries are bubbling, about 25 minutes. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
To a small pot set over medium-low heat, add the jelly (if using) and cook until it’s pourable, 3–5 minutes. Using a pastry brush, paint the top of the tart with the jelly. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes, then serve with whipped cream or ice cream if desired.

The post Wild Blueberry Tart appeared first on Saveur.

Raspberry Crostata

Jody Williams and Rita Sodi — Fri, 27 Jan 2023 16:10:52 +0000

Photography by Gentl & Hyers

According to Jody Williams and Rita Sodi, authors of Via Carota: A Celebration of Seasonal Cooking from the Beloved Greenwich Village Restaurant, this raspberry crostata recipe can be breakfast, dessert, or a teatime treat. The filling is essentially just raspberry jam, so it’s worth splurging on an artisanal one.

Yield: 8–10

Time: 3 hours

2 cups all-purpose flour (240 grams), plus more for dusting
½ cup sugar (100 grams)
¼ teaspoon fine salt
16 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter, thinly sliced
1 tsp. finely grated orange zest
3 extra-large eggs, divided
1¼ cups raspberry jam
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste

Instructions

Make the dough: In a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, and salt. Scatter over the butter and orange zest and pulse until crumbly with a few almond-size pieces of butter. With the machine running, pour two egg yolks through the feed tube (reserve the whites for another use), then pulse until the dough clears the sides of the bowl. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface and lightly knead until uniform and compact, then divide into two disks of different sizes, about two thirds and one third. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour. (The dough will keep, frozen, for 1 month.)
Transfer the disks to a lightly floured work surface and let them soften slightly, about 10 minutes (it should be malleable but cool to the touch). Working quickly, dust the top of the large disk with flour and roll into a 10-inch circle. Drape the dough loosely around the rolling pin and transfer to a 9-inch pastry tin or tart pan with a removable bottom. (If the dough breaks, simply patch up any gaps and tears.) Press the dough firmly into the bottom of the tin, then fold the overhanging dough inward, pressing it into the sides. Flatten the rim so it’s flush with the top of the tin, then use a fork to prick the bottom. Refrigerate or freeze until firm, about 1 hour (or 35–45 minutes if freezing).
Reflour the work surface and roll the smaller disk into an oval measuring 10 inches at the widest point. Using a knife, pizza cutter, or fluted pastry wheel, cut the dough into eight strips of even width (about ½ inch each). Transfer to a baking sheet and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375ºF. In a small bowl, combine the jam and lemon juice (adding more juice to taste if desired), then spread the mixture evenly onto the dough. Using the dough strips, weave a lattice on top of the filling. (The unbaked crostata will keep, wrapped in plastic and refrigerated, for up to 12 hours.)
In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining egg and 1 tablespoon of water, then brush the egg wash all over the lattice and perimeter of the dough. Bake, rotating the pan halfway through cooking, until the top is deep golden brown, about 35 minutes. Cool on a wire rack before serving.

This recipe is brought to you by SAVEUR Cookbook Club, our passionate community of food-loving readers from around the globe celebrating our favorite authors and recipes. Join us as we cook through cookbooks new and old, and share your food pics and vids on social media with the hashtags #SAVEURCookbookClub and #EatTheWorld.

From Via Carota: A Celebration of Seasonal Cooking from the Beloved Greenwich Village Restaurant by Jody Williams and Rita Sodi, with Anna Kovel. Copyright © 2022 by Jody Williams and Rita Sodi. Excerpted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved.

The post Raspberry Crostata appeared first on Saveur.

35 Show-Stopping Thanksgiving Pie Recipes

SAVEUR Editors — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:36:09 +0000

Crispy-skinned turkey and side dishes aside, we all know Thanksgiving dinner just isn’t complete without a slice (or three) of pie. This year, consider branching out from the old family stand-bys and instead swap in one of our very best fall pie recipes. Bakers with traditional tastes will find our ultimate pumpkin pie recipe, plus retro classics like mincemeat, lemon meringue, and shoofly pies—but if you’re looking to mix things up, there’s no shortage of unorthodox options in our archives—think spicy kabocha, rosemary-caramel apple, and cranberry-frangipane.

Pastry novices can breathe easy when making one of our many tasty, no-roll crusts, while ice cream lovers will swoon for frozen delights like pumpkin pie ice cream pie or a festive, boozy lalla rookh. Whether you love a classic dessert or are looking to mix things up this Thanksgiving, there’s something for everyone in our ultimate autumn masterlist.

