cook like james

I tried this recipe from Milk Street last year and it was a big hit at Thanksgiving. Using a tart pan produces an elegant presentation for traditional pumpkin pie. They started with their fuss-free pie dough, made easily in the food processor, and it can be prepped and frozen for up to a month ahead. For their filling, they use canned 100% pumpkin puree, but they intensified the flavor by giving it a quick sauté with dark brown sugar. This simmers off excess moisture and lends caramel flavors to the mixture. The addition of crème fraîche gave the filling tang and richness that other dairy products couldn’t match. Serve with your favorite whipped cream topping.

Download Easy Elegant Thanksgiving Pumpkin Tart recipe

For the pie dough:

3 tablespoons water

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (159 grams) all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons sugar

⅛ teaspoon table salt

10 tablespoons salted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces, chilled

2 tablespoons sour cream

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the water and cornstarch. Microwave until set, 30 to 40 seconds, stirring halfway through. Chill in the freezer for 10 minutes.

2. Once the cornstarch mixture has chilled, in a food processor, combine the flour, sugar and salt and process until mixed, about 5 seconds. Add the chilled cornstarch mixture and pulse until uniformly ground, about 5 pulses. Add the butter and sour cream and process until the dough comes together and begins to collect around the blade, 20 to 30 seconds. Pat the dough into a 4-inch disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 48 hours.

3. When ready to bake, heat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the middle position. On a well-floured counter, roll the dough into a 12-inch circle.

4. Hang the dough over the rolling pin and transfer to a 9-inch pie pan. Gently ease the dough into the pan by lifting the edges while pressing down into the corners of the pan. Trim the edges, leaving a ½-inch overhang, then tuck the overhang under itself so the dough is flush with the rim of the pan. Crimp the dough with your fingers or the tines of a fork, then chill in the freezer for 15 minutes.

5. Line the chilled shell with foil and fill with pie weights, then place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake on the lowest rack until the edges are light golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Remove the foil and weights, then bake until the bottom just begins to color, another 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and reduce to 325°F.

For the Pumpkin filling:

1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree

149 grams (¾ cup packed) dark brown sugar

½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

¼ cup bourbon

8 -ounce container (1 cup) crème fraîche

3 large eggs

⅛ teaspoon table salt

1. While the crust bakes, in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high, combine the pumpkin, sugar, and pumpkin spice. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture is thickened, dark and leaves a film on the pan, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a 2-cup liquid measuring cup (the yield should be 1½ cups). Add the bourbon to the skillet, set over medium-low and scrape up any browned bits; add to the pumpkin mixture.
2. In a food processor, combine the pumpkin-bourbon mixture and crème fraiche; process until smooth. Scrape down the bowl, add the eggs and salt, then process until smooth, about 1 minute.
3. Pour the filling into the warm crust, smoothing the top. Bake on the baking sheet on the middle rack until the edges start to puff and crack and the center sets, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool the tart in the pan on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes. Remove the outer metal ring to serve warm or at room temperature with whipped cream.

I watched Milk Street’s resident baking expert Rose Hattabaugh make this tart on their Facebook page and knew that I had to try it. Super-fast and easy to throw together (thanks to the “press-in” tart crust) this is great for a last-minute dessert. They stress the importance of using the best quality jam for this recipe, so I chose Stonewall Kitchen jams. They have a great variety and work well with this recipe – I particularly like the Wild Maine Blueberry Jam, Strawberry Apple Rhubarb Jam, and the Peach Amaretto Jam.

Download Milk Street Kitchen Streusel Topped Jam Tart recipe

INGREDIENTS

⅓ cup white sugar

3 teaspoons grated lemon zest, divided, plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice

1¾ cups all-purpose flour

⅓ cup fine yellow cornmeal

¼ teaspoon table salt

10 tablespoons (1¼ sticks) cold salted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes

1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten

1¼ cups fruit jam or preserves or marmalade

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the oven to 375°F with a rack in the lowest position. Mist a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom with cooking spray.

2. In a food processor, combine the sugar and 1½ teaspoons of the lemon zest. Process until fragrant and the sugar is moistened, about 15 seconds. Add the flour, cornmeal and salt; process until combined, about 5 seconds. Scatter the butter over the dry ingredients and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand, 10 to 12 pulses. Add the egg and egg yolk, then process until the mixture is evenly moistened and begins to clump together, 20 to 30 seconds.

