Pie for Thanksgiving? What kind, and whose pie?

[WSB]

Running around looking at coffee-house hours for the “who’s open Thanksgiving morning for a latte” list that we do annually, I’ve been also encountering pies everywhere — Shoofly, Alki Bakery, and many more.

So I’m curious if you have nominees for West Seattle’s best pie. What kind? Made by who? (And yes, if you make it yourself, or your mom/gramma/husband/whomever, that counts too)

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[JenV]

My step mom makes a Grand Marnier chocolate cheesecake to die for. :)

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[flowerpetal]

Please don’t die JenV! We are making an apple pie with apples from our tree. Probably the last of the season with fresh apples.

And then there is Chess Pie, sort of a custard pie, kind of a syrup pie with ingredients that include corn meal and vinegar. Its a Southern thang and foodies too probably know of it.

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[CM]

OK, I’ll toot my own horn. Apple pie made with Honeycrisp apples, cinnamon and ginger with a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar over the crust. I’m lucky if I ever get a piece myself.

It’s the Honeycrisp apples that make it so, and this is the only time of year to get them.

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[Huindekmi]

Homemade pumpkin, homemade apple, and pecan pie from Shoofly.

Did anyone catch that tip from Christopher Kimball on NPR this morning about using vodka in the pie crust? I only caught the first bit of it. It could come in handy if it truly does make a lighter, flakier crust.

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[JanS]

flowerpetal…I made a chess pie just last week….had a craving – lol…oh, so easy :)

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[sohonyusa]

Huindekmi,

I missed NPR this morning but the December 2007 Cook’s has the Vodka Pie Crust recipe. I’ve used it a couple times and people always want the recipe. It makes the lightest crust and you can actually work with it. Here’s the recipe for 9 inch double pie crust. Enjoy!

2 ½ cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons sugar

1 ½ sticks cold unsalted butter (cut into ¼ inch slices)

½ cup cold vegetable shortening (cut into 4 pieces)

¼ cup cold vodka

¼ cup cold water

Process 1 ½ cup flour, salt, and sugar in food processor (2 one second pulses). Add butter and shortening and process until dough forms into uneven floured clumps (about 15 seconds) Scrape bowl and distribute dough evenly. Add remaining flour and pulse until mixture is broken up (5 quick pulses) Transfer dough into medium size bowl. Sprinkle vodka and water over mixture. With spatula use folding motion to mix, pressing down until dough is tacky and sticks together. Divide into 2 even balls and flatten into 4 inch disks. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes and up to 2 days.

P.S. I love the pies at Café Ladro. The apple pie is to die for and you can even order whole pies if you give them a few days notice.

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[flowerpetal]

This vodka in the pie crust idea is intriguing; so I did a little more digging. I was curious if other alcoholic beverages would work. I expect that vodka is a good choice because of its subtle taste; particularly when cooking.

I did learn that the alcohol adds moistness to the dough without aiding in gluten formation, since gluten doesn’t form in alcohol. So it would seem that bourbon would work, or rum. I personally wouldn’t try gin because of all of the herbally flavors.

Back to the kitchen lab!

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[Huindekmi]

Thanks soho!! I’ll give that a try.

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[celeste17]

I make a pumpkin cheesecake for Thanksgiving dessert. This year I am going to try a gingersnap crust. I already had bought the gingersnaps for the cheesecake but next time I make it I will go to Trader Joe’s and get their gingersnaps. According to JoB they use real pieces of ginger in their cookies.

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[Sue]

The best pie I’ve had is Shoofly’s Pecan Pie. I could live off it. :)

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[squareeyes]

Not WS but… Surprisingly – Costco’s pumpkin pie is really good. The first time I tasted it I wondered how they got my mom’s recipe (and she made the best!). You can’t make it at home for what Costco charges. I called Costco once to find out if all locations used the same recipe as I was heading out of state for Thanksgiving a couple of years ago. They do.