Chocolate Cream Pie

Matt Taylor-Gross

A crunchy crust and pudding-like filling make this chocolate cream pie a standout. Get the recipe >

Rosemary-Caramel Apple Pie

Matt Taylor-Gross

In this sophisticated apple pie from Chicago’s Bang Bang Pie & Biscuits, a subtle, rosemary-infused caramel sauce does double duty: First, it’s mixed into the tart apple filling, and then it’s drizzled atop the crust at the end of baking to form a delectably gooey topping. Get the recipe >

Nanny’s Rosh Hashanah Apple Cake

Photography by Matt Taylor-Gross

With a streusel topping and rich and crispy crust, Jake Cohen’s family recipe is half cake, half pie. And while the Cohens enjoy this cozy dessert on Rosh Hashanah, we think it’s delicious all through the fall. Get the recipe >

The Best Pumpkin Pie

Matt Taylor-Gross

Swapping in homemade butternut squash purée and sweetened condensed milk for their typical canned equivalents results in the ultimate pumpkin filling; baked together in a crisp and flaky All-Butter Crust, these DIY ingredients elevate pastry chef Stella Parks’ traditional pie into something far greater than the sum of its parts. Get the recipe >

Sweet and Spicy Kabocha Pie

Farideh Sadeghin

Kabocha, Japanese pumpkin, makes for a lighter squash pie with a vivid orange color. This version trades in the more expected pumpkin spice for a warming dose of ginger and black pepper. Get the recipe >

Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream Pie

Maxime Iattoni

Pumpkin pie ice cream—rich with pumpkin purée and generously spiced—is perfectly at home inside a graham cracker crust. Get the recipe >

Pumpkin Pie with Graham Cracker Crust and Pepita-Sage Brittle

Matt Taylor-Gross

A sprinkle of bittersweet caramel-pumpkin seed brittle, adds a welcome crunch to Bang Bang Pie & Biscuits’ deeply flavorful pumpkin pie. Get the recipe >

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

Farideh Sadeghin

This genteel and mousse-like dessert is a lighter and more refined version of classic, custardy pumpkin pie, thanks to egg whites folded into the filling. Get the recipe >

Indiana Sugar Cream Pie

Photography by Farideh Sadeghin

As Indiana’s state pie, this rich, nutmeg-dusted custard dessert also goes by the name “Hoosier Pie.” Born from Amish and Shaker communities that settled in Indiana in the 1800s, this recipe is as simple as it is delicious. Get the recipe >

Shoofly Pie

Matt Taylor-Gross

Shoofly pie—a molasses-filled, crumb-topped concoction from Pennsylvania Dutch country—was supposedly given its name because its shiny, sweet, and aromatic filling attracted flies that needed to be politely asked to leave. Get the recipe >

Classic Apple Pie with All-Butter Crust

SAVEUR Editors

With a perfect balance of sweetness to acidity and the flakiest-ever, all-butter crust, this pie makes an epic dessert as well as a next-day breakfast to look forward to. Get the recipe >

Mincemeat Pie

This recipe for old-fashioned mincemeat pie, a version of one featured in the classic 1861 volume Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management, was updated in Jane Grigson’s English Food. Get the recipe >

Maman’s Apple Tart

The legendary French chef Jacques Pépin learned to make this rustic apple tart from his mother. Get the recipe >

Pear Tarte Tatin

Swap out the apples for their elegant orchard cousins in this simple-yet-elegant French dessert. Get the recipe >

Almond Frangipane Tart with Cranberries and Honeyed Pistachios

In French-style pastries, frangipane—a fragrant, almond-based cream —is often paired with poached or fresh fruits. We love the tangy pop of whole cranberries in this sweet-and-sour frangipane tart. Get the recipe >

Apple Galette

Baker Bryan Ford’s campfire galette method translates well to cooking in an indoor fireplace—or even in a standard kettle grill. Get the recipe >

Nesselrode Pie

For this old school Nesselrode pie, Petra Paredez of New York City’s Petee’s Pies macerates her own sour cherries in sugar and dark rum, but in a pinch, we find that good-quality jarred cherries like those made by Luxardo or Starlino make a worthy substitute. Nesselrode pies are often served with chocolate shavings on top, but a drizzle of chocolate ganache lends a silky, elegant touch. Get the recipe >

Lalla Rookh Pie

With a generous glug of rum and a brown-butter crust, this silky ice cream pie is decidedly grown-up. Get the recipe >