3. Transfer about 1 cup of the dough mixture to a small bowl; set aside for the topping. Transfer the remainder to the prepared pan, scattering it across the bottom. Using your hands, press the dough into an even layer into the bottom of the pan and up the sides.

4. In a small bowl, stir together the jam, remaining 1½ teaspoons lemon zest, lemon juice and pepper. Spread the jam mixture in an even layer in the dough-lined pan. Form the reserved dough into rough, pebbly pieces by squeezing bits between your fingers, then scatter them evenly over the filling; it’s fine if they are not uniform. Bake until the crust is golden brown, and the filling is bubbling in spots, 40 to 45 minutes.

5.Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 45 minutes. Remove the outer ring from the tart pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Galettes, also known as free form tarts, are less fussy that traditional fluted edge tarts. They can be sweet or savory, and the crust is crisp, butter, and rustic in appearance. I first saw this recipe in the April / May 2021 “Strawberry Celebration” issue of Cook’s Country and couldn’t wait to try it. You can prepare the dough in advance to save a little time, but otherwise it’s straightforward, just be careful not to overwork the pastry dough.

Download Fresh Strawberry Galette (Freeform tart)

Galette Dough

1 ½ cups (7½ ounces) all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon table salt

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes and chilled

6 tablespoons ice water

Strawberry Filling

1 ½ pounds strawberries, hulled, halved if small or quartered if large (about 5 cups)

¼ cup (1¾ ounces) plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided

⅓ cup strawberry jam

1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch

¼ teaspoon table salt

NOTE:

Quarter any strawberries larger than 2 inches. Do not combine the macerated strawberries with the jam mixture until you're ready to form and bake the galette; they may release more juice and make it hard to shape the dough around the fruit. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.

FOR THE DOUGH:

1. Process flour and salt in food processor until combined, about 3 seconds. Scatter butter over top and pulse until mixture resembles coarse sand and butter pieces are size of small peas, about 10 pulses. Add ice water to flour mixture and pulse until dough begins to form small curds and holds together when pinched with your fingers, about 5 pulses.
2. Transfer mixture to lightly floured counter. Using bench scraper, gather dough into rough rectangular mound about 12 inches long and 4 inches wide. Starting at farthest end, use heel of your hand to smear small amount of dough against counter, pushing firmly down and away from you, to create separate pile of dough (flattened pieces of dough should look shaggy). Continue process until all dough has been worked. Gather dough into rough 12 by 4-inch mound and repeat smearing process.
3. Form dough into 6-inch disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days. (Wrapped dough can be frozen for up to 1 month. If frozen, let dough thaw completely on counter before rolling.)

FOR THE FILLING:

1. One hour before rolling out dough, toss strawberries with ¼ cup sugar in bowl. Set aside for 1 hour. Reserve 1 tablespoon strawberry juice. Drain strawberries in colander in sink. Leave strawberries in colander while rolling out dough.
2. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll dough into 12-inch circle on lightly floured counter, then transfer to prepared sheet. Cover dough loosely with plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 10 minutes.
3. Whisk jam, cornstarch, and salt in large bowl until combined. Add strawberries and toss gently to coat. Mound fruit in center of dough, leaving 2-inch border. Carefully grasp 1 edge of dough and fold up 2 inches over fruit. Repeat around circumference of galette, overlapping dough every 2 inches; firmly pinch pleated dough to secure, but do not press dough into fruit.
4. Brush top of dough with reserved strawberry juice and sprinkle dough and filling with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.
5. Bake until crust is deep golden brown, and fruit is bubbling, 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes. Let galette cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes. Using parchment, carefully slide galette onto wire rack. Remove parchment and let cool on rack until just warm, about 30 minutes. Serve.

Decadent Low Sugar Lemon Cream Pie

I’m always hesitant to try recipes that claim to be healthier versions of classic desserts, but this one is a winner. Perfect balance of sweet and tart, with a crisp graham cracker crust. It is from the cookbook Naturally Sweet, which has over a hundred recipes for classic baked goods and desserts using 30% to 50% less sugar. Traditional lemon pie has 64 grams of sugar per slice, and this recipe has reduced it to 26 grams without any compromise to flavor or texture. 