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[Bayou]

All this talk of Bacon and BBQ and Pies… now I’m starving and I already ate lunch!

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[Franci]

I’m making a Chocolate Pecan Pie. The recipe is from ‘Still Life with Menu’ by Mollie Katzen. I like it because its not gooey sweet. The optional addition of rum is good too! Its in the pie and the whipped cream.. mmmm.

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[Keith]

My boyfriend is making an apple tart that he’s become kinda famous for, among our friends at least. He wanted to try something else but our Thanksgiving hosts requested the tart, which is cooked in a cast iron skillet. It gets all carmelized and crunchewy, which is my personal favorite form of food preparation.

Me, I’ll be making perfect little glasses of single malt scotch to go with the pie, and the occasional sneaked spoonful of stuffing.

Also: Shoofly had a sign outside today that read SOLD OUT!

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[WSB]

Well, that pre-empts what I was going to mention, which is that Shoofly had posted it would be open Thanksgiving 10 am-noon. Will check again in the morning (my info was from walking past its door a few days ago, we do the coffee-hours survey in person as well as by phone) … Still not sure what we’re cooking for dessert. Has to involve ingredients still in the house. Preferably the half-gallon of milk I bought at Costco a week ago but shouldn’t have because nobody here, not even the almost-teenager, drinks that much of it.

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[Zenguy]

Keith, can I come to your friends too? Apple tart cooked in a skillet with scotch…mmm.

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[Kayleigh2]

That’s interesting about the vodka; I will try that sometime.

I sometimes use an old Amish piecrust recipe that uses a little beaten egg and vinegar. It never fails. It makes a really tender crust that doesn’t taste bitter or short-y and doesn’t fall apart.

I can’t think of a pie I *don’t* like. :-)

–Kayleigh, who is too sick to cook much of anything this year

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[Keith]

Before:

After:

Now I must go drink scotch.

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[JanS]

ok, Keith…we could be close friends – lol..I cook just about everything in cast iron – bread, rolls, biscuits, free form pies like yours (which just looks yummy)…and I have a decided passion for good single malt scotch…but little glasses? can mine be at least medium sized?

oh..and..what’s your fave scotch?

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[HunterG]

Chocolate Stout Silk Pie

This stuff is soooo good, I look forward to it all year. The best thing about it, is that it seems very adaptable, though my fav is as-is! Enjoy!!!

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Crust:

1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers

1/3 + 1 extra tablespoon melted butter

Filling:

6 oz bittersweet chocolate, crushed (I use Scharfen Berger and a hammer to crush it up)

6 oz semisweet chocolate, crushed (Scharffen Berger)

24 large Marshmallows

pich of salt

2/3 cups Stout Ale (I use Sheaf Stout)

1/3 cup evaporated milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 tbsp creme de cacoa or Frangelico (either works great)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix melted butter with crushed graham crackers and press into bottom and up the sides of a glass pie pan.

Bake crust for about 6 minutes or until set.

Place chocolate, marshmallows & salt in food processor. Process until well mixed & chocolate is finely ground.

In two separate saucepans, heat stout and evaporated milk until very hot (but not boiling). Pour stout and evaporated milk into food processor and add vanilla and Creme de cacoa. Blend about 1 minute.

Pour into crust and refrigerate overnight.

And then hold onto your hats! I also call this estrogen pie.

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[JanS]

OMG…bless you…

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[miws]

*In Homer Simpson voice*

Mmmmmmmm……Estrogennnnnnnnnn!

Mike

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[GenHillOne]

OMG, the pictures, yum!!! Keith, I especially like the before photo – I’ve been known to dab a little flour a la “been slaving over a hot stove all day,” but I never have anything as yummy looking to show for it as your bf does ;)

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[Zenguy]

Wow, I did not think the description could get much better, I was wrong. Apple tart and Chocolate stout pies…ahhhhh!

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