Fried Apple Pies

These crispy fried hand pies are adapted from a recipe from Jennifer Jones of Big Springs Trading Co. in St. Joe, Arkansas. For the best results, use a firm apple variety like Granny Smith, which holds its shape well and releases minimal liquid during cooking. Get the recipe >

Easy Pumpkin Pie with Press-In Oat Crust

Photography by Thomas Payne

We’re through the moon over baker and writer Ellen Grey’s no-mixer, no-rolling pin pumpkin pie recipe. Get the recipe >

Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie

Dark chocolate and a splash of bourbon add body and kick to the pecans in this excellent Thanksgiving pie recipe from James Beard Award-winning chef and cookbook author Kelly Fields. Get the recipe >

Brown Coconut Pie

Freshly grated coconut takes center stage in this rich and vanilla-scented coconut pie, adapted from Princess Pamela’s Soul Food Cookbook. Get the recipe >

Classic French Banana Cream Pie

This fast, easy-to-make pie recipe comes to us from the beloved Ships Diner in Los Angeles that closed in 1995. The whipped cream filling doesn’t require any cooking—no custard here—while sliced banana and toasted almond add texture and flavor. Get the recipe >

Butterscotch Tart with Cracked Caramel

Crunchy cracked caramel balances a smooth butterscotch custard filling in this simple, satisfying tart. Get the recipe >

Lemon Custard Tart

Brooklyn-based pastry chef Ayako Kurokawa collects leftover dough from the butter crust of this creamy lemon custard pastry to make decorative cookies to adorn the outside. Get the recipe >

Honey-Nut Tart with Chocolate Rye Crust

The gooey filling in this delicately spiced tart is held together by a rye flour crust that gets its richness and depth from bittersweet chocolate. Get the recipe >

Temple-Orange Tart

Every part of the orange is used in this subtly sweet tart, including the zest, juice, and flesh. If temple oranges are not available, thin-skinned navel oranges or tangerines make excellent substitutions. Get the recipe >

Maple Pumpkin Brûlée Pie

Maple syrup is folded into the filling of this elevated take on classic pumpkin pie. For the best texture, wait to brûlée the surface until just before serving. Get the recipe >

Brown Butter Walnut Pie with Sour Whipped Cream

Love pecan pie? Then you’ll love this one. Earthy walnuts replace the more typical pecans in this variation; browning the butter ahead of time accentuates the flavor of the nuts, while a final flourish of sour cream offsets the sweetness of the rich filling. Get the recipe >

Navy Bean Pie

The silky, chestnut-like base of this autumnal pie is made from sweetened navy bean purée spiced with nutmeg, vanilla, and cinnamon. Get the recipe >

Chocolate Pudding Pie

Cincinnati Enquirer Food and Dining Writer Keith Pandolfi’s mom, would occasionally surprise him with this creamy chocolate icebox pie when he came home from school, then watch as he devoured a quarter of it while watching M*A*S*H reruns. Get the recipe >

Lemon Meringue Pie

A cloud of meringue is piled sky-high over lemon-curd filling in this recipe inspired by a diner classic served at the Modern Snack Bar in Aquebogue, New York. Get the recipe >

Coconut Lime Custard Pie

This cream-topped pie is filled with a thick coconut milk custard that perfectly complements the zip of fresh lime juice and grated zest. Get the recipe >

Salted Caramel Apple Pie

Adapted from a recipe from Brooklyn, New York’s Four & Twenty Blackbirds, this deep-dish pie is packed with apples and a thick salted caramel sauce. Choose both sweet and tart apples to balance the caramel’s richness. Get the recipe >

Cranberry Chiffon Pie

Whipped egg whites aerate the tart cranberry custard in this bright and fluffy pie. Get the recipe >

The post 35 Show-Stopping Thanksgiving Pie Recipes appeared first on Saveur.

Vegan Cornmeal Pie Crust

Kat Craddock — Tue, 01 Nov 2022 17:21:19 +0000

Photography by Belle Morizio

I eat just about everything, but often find myself baking for folks who abstain from dairy products for one reason or another. I developed this simple vegan pie dough recipe for them—but also to appeal to the pastry-loving omnivores at the table! A generous scoop of coconut oil and finely milled cornmeal lend pie crusts made with this recipe a fragrant, tropical richness and a gentle crunch that works beautifully with all manner of seasonal fruit fillings. Swap it in for just about any recipe that calls for an all-butter or lard dough.

This is meant to be an on-the-fly recipe; don’t refrigerate or freeze the dough as chilling it down renders it too brittle to roll. If you want to get a jump start, rub the coconut oil into the dry ingredients, transfer to an airtight container, and store at room temperature for up to two weeks before adding the ice water. After assembling a pie, chill the whole thing in the freezer until the dough is very firm before baking.