Download Decadent Low Sugar Lemon Cream Pie

Lemon Pie

1 recipe Graham Cracker Pie Crust (Reduced Sugar, see below), baked and cooled

2 large eggs plus 7 large yolks

½ cup honey

¼ cup grated lemon zest plus ⅔ cup juice (about 4 lemons)

⅛ teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

3 tablespoons heavy cream

Whipped Cream Topping

1½ cups heavy cream

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

⅛ teaspoon salt

Make the Graham Cracker Crust:

9 whole graham crackers, broken into 1-inch pieces

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 5 pieces and softened

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Process graham crackers in food processor to fine, even crumbs, 30 to 60 seconds. Scatter butter over top and pulse until mixture resemble coarse sand, 15 to 20 pulses.
2. Sprinkle mixture into 9-inch pie plate. Using bottom of measuring cup, press crumbs firmly into even layer on bottom and sides of pie plate. Bake until crust is fragrant and set, 20 to 22 minutes, rotating plate halfway through baking. Let crust cool completely, about 30 minutes.

For the pie:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Whisk eggs and yolks, honey, lemon zest and juice, and salt in medium saucepan until smooth. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with rubber spatula, until mixture thickens slightly and registers 165 degrees, 5 to 7 minutes.

2. Off heat, whisk in butter and cream until incorporated. Strain filling through fine-mesh strainer into cooled pie crust. Bake until filling is shiny and opaque and center jiggles slightly when shaken, 8 to 10 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking. Let pie cool completely, about 2 hours.

For the topping:

1. Using stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip cream, honey, vanilla, and salt on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form, 1 to 3 minutes. Spread whipped cream over pie and serve.

Pecan pie is always a favorite around Thanksgiving and the holidays, and this is a great alternative to a traditional pie recipe. It still has the rich caramel flavor, but the crisp, buttery crust is enhanced with ground pecans and the filling has notes of maple, bourbon, and vanilla. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream, and just enjoy it on its own.

Download Maple Glazed Pecan Tart

Tart Crust

1 cup (5 ounces/ 141 grams) all-purpose flour

¼ cup (1 ¾ ounces/48 grams) packed light brown sugar

¼ cup (1 ounce/30 grams) coarsely chopped pecans, toasted*,

¼ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon table salt

8 tablespoons/ 1 stick unsalted butter (4 ounces/113grams)

Pecan Filling

2/3 cup (4.7 ounces/135 grams) packed light brown sugar

¼ cup (3 ounces/82 grams) light corn syrup

2 tablespoons (1 ounce/40 grams) pure maple syrup (dark amber if possible)

4 tablespoons (2ounces/56 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 tablespoon bourbon or dark rum

1 teaspoon vanilla

¼ teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

¾ cup (3 ounces/90 grams) pecans, chopped coarse, plus 14 whole pecan halves for decorating

1 -2 tablespoons of maple syrup for glazing the finished tart

FOR THE CRUST:

1. Grease or lightly spray an oblong tart pan (14”x4.5”) or four 4-inch fluted tart pans with removable bottoms; set aside.

2. Process the four, brown sugar, nuts, baking powder, and salt in a food processor until combined, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle butter pieces over the top and pulse until mixture is pale yellow and resembles coarse cornmeal, 8-10 pulses.

3. Sprinkle mixture evenly into prepared pan(s). Mixture will be dry and crumbly, press crumbs into an even layer over bottom and up the sides using the bottom of a dry measuring cup. (it helps to start with the edges using thumb and fingers to press dough in firmly, and then pat bottom down with measuring cup)

4. Wrap tart in plastic wrap and freeze for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 week.

5. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat to 350°F. Remove tart from freezer and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Press a double layer of aluminum foil into the frozen tart shell, over the edges, and fill with pie weights. Bake until tart shell in golden brown and set, 20-25 minutes, rotating halfway through baking. Carefully remove foil and pie weights and let shell cool slightly while preparing filling.

FOR THE FILLING:

Whisk sugar, corn syrup, maple syrup, melted butter, bourbon, vanilla, and salt together in a medium bowl until sugar dissolves. Whisk in eggs to combine. Stir in half the chopped walnuts, and then sprinkle remaining chopped nuts over filling. Arrange 14 pecan halves, down the center of the tart shell.

1. Bake tart on rimmed baking sheet until filling is set and nuts begin to brown, 20-25 minutes, rotating tart halfway through baking. Move pan to wire rack and brush the center nuts with maple syrup. Let tart cool completely, about 1 hour.

