Who says there must be cake? Share the joy of the holidays by making these stellar pies for your family and friends.
Photo by Karen Hermann
WHITE CHRISTMAS PIE
SERVES 8–10
1 9-inch pie crust, homemade or store-bought
Filling
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
¼ cup water
1 cup granulated sugar, divided
¼ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1½ cups whole milk
¼ teaspoon almond extract
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup heavy cream
3 egg whites
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
1¼ cups flaked coconut, divided
Topping
2 cups heavy cream
¼ cup powdered sugar
Seasonal berries, optional, for garnish
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place pie crust into a 9-inch pie dish. Cover with parchment paper and weight with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully remove pie weights/beans and parchment; prick the bottom of crust with a fork and return to oven for another 10–15 minutes until golden brown. Cool to room temperature. The shell is now ready to be filled.
Into a small bowl add gelatin and water and allow to dissolve. Set aside. In a medium saucepan mix ½ cup of sugar, flour and salt. Add milk and whisk to combine. Place over medium heat, bring to a boil and cook one minute. Add gelatin mixture and whisk to combine and remove from heat. Whisk in extracts; place pan in a large bowl of ice to cool.
In a small bowl, beat ½ cup heavy cream to soft peaks and set aside. In a medium bowl beat egg whites, cream of tartar and remaining ½ cup sugar to stiff peaks and set aside.
Into the bowl of a stand mixer place the filling and whip just enough to make the mixture creamy. Gently fold in the whipped cream, beaten egg whites and 1 cup coconut. Spread evenly into the baked pie shell.
In a large bowl or the clean bowl of a stand mixer, whip the 2 cups of heavy cream and powdered sugar to stiff peaks. Place into a large pastry bag equipped with a large star tip and pipe decoratively over the top of the filling. Sprinkle with remaining coconut. Refrigerate overnight. Cut and serve with seasonal berries, if desired.
Sweet Potato Pecan Cheesecake
Photo by Gina Moore
SERVES 8–12
Crust
1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ cups finely chopped pecans
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
Filling
2 cups pureed sweet potatoes, bought or homemade (see tip below)
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
¼ cup heavy cream
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup chopped pecans
Whipped cream, optional for garnish
Coarsely chopped pecan, optional for garnish
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl mix together graham cracker crumbs, sugar and pecans. Add melted butter and mix with a fork (or clean fingers) until crumbly. Press into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Cover bottom and sides of pan with foil. Bake 10 minutes in preheated oven. Remove and let cool, do not turn off oven.
To the bowl of a stand mixer add sweet potato puree, cream cheese, sugar, sour cream and heavy cream. Beat until smooth. Reduce speed slightly and add eggs, one at a time, until completely blended. Add cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Don’t over mix! Fold in pecans and pour into cooled crust.
Place pan inside a larger pan and fill with water halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan. Bake for 60–70 minutes or until center is almost set. Turn off oven; leaving door slightly ajar and allow to cool in oven for one hour. Remove from oven and cool completely in pan. Cover and chill in refrigerator 4 hours or overnight.
To serve, remove sides of pan and place on serving dish. Garnish, if desired, with whipped cream and pecans.
Chef’s tip
How to make sweet potato puree. Place sweet potatoes in a baking dish. Bake 45–60 minutes until a knife inserted into the sides goes through easily. Cool sweet potatoes enough to handle. Peel and puree in a food processor.
Cranberry Apple Pie
Photo by Iuliia Nedrygailova
SERVES 8–10
Filling
1 9-inch pie crust
3–4 medium apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1½ cups dried cranberries
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ cup packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
Topping
½ cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cups packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place pie crust into a deep-dish pie pan. In a large bowl combine apples, cranberries and gently toss. Add sugar, cornstarch, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix thoroughly. Pour into pie crust. In the bowl of a food processor add flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Process until crumbly and fold in pecans. Sprinkle evenly over pie filling. Bake 45–55 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is golden brown.
Chocolate Fig Tart
Photo by Gwénaël Le Vot
SERVES 8-10
Crust
1¼ cup chocolate graham cracker crumbs
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
Filling
1¼ cup heavy cream
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
15 figs, divided
Coarsely chopped pistachios, optional
Glaze
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1¾ ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 teaspoon light corn syrup
1 tablespoon warm water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl stir together crumbs and sugar; add butter and mix with a fork (or clean hands) until crumbly. Press into the bottom and sides or a 9-inch (one-inch high) tart pan, with a removable bottom. Place tart pan on a larger baking pan for easier handling. Bake crust until firm, about 10 minutes. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes.
To a medium bowl add chocolate. In a small pan, bring cream just to a boil, pour over chocolate and let stand for 5 minutes. Gently stir until chocolate mixture is smooth. In another medium bowl, whisk together eggs, vanilla and salt, then stir into melted chocolate mixture. Slice about two-thirds of the figs, enough to cover the cover the bottom of the tart pan in a single layer.
Pour chocolate into cooled crust over sliced figs. Bake for 20–25 minutes until set but still wobbly in the center. (The center will continue to set while cooling.) Cool completely in the pan on a rack, about one hour.
In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in chocolate until smooth. Stir in corn syrup and warm water. Pour over the cooled tart and tilt/rotate the pan so the glaze evenly coats the top. Let stand another hour until the tart is completely cooled. To serve, remove sides of tart pan (by pushing up through removable bottom) and place on serving dish. Garnish, if desired, with additional sliced or wedged figs and pistachios.
Chef’s tip
Fresh figs vs dried figs. Dried figs can be used as a substitute for fresh figs; however, they must first be hydrated. To hydrate dried figs, place in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Let sit for an hour until softened.
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Tips and techniques
Perfect crust edges. To prevent the edges of pie crust from browning too fast or burning, use a pie shield, or make one by pleating/crimping aluminum foil around the edges of the pie dish.
Substitute for bittersweet chocolate. Semisweet chocolate is a good substitute for bittersweet. When substituting, measure one-for-one.
Ensure oven temperature is correctly calibrated. Accurate oven temperature is very important for obtaining the best baking results. If uncertain about the accuracy of your oven temperature, purchase a hanging oven thermometer and check temperature before placing uncooked baked goods in the oven.
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