Yield: Makes: One double-crusted 9-in. pie

Time: 20 minutes

2 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
1 cup whole wheat flour
¾ cup fine cornmeal
3 Tbsp. sugar
¾ tsp. fine salt
¾ cup coconut oil, solid, but soft (about 75°F)

Instructions

In a large bowl, stir together the flours, cornmeal, sugar, and salt. Add the coconut oil in spoonfuls, then rub the oil into the dry ingredients using your hands until it has the consistency of a coarse meal. Add 2 tablespoons of ice water and continue working the mixture between your hands just until a shaggy dough forms, adding more water, a drizzle at a time (up to 2 additional tablespoons), if the dough is too crumbly to hold together when squeezed. Divide the dough in half, then flatten each half into an even, ½-inch-thick disk. Wrap the disks tightly in plastic wrap and set aside at cool room temperature for 15 minutes.
To use, lightly flour a clean work surface and a rolling pin. Unwrap one of the disks and roll out to an even, 11-inch circle. (If the dough begins to break, just squeeze any cracks back together and keep rolling.) Transfer the circle to a 9-inch pie plate. Fill as desired, then roll out the second disk to top the pie. Crimp the edges together to seal, then using a paring knife, make a few cuts into the top to vent. Chill in the freezer until the dough is very firm before baking.

The post Vegan Cornmeal Pie Crust appeared first on Saveur.

Easy Apple Tartlets

Fatima Khawaja — Tue, 18 Oct 2022 14:32:43 +0000

Photography by Paola + Murray; Food Styling by Olivia Mack McCool; Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio

Welcome to SAVEUR’s column on making the most of local produce according to chef and recipe developer Fatima Khawaja. This is where you’ll find creative, unfussy meal ideas plus plenty of cooking advice—like what to do with that bumper crop of zucchini or how to store delicate heirloom tomatoes. Follow along, and you’ll learn how to turn the season’s bounty into easy plant-based meals that’ll be on the table in under an hour.

As a private chef, I’m always looking for gorgeous desserts that are deceptively easy to make. In these tarts, a few pantry staples, apples, and store-bought puff pastry (all-butter Dufour is excellent) come together to make a fragrant autumnal treat. Serve the apple tartlets drizzled with caramel sauce or dusted with powdered sugar.

Yield: Makes 12 tartlets

Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

¼ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
Pinch kosher salt
¼ tsp. vanilla extract
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-in. slices
All-purpose flour, for dusting
10 oz. frozen puff pastry (1 sheet), thawed overnight in the fridge
1 egg, beaten with 1 tsp. water
Powdered sugar

Instructions

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400ºF. Line two large baking sheets with parchment.
In a bowl, stir together the brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, and salt, then add the vanilla and apples and toss to coat. Set aside.
Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour. Unwrap the puff pastry; if the dough feels brittle right out of the fridge, set aside at room temperature until just pliable, 10–15 minutes. Lightly flour the surface of the dough, then, using a rolling pin, roll the sheet out to a 12-by-14-inch rectangle. Prick the dough all over with a fork, then use a large knife or a pizza wheel to cut it into twelve 3-inch squares.
Assemble the tartlets: Transfer the pastry squares to the prepared baking sheets, leaving at least 1½ inches between each. Arrange the apple slices in a shingled pattern evenly over the squares, reserving any apple juices that have collected in the bowl. Brush the tartlets evenly with the egg wash, then sprinkle generously with sugar. Bake until the apples are soft and the pastry is golden-brown and slightly puffed, 20–25 minutes. Brush the hot tartlets with the reserved apple liquid and cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Dust the apple tartlets with powdered sugar and serve warm or at room temperature.

The post Easy Apple Tartlets appeared first on Saveur.

Parisian Flan with Cardamom-Apple Compote

Kat Craddock — Tue, 04 Oct 2022 18:15:11 +0000

Photography by Aaron Bengochea

At his New York City bakery, Bread Story, pastry chef and baker Yann Ledoux sells this burnished, Parisian-style flan by the slice, but for special occasions and dinner parties, SAVEUR editorial director Kat Craddock prefers to buy the mile-high and impossibly silky custard tart whole, then top it with a homemade, seasonal fruit compote. Ledoux assembles his version using a super-flakey laminated dough for the crust, but in untrained hands, the dough can be a little tricky to wrangle. For home cooks, we’ve found that any flakey, all-butter pie dough comes pretty close to the real thing. Flan rings are available in kitchenware and some craft shops, or online from New York Cake. (For more on how to make pie crust from scratch, check out our handy explainer here.) If you don’t have a blender, you may whisk together the custard ingredients, but for the smoothest results, be sure to pass the mixture through a fine mesh strainer before baking.