2. To serve, remove outer ring from tart pan, and slide a thin metal spatula between tart and tart pan bottom, and carefully slide tart onto serving platter or plate.

When I saw this posted on America’s Test Kitchen's Instagram, I knew I had to try it. It is a perfect holiday dessert, with all the traditional flavor of eggnog baked into a rich and creamy custard pie. The whipped cream is unique and particularly delicious with this pie.

Download Spirited Holiday Eggnog Pie

INGREDIENTS

Single Crust Pie Dough

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled, divided

1 1/4 cups (6¼ ounces) all-purpose flour, divided

1 tablespoon sugar

½ teaspoon table salt

¼ cup ice water, divided

Eggnog Custard Filling

¾ cup (4⅔ ounces) sugar

3 large eggs

3 tablespoons cornstarch

⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon

⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg

⅛ teaspoon table salt

2 cups whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons dark rum (for more kick, use ¼ cup)

Brown Sugar and Bourbon Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy cream, chilled

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

⅛ teaspoon table salt

½ cup sour cream

2 teaspoons bourbon

Cinnamon and grated nutmeg for dusting finished pie

FOR THE DOUGH:

1. Grate 2 tablespoons butter on large holes of box grater and place in freezer. Cut remaining 8 tablespoons butter into ½-inch cubes.
2. Pulse ¾ cup flour, sugar, and salt in food processor until combined, 2 pulses. Add cubed butter and process until homogeneous paste forms, about 30 seconds. Using your hands, carefully break paste into 2-inch chunks and redistribute evenly around processor blade. Add remaining ½ cup flour and pulse until mixture is broken into pieces no larger than 1 inch (most pieces will be much smaller), 4 to 5 pulses. Transfer mixture to bowl. Add grated butter and toss until butter pieces are separated and coated with flour.
3. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons ice water over mixture. Toss with rubber spatula until mixture is evenly moistened. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons ice water over mixture and toss to combine. Press dough with spatula until dough sticks together. Transfer dough to sheet of plastic wrap. Draw edges of plastic over dough and press firmly on sides and top to form compact, fissure-free mass. Wrap in plastic and form into 5-inch disk. Refrigerate dough for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. Let chilled dough sit on counter to soften slightly, about 10 minutes, before rolling. (Wrapped dough can be frozen for up to 1 month. If frozen, let dough thaw completely on counter before rolling.)

FOR THE PIE:

1. Roll dough into 12-inch circle on floured counter. Loosely roll dough around rolling pin and gently unroll it onto 9-inch pie plate, letting excess dough hang over edge. Ease dough into plate by gently lifting edge of dough with your hand while pressing into plate bottom with your other hand.
2. Trim overhang to ½ inch beyond lip of plate. Tuck overhang under itself; folded edge should be flush with edge of plate. Crimp dough evenly around edge of plate. Wrap dough-lined plate loosely in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Line chilled pie shell with double layer of aluminum foil, covering edges to prevent burning, and fill with pie weights. Bake on foil-lined rimmed baking sheet until edges are set and just beginning to turn golden, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through baking. Remove foil and weights, rotate sheet, and continue to bake crust until golden brown and crisp, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Transfer sheet to wire rack. (Crust must still be warm when filling is added.)
4. While crust bakes, whisk sugar, eggs, cornstarch, ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together in bowl. Bring milk and cream to simmer in large saucepan over medium heat. Slowly whisk 1 cup of hot milk mixture into egg mixture to temper, then slowly whisk tempered egg mixture into remaining milk in saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture is thickened, bubbling, and registers 180 degrees, 30 to 90 seconds (custard should have consistency of thick pudding). Strain mixture through fine-mesh strainer into clean bowl, then stir in rum.
5. With pie still on sheet, pour custard into warm crust, smoothing top with clean spatula into even layer. Bake until center of pie registers 160 degrees, 14 to 18 minutes. Let pie cool completely on wire rack, about 4 hours. Spread whipped cream attractively over pie and dust with remaining ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon. Serve.

FOR THE WHIPPED CREAM

1. Whisk all ingredients together in bowl of stand mixer, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
2. Using stand mixer fitted with whisk, whip all ingredients together on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form, 1 to 3 minutes.

