Though Thanksgiving and pies are more or less synonymous, I think most of us wind up in a "pie rut" after a few years of preparing the holiday meal. To keep things simple, we prepare the same pies over and over, with no thought to varying the menu.
This year I'm breaking with tradition. I'm making a cobbler -- a type of deep-dish pie baked in a shallow dish with only a top crust -- as well as a few pies, among them a walnut (instead of pecan) pie and a meatless mince pie.
Mincemeat, a remnant of the medieval custom of cooking meat (probably rather strong in flavor) with fruits and spices, is one of our major imports from British baking. I always have been repelled by American and British recipes that suggest using chopped boiled tongue, beef brisket or venison, excellent foods in their own right, but not as ingredients in a dessert pie.
The filling in the recipe below has as robust a flavor or texture as any version that contains meat. The dough for both pies and the cobbler is a classic Flaky Pie Dough, easily made in the food processor. It's simple to create and always turns out flaky and delicate.
Flaky Pie Dough
Makes enough for a 1-crust pie
The baking powder encourages the dough to puff slightly while baking so that it presses into a hot pan bottom and bakes through evenly, preventing an underdone bottom crust.
The amount of water added to the dough is always variable. When the flour and butter mixture is very finely rubbed together and a little warm, it will absorb less water; when it is dry and cool and a little under-mixed, it will absorb more. Too little water makes a flaky crust that will crack during rolling; too much water makes an elastic, bread-like crust that lacks flakiness.
1 1/4 cups bleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
2 to 3 tablespoons cold water
To mix dough by hand, combine flour, salt and baking powder in medium mixing bowl and stir well to mix. Add butter pieces and toss once or twice to coat.
Use hands or pastry blender to cut butter into dry ingredients in tiny pieces, continuously pinching and squeezing butter into dry ingredients. Be careful to keep mixture uniform by occasionally reaching down to bottom of bowl and mixing all ingredients evenly together.
Continue process until mixture resembles coarse-ground cornmeal and no large pieces of butter remain visible. Scatter 2 tablespoons water on mixture and stir gently with fork (dough should begin holding together). If mixture still appears dry and crumbly, add remaining water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until dough holds together easily.
To mix dough in food processor, combine flour, salt and baking powder in processor bowl fitted with metal blade. Pulse 3 times at 1-second intervals to mix. Add butter to bowl. Process, pulsing at 1-second intervals, until mixture is fine and powdery and resembles coarse-ground cornmeal, and no large pieces of butter remain visible -- about 15 pulses in all.
Scatter 2 tablespoons water on mixture and pulse five or six times (dough should begin holding together). If mixture still appears dry and crumbly, add remaining water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until dough holds together easily.
Scrape dough onto lightly floured surface and form into disk. (If doubling recipe, form into 2 equal disks.) Place dough between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and press into 6-inch disk. Refrigerate dough until firm, or until ready to use, at least 1 hour.
Apple and Cranberry Cobbler
Makes 8 to 10 servings
This cobbler may be varied with other fruit in season. Try a combination of pears and apples for a change.
double recipe of Flaky Pie Dough
3 pounds tart apples (such as Granny Smith), peeled, cored and cut into wedges
1 (12-ounce) bag fresh cranberries, rinsed, drained and picked over
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
milk and granulated sugar for finishing crust
Prepare and chill Flaky Pie Dough.
Meanwhile prepare filling by combining apple wedges and cranberries in large mixing bowl. Mix brown sugar, flour and cinnamon and toss with fruit in bowl. Spoon filling into 2-to-2 1/2 -quart baking dish or gratin dish. Dot top of filling with butter.
For top crust, roll dough on floured surface to approximate size of baking dish and place on filling, making sure dough touches sides of dish all around. Brush top with milk and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Cut several vent holes in crust.
Bake at 375 degrees until crust is well-colored and filling is gently bubbling, about 40 minutes. Cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Mince Pie
Makes 8 servings
You may prepare the mincemeat several weeks in advance and store it tightly covered in the refrigerator -- it will have a better flavor after aging. Two types of apples, Granny Smith for texture and McIntosh for flavor, make for a more interesting mincemeat.
double recipe of Flaky Pie Dough
1 pound Granny Smith or other tart, firm apples, peeled, halved and cored
1 pound McIntosh apples, peeled, halved and cored
1 medium lemon
1 medium orange
1 1/4 cups golden raisins
1 cup currants or dark raisins
1/2 cup diced candied orange peel
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup dark rum or brandy
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 egg, well-beaten with -- salt for egg wash
2 teaspoons granulated sugar for top of pie
Prepare and chill Flaky Pie Dough in 2 equal portions.
Meanwhile prepare filling by grating apples coarsely by hand or in food processor. Place grated apples in large nonreactive saucepan. Grate zest from lemon and orange, then squeeze and strain juice and add to pan. Add raisins, candied orange peel, brown sugar, rum, vinegar, butter, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and ginger. Stir well to mix. Bring mixture to simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, and cook, stirring often, until mixture is reduced to thick, jam-like consistency, about 45 minutes. Cool mincemeat.
For bottom crust, lightly flour work surface and dough and roll one portion of dough to 12-inch disk. Fold in half and ease dough into 9-inch glass pie pan. Unfold dough and press firmly into pan. Trim away excess dough at edge of pan. Spread mincemeat evenly in crust.
For lattice top, lightly flour work surface and dough and roll second portion of dough to 9-by-12-inch rectangle. Cut into 12 (9-by-1-inch) strips. Brush strips with egg wash. Arrange 5 of them, equidistant from each other, on top of pie, allowing excess dough to hang over edge of pie. Place 5 more strips perpendicular to first ones. Trim away excess dough at edge and flute edge of pie. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with granulated sugar.
Bake pie at 400 degrees on bottom rack 15 minutes. Lower temperature to 350 degrees. Move pie to middle rack and bake pie until crust is deep golden and juices are just beginning to bubble up, 20 to 30 minutes longer. Cool pie on rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Walnut-Rum Pie
Makes 8 servings
1 recipe Flaky Pie Dough
1 cup light corn syrup
3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 large eggs
dash salt
3 tablespoons dark rum
2 cups walnut pieces
Prepare and chill Flaky Pie Dough.
Lightly flour work surface and dough and roll dough to 12-inch disk. Fold in half and ease dough into 9-inch glass pie pan. Unfold dough and press it firmly into pan. Fold excess dough under at edge of pan and flute edges of pie crust.
Combine corn syrup and dark brown sugar in saucepan and stir well to mix. Bring to boil over low heat. Remove from heat. Add butter and allow to melt.
Whisk eggs, salt and rum in large mixing bowl. Pour in hot syrup-butter mixture in steady stream, whisking constantly. Stir in walnuts. Pour mixture into pie shell.
Bake at 350 degrees on lowest rack until crust is well-colored and filling is set, about 45 minutes. Cool on rack. Refrigerate leftovers.
NOTE: For a chocolate variation, add 4 ounces coarsely chopped semisweet chocolate along with the butter and whisk smooth until melted before continuing.