Featured in: “Don’t Fear the Dinner Party: Toasting Romy Gill’s Cookbook from Home.”

Yield: One 8-in. flan

Time: 3 hours

Ingredients

For the flan:

¾ lb. all-butter pie dough (store-bought or homemade), softened
All-purpose flour, for rolling
2¾ cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
¾ cup sugar
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
2 tsp. vanilla extract
¼ cup plus 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. melted unsalted butter

For the compote:

3 large firm apples, such as honeycrisp or granny smith
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
4 green cardamom pods, cracked slightly
2 tsp. fennel seeds
¼ cup raisins
¼ cup Lillet Blanc or another sweet white wine
1–2 Tbsp. honey
Pinch of kosher salt

Instructions

Make the flan: Wrap the bottom of an 8- by 2-inch flan ring with aluminum foil and place on a large rimmed baking sheet. (Alternatively, you may use an 8- by 2-inch springform pan.) Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and, if you have one, place a pizza stone atop the rack; preheat the oven to 400°F.
Lightly flour a clean work surface and a rolling pin and roll the pie dough out to an even, 17-inch circle (the dough should be an even, 1/16 inch thick). Gently roll the dough around the rolling pin, then use the pin to lift the sheet up off the table and fit it into the flan ring; lift and settle the sheet tightly into the corners without stretching the dough, then press the dough evenly along the inside of the ring. Using a sharp paring knife, trim away the excess dough, then transfer the shell (still on the baking sheet) into the fridge to chill until firm, at least 15 minutes. (If chilling longer than 2 hours, cover the shell loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.)
Meanwhile, to a blender, add the milk, cream, sugar, eggs, yolks, vanilla, cornstarch, and melted butter. Blend until completely smooth, about 30 seconds, then pour into the chilled shell. Place the baking sheet on the pizza stone (if using) and bake until the custard is just set and deep golden brown on top, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside until cooled to room temperature.
Meanwhile, make the compote: Peel, core and slice the apples into thin wedges and set them by the stove. In a medium pot, melt the butter over medium heat. When the foam begins to subside, add the cardamom and fennel seeds and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the apple slices and raisins and cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples have softened and begun to brown slightly, 8–10 minutes. Stir in the Lillet and continue cooking until the alcohol boils off, the raisins have plumped, and the liquid has nearly evaporated, 3–4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in a tablespoon of honey. Season to taste with salt and more honey if needed, then set aside until ready to serve. (If making the compote ahead of time, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days and reheat gently in the microwave before using.)
Cut the cooled flan into wedges, top with warm or room temperature compote, and serve. Leftovers may be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.

The post Parisian Flan with Cardamom-Apple Compote appeared first on Saveur.

Late Summer Is the Best Time to Make These 12 Sigh-Worthy Pies

SAVEUR Editors — Mon, 18 Mar 2019 22:47:25 +0000

Photography by Grant Cornett

Our test kitchen has baked thousands of pies over the years, refining recipes for shoofly, chess, meringue, and other classics. Berries and stone will soon give give way to pumpkins and apples, but before we say bye bye to summer, consider whipping up a single- or double-crusted wonder (a marble pastry board helps!). With a bit of practice, it’ll be easy as, well, you know.

Next time you crave a slice of Americana, take your pick from our favorite pie recipes from the archives.

Chocolate Chess Pie with Cornbread Crumble

Photography by Joseph De Leo

This updated Southern classic gets a chocolate boost by adding cacao nibs to the butter crust. The nutty cornbread topping provides a welcome crunch. Get the recipe >

Lallah Rookh Pie

Photography by Kat Craddock

Originally an old-fashioned dessert and cocktail from New York, this boozy freezer pie of vanilla ice cream and rum has a digestive biscuit crust studded with toasted walnuts. Get the recipe >

Nell Huffman’s Blueberry Pie

Photography by Kat Craddock

In Takotna, Alaska, where Iditarod dogsled racers stop for pie, locals freeze wild blueberries for baking in the long winters. Checkpoint coordinator and pie master Nell Huffman adds a dash of nutmeg and cinnamon to her berry filling. Get the recipe >

The post Late Summer Is the Best Time to Make These 12 Sigh-Worthy Pies appeared first on Saveur.