If you’re a fan of The Great British Baking Show, you may remember this recipe from an episode where the bakers are challenged by Mary Berry to make a Bakewell Tart,   an English confection consisting of a short pastry shell beneath layers of jam, frangipane, and a topping of sliced almonds. Recently, pastry chef/author Gesine Prado posted a helpful instructional video on the King Arthur Facebook page  demonstrating her take on the King Arthur recipe for this wonderful dessert. She made it look so easy, that I decided to give it a try. Watching the video allays any fear one might have when tackling a new recipe, and the result is spectacular. I made a couple of minor changes to the crust and filling recipe, but otherwise followed the recipe as printed, and followed Gesine’s mixing tips for the filling.

Download Classic British Almond-Jam Tart Bakewell Tart recipe

Crust:

1 1/2 cups (7.5 oz/180g) unbleached all-purpose flour

½ cup (2 oz/60g) confectioners’ sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

8 tablespoons (4 oz/113g) cold unsalted butter

1 large egg yolk; reserve the white for the filling

2 tablespoons heavy cream

½ teaspoon vanilla

Frangipane filling:

1 1/4 cups (4 ¼ oz/120g) almond flour

1/2 cup (3.5 oz/99g) granulated sugar

1/4 cup (28g) unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1 large egg white

½ teaspoon almond extract

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

8 tablespoons (113g) soft unsalted butter, cut into ½” pieces

¼ cup (2¾ oz/80g) seedless raspberry jam

½ cup (43g) sliced almonds

Confectioners’ sugar and raspberries, for decorating, if desired

FOR THE CRUST:

1. Whisk together yolk, cream, and vanilla in small bowl. Combine flour, sugar, and salt in food processor with four 1-second pulses. Scatter cold butter pieces over flour mixture; pulse to cut butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse meal, about twenty 1-second pulses. With machine running, add egg mixture and process until dough comes together, about 12 seconds. Turn dough onto sheet of plastic wrap and press into 6-inch disk; wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 48 hours.
2. Remove dough from refrigerator (if refrigerated longer than 1 hour, let stand at room temperature until malleable). Unwrap and roll on a lightly floured work surface into a 12” circle. Gently transfer the dough circle to a 9” tart pan, pressing it into the corners. Trim the dough with kitchen scissors so that you’re left with just 1/2” of overhanging dough around the perimeter of the tart. Fold the overhang down to reinforce the sides of the pastry then use the tines of a fork to poke holes across the bottom.
3. Freeze the crust for 30 minutes. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 400°F.
4. Line the crust with parchment or foil and fill with pie weights, rice, or your favorite blind-baking weights.
5. Bake the crust on a baking sheet (to catch any butter drips) with the weights for 20 minutes then remove the parchment or foil with the weights and bake for 5 to 10 minutes longer, until the edges and bottom of the crust are lightly golden.
6. Remove the crust from the oven and allow it to cool while you prepare the filling.
7. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F

FOR THE FILLING:

1. Add almond flour, sugar, flour and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse 3- times to combine. Add egg and egg white, almond and vanilla extracts; process until combined, about 10 seconds. Add butter and process until no lumps remain, about 10 seconds. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl with rubber spatula and process to combine thoroughly, about 10 seconds longer. (Can be refrigerated in airtight container up to 3 days. Before using, let stand at room temperature about 30 minutes to soften, stirring 3 or 4 times.)
2. Spread the raspberry jam evenly into the bottom of the slightly cooled crust. Using a piping bag (or use a plastic freezer bag and cut a ½” opening in the corner) pipe the almond filling in a circular motion to cover the jam. Alternatively, you can spoon the almond mixture over the jam, but be careful not to mix the jam into the almond filling. Once the jam is covered, gently spread it to the edges of the tart, and smooth out the surface. Sprinkle the sliced almonds evenly on top.
3. Bake the tart on the baking sheet for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
4. Remove the tart from the oven and allow it to cool completely on a rack. Transfer to serving plate and dust with powdered sugar and decorate with fresh raspberries, if desired. Serve at room temperature.

