by Ellen Easton

Homemade, Catered, Store Bought

Thanksgiving is just around the corner and that means pies, pies, and pies. Homemade, catered or store bought, pumpkin, apple, pecan and even gluten free, no holiday celebration needs be without a delicious choice.

My pumpkin pie is an easy adaption using Libby’s pumpkin puree and store bought ready to bake pie shells.

For those who are adventurous try making your own creation with added decorations.  Master Chef Louis P. De Gouy’s definitive book on pies is an inspiration. For those who do not have time to bake or need some help in the kitchen there are many wonderful sources to find the right pie to accompany your menu.

PUMPKIN PIE By ©Ellen Easton (Adapted from Libby’s)

Yield: ONE 9 – inch pie.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 2 large eggs
• 1 can (15 oz.) Libby’s 100% PURE PUMPKIN
• 1 can (12. fluid oz.) Carnation Evaporated Milk
• 1 tsp. Nielsen – Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1 unbaked 9- inch deep dish pie shell (4 cup volume)

PRE HEAT OVEN to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

PREPARATION:

1. In a small bowl mix sugar, salt cinnamon, ginger and clove.
2. In a large bowl beat eggs.
3. Stir in pumpkin and dry sugar mixture.
4. Gradually stir in evaporated milk and vanilla extract until all is blended together.
5. Place the pie shell on a sturdy cookie sheet or jellyroll pan.
6. Pour blended mixture into the pie shell.
7. Bake in a 425-degree Fahrenheit oven for 15 minutes. Then cover the edges of the pie shell in tin foil to avoid burning.
8. Lower the heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and continue baking for an additional 40 to 50 minutes until a knife or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean of batter.
9. Cool on a wire rack for two hours.
10. Serve immediately or refrigerate. May be served with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. 

The Pie Book: Over 400 Classic Recipes By Louis P. De Gouy

From simple cherry pies to hearty mince- meats, luscious custards, and elegant chiffons, master chef Louis P. De Gouy presents more than 400 tasty pie recipes. De Gouy, a founder of Gourmet magazine, is an expert at concise instruction. In addition to his carefully chosen recipes, he offers advice on flour selection, fruit preparation, and baking procedures, including the secrets to turning out a flaky, golden-brown crust every time.
Recipes for some of the most tantalizing pies imaginable include banana cream, cherry rhubarb, chocolate custard, cranberry, pecan, grape, sweet potato, blueberry chiffon, and literally hundreds more — among them, eight versions of pumpkin pie and more than 25 varieties of apple pie. A special section covers the use of toppings and glazes, with complete recipes for meringues, glazed cherry topping, almond paste, cheese topping, and many other finishes. This treasury of recipes puts all the essentials of good pie baking at the fingertips of amateurs and professionals alike. Get the book.

R&M International 1991 Mini Autumn Leaf Cookie Cutters, Acorn, Pumpkin, Oak, Maple, Aspen, Apple, 6-Piece Set in Gift Tin: Kitchen & Dining.  Get them at Amazon.

Calphalon Nonstick Bakeware, Mini Pie Pan, 5-inch (Set of 4). Get them on Amazon.

PIES TO ORDER

Jean Georges has a bounty of seasonal offerings, including Vegan, to order for pick at various locations in NYC. Orders start on Nov. 12. Get the details.

Award winning Chef Daniel’s Epicerie Boulud ships nationwide.

Traditional Pumpkin, Apple Crumble or Chocolate Pecan, try them all! Get the details.

2019 ©Ellen Easton

Ellen Easton, author of Afternoon Tea~Tips, Terms and Traditions(RED WAGON PRESS), an afternoon tea authority, lifestyle and etiquette industry leader, keynote speaker and product spokesperson, is a hospitality, design, and retail consultant whose clients have included the Waldorf=Astoria, the Plaza and Bergdorf Goodman. Easton’s family traces their tea roots to the early 1800s, when ancestors first introduced tea plants from India and China to the Colony of Ceylon, thus building one of the largest and best cultivated teas estates on the island.