Whether you're craving classic apple, sugary pecan or tangy strawberry-rhubarb, there's a pie for that. As one of the most versatile desserts, pies easily shift to fit whichever season you need them to. While pumpkin may be mandatory at your Thanksgiving table, it may seem out of place at a spring picnic. And since fresh berriesĀ are plentiful in summer, a cooling strawberry pie would be more at home at a backyard barbecue than a snowy, winter night. Thereās no need to limit your creativity to just taste, eitherāthe look of a pie can be an art form, too. We've seen pies in jars, as pops, with lattice tops or piled high with toasted meringue. Food & Wine's guide to pies explores all the possibilities, from classic holiday ideas to inventive recipes from chefs around the country.
Sweet potatoes are on a monthly rotation in my household; even my dog, Snoopy, loved them. The different components of the pie can be prepared on different days. Hereās a suggested order of steps you might find useful, especially if you make this for Thanksgiving. Day 1: Roast sweet potatoes, reduce the beer, and prepare the pie crust, but donāt blind bake (partially bake). Day 2: Blind bake the pie crust, prepare the sweet potato custard, and bake the pie. Of course, you can also do this all in one day.
Pastry chef Kelly Field's great-aunt Jean, who first made this pie during the Great Depression, swapped pricey graham crackers in the crust for less-expensive saltines, which play well with the tart lemon filling. To create the voluminous filling, be sure to whip the egg whites to stiff peaks; if theyāre too soft, the filling will be dense instead of airy.
A mix of alternative floursāhere, two kinds of rice flour and arrowrootādelivers a gluten-free crust that is flaky, buttery, and crisp. The floral sweetness from the honey and pears is nicely balanced by tangy cream cheese. Be sure to let the galette rest at least 30 minutes to give the filling time to firm up for easier slicing. This gluten-free fall dessert was made by Sarah Ann Hahn (who goes by "the Gluten-Free Cowgirl") as the sweet finish for a harvest feast at Big Table Farm in Gaston, Oregon.
Chef and cookbook author Alexander Smalls spikes his sticky-sweet pecan pie with just enough bourbon to add a kick of flavor that accents the sweet chunks of apple. Fuji apples are perfect for this pie; they bake up soft but retain their texture. Braeburn and Honeycrisp also work well.
You know that episode of Sex and the City where Miranda makes a chocolate cake, has a nice big slice, then continues to go back into the kitchen to cut small slivers throughout the evening and into the next night before she eventually has to throw it away, but then fishes one more bite out of the garbage can before pouring dish soap on it and calling Carrie to suggest she be checked into the āBetty Crocker Clinicā? Well, thatās what this chocolate tart will do to a person. It lingers on your palate and in your mind, beckoning you back for more.Thatās why itās really best to make it for a dinner party. My intent with suggesting a chocolate recipe in February is naturally inspired by Valentineās Day. But this year Iām thinking about inviting friends over, and not just couples. Letās face it, Valentineās Day is the worst day of the year if youāre single and looking, so wouldnāt it be lovely to have a convivial dinner party to attendāespecially if thereās a decadent slice of chocolate tart awaiting at the end of it?Here a typical press-and-bake graham cracker crust is spruced up with chocolate grahams and flecked with black sesame seeds for a striking assemblage. (Side note: Once when I made this, the grocery store was out of chocolate graham cracker sheets so I used animal-shaped chocolate graham cookies and it turned out just the same.) The nutty, crunchy crust lays the foundation for a velvety-smooth filling that would have Miranda rinsing off the dish soap for just one more bite.I like desserts a little more savory-sweet than super sweet. The addition of miso mixed with melted dark chocolate adds depth and umami, an almost buttery quality, and saltiness to balance the sweetness in the truffle-like ganache. All desserts need salt, and usually more than a small pinchāremember that and all your sweet endings will be the better.
As the dried apple slices rehydrate and cook in each delicate hand pie, they transform into a saucy, concentrated filling. To create a smoother, rather than chunky, apple filling, smash apples with the side of a spoon while stirring.
Nothing brings people together like a great pie. Any season, every month, there are excellent pie recipes to be made and shared with family, friends, nice neighbors and grateful coworkers. Even the best pie recipes for beginners are some of the most timeless recipes youāll ever learn (weāre looking at you, apple pie). From tangy key lime to rich bourbon pecan, or a summery strawberry slab to a warming eggnog custard, these are the pie recipes to live for all year round. There are plenty of classic recipes as well as delicious riffs youāll want to make again and again. So pull out your favorite vanilla ice cream or whipped cream topping, grab some seasonal fruit for pie filling and get to work on one (or more) of these delicious desserts.Related: 15 Pastry Tools for Making Perfect Pies