If you love banana cream pie, this is the only recipe you will ever need - luxurious pastry cream surrounds sliced bananas and lathered in freshly whipped cream. The filling’s banana flavor in heightened by infusing the pastry cream with sautéed bananas. I prefer the taste of a homemade flaky butter crust, but you can use a ready-made pie crust, or graham cracker crust. Cook’s Country developed this recipe back in 2012 and I’ve yet to find one that beats it. They included some helpful notes with the original recipe: Use all-yellow to lightly spotted, not green-topped or all-brown bananas for this recipe. Peel and slice the bananas just before using to help prevent browning. When straining the half-and-half in step 2, do not press on the bananas or the custard will turn gray as it sits. The pie can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Because the mixture in step 3 is very thick, the temperature varies a bit from place to place in the pot; be sure to check the temperature in various locations before removing the pot from heat.

Download Blue-Ribbon Banana Cream Pie recipe

5 ripe bananas (see note above)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter (divided)

2 ½ cups half-and-half

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

6 large egg yolks

¼ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

1 9” prebaked pie shell, or graham cracker crust

2 tablespoons orange juice

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

1. Peel 2 bananas and slice into ½-inch-thick pieces. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sliced bananas and cook until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Add half-and-half, bring to boil, and boil for 30 seconds. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 40 minutes.
2. Whisk granulated sugar, egg yolks, and salt together in large bowl until smooth. Whisk in cornstarch. Strain cooled half-and-half mixture through fine-mesh strainer into yolk mixture—do not press on bananas—and whisk until incorporated; discard cooked bananas.
3. Transfer mixture to clean medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and registering 180 to 185 degrees, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove pan from heat; whisk in remaining 3 tablespoons butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Transfer pastry cream to bowl, press greased parchment paper directly against surface, and let cool for about 1 hour.
4. Peel and slice remaining 3 bananas ¼ inch thick and toss with orange juice. Whisk pastry cream briefly, then spread half over bottom of cooled pie shell. Arrange sliced bananas on pastry cream. Top with remaining pastry cream.
5. Using stand mixer fitted with whisk, whip cream, confectioners’ sugar, and remaining ½ teaspoon vanilla on medium-low speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Increase speed to high and whip until stiff peaks form, 1 to 3 minutes. Spread whipped cream evenly over top of pie. Refrigerate until set, at least 5 hours and up to 24 hours. Serve.

This is a great option when you need a dessert for a large group. Using store bought pie crust is a nice shortcut, and though I usually prefer homemade, this Cook’s Country version “doctors up” the dough with crushed animal crackers and melted butter, which greatly improves the flavor of the pastry.

Download Giant Apple Slab Pie recipe

8 Granny Smith apples (about 3 1/2 pounds), peeled, cored, and sliced thin

8 Golden Delicious apples (about 3 1/2 pounds), peeled, cored, and sliced thin

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups animal crackers, about 4 ounces

2 (15-ounce) boxes Pillsbury Ready to Roll Pie Crust (or Wholly Wholesome brand)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

6 tablespoons Minute Tapioca

1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

3 tablespoons lemon juice

GLAZE

¾ cup reserved apple juice (from filling)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

1 ¼ cups confectioners' sugar

1. For the pie: Combine apples, 1 cup sugar, and salt in colander set over large bowl. Let sit, tossing occasionally, until apples release their juices, about 30 minutes. Press gently on apples to extract liquid and reserve 3/4 cup juice.
2. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Pulse crackers and remaining sugar in food processor until finely ground. Dust work surface with about ½ cup of cracker mixture, brush half of one pie round with water, overlap with second pie round, and dust top with another ½ cup of cracker mixture. Roll out dough to 19 by 14 inches and transfer to rimmed baking sheet. Brush dough with butter and refrigerate; roll out top crust with remaining cracker mixture in the same way.
3. Toss drained apples with tapioca, cinnamon, and lemon juice and arrange evenly over bottom crust, pressing lightly to flatten. Brush the edges of bottom crust with water, and arrange top crust on pie. Press crusts together and use a paring knife to trim any excess dough. Use fork to crimp and seal outside edge of pie, then to pierce top of pie at 2-inch intervals. Bake until pie is golden brown and juices are bubbling, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer to wire rack and let cool 1 hour.
4. For the glaze: While pie is cooling, simmer reserved apple juice in saucepan over medium heat until syrupy and reduced to 1/4 cup, about 6 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and butter and let cool to room temperature. Whisk in confectioners' sugar and brush glaze evenly over warm pie. Let pie cool completely, at least 1 hour longer. Serve.

Thanksgiving is nearly upon us, so it’s time to start mastering one of this holiday’s classic desserts. There are tons of pumpkin pie recipes, and in November all of the food shows and magazines are filled with both classic and innovative recipes. I’ve tried many of them – most started with canned pumpkin, and from there the ingredients vary  - some use heavy cream, others swear by evaporated milk, and some are heavily spiced with cinnamon and cloves.  I love pumpkin pie, but have never found what I would call the BEST pumpkin pie until recently. I was watching an episode of America’s Test Kitchen (the leader in test perfected recipes) called “An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving”. The ingredients and the method were quite original and I couldn’t wait to try it. There are a few extra steps, but well worth it. If you don’t want to make your own crust, you can use your favorite Ready Made crust, like Wholly Wholesome. Feel free to alter the amount of cinnamon and other spices to suit your tastes. (I used Penzey's Extra Fancy Vietnamese Cassia Cinnamon Click here for Penzey's), but the fresh ginger is key to the pie’s flavor. This year I added the decorative maple leaves which makes this pie even more impressive. They are super easy to make using the Leaf Pie Crust Cutters from Sur La Table (click here) You can use leftover pastry dough, or cut them from a store bought rolled crust. Just brush the  cutouts with egg wash and bake on a parchment lined baking sheet for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Place the cutouts on the pie and soon as it comes out of the oven.

Download World's Best Pumpkin Pie recipe

Fool Proof Pie Crust  

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (6 1/4 ounces)

1/2 teaspoon table salt

1 tablespoon sugar

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch slices

1/4 cup vegetable shortening, cold, cut into two pieces

2 tablespoons vodka, cold 

2 tablespoons cold water

Pumpkin Pie Filling

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

3 large eggs plus 2 large yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree

1 cup drained candied yams from 15-ounce can

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger (or substitute 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger powder)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (Extra Fancy Vietnamese Cassia Cinnamon is best)

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon table salt

 For the Crust:

1. Process 3/4 cup flour, salt, and sugar in food processor until combined, about two 1-second pulses. Add butter and shortening and process until homogenous dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps, about 10 seconds; dough will resemble cottage cheese curds with some very small pieces of butter remaining, but there should be no uncoated flour. Scrape bowl with rubber spatula and redistribute dough evenly around processor blade. Add remaining 1/2 cup flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed around bowl and mass of dough has been broken up, 4 to 6 quick pulses. Empty the mixture into a medium bowl.

2. Sprinkle vodka and water over mixture. With rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix, pressing down on dough until dough is slightly tacky and sticks together. Flatten dough into 4-inch disk. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days.

3. Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 400 degrees. Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out on generously floured (up to 1/4 cup) work surface to 12-inch circle about 1/8 inch thick. Roll dough loosely around rolling pin and unroll into pie plate, leaving at least 1-inch overhang on each side. Working around circumference, ease dough into plate by gently lifting edge of dough with one hand while pressing into plate bottom with other hand. Refrigerate 15 minutes.

4. Trim overhang to 1/2 inch beyond lip of pie plate. Fold overhang under itself; folded edge should be flush with edge of pie plate. Using thumb and forefinger, flute edge of dough. Refrigerate dough-lined plate until firm, about 15 minutes.

5. Remove pie pan from refrigerator, line crust with foil, and fill with pie weights or pennies. Bake on rimmed baking sheet 15 minutes. Remove foil and weights, rotate plate, and bake 5 to 10 additional minutes until crust is golden brown and crisp. Remove pie plate and baking sheet from oven.

6. For the Filling: While pie shell is baking, whisk cream, milk, eggs, yolks, and vanilla together in medium bowl. Combine pumpkin puree, yams, sugar, maple syrup, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in large heavy-bottomed saucepan; bring to sputtering simmer over medium heat, 5 to 7 minutes. Continue to simmer pumpkin mixture, stirring constantly and mashing yams against sides of pot, until thick and shiny, 10 to 15 minutes.

7. Remove pan from heat and whisk in cream mixture until fully incorporated. Strain mixture through fine-mesh strainer set over medium bowl, using back of ladle or spatula to press solids through strainer. Re-whisk mixture and transfer to warm prebaked pie shell. Return pie plate with baking sheet to oven and bake pie for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 300 degrees and continue baking until edges of pie are set (instant-read thermometer inserted in center registers 175 degrees), 20 to 35 minutes longer. Transfer pie to wire rack and cool to room temperature, 2 to 3 hours. Cut into wedges and serve.