Last-Minute Fall Hand Pies Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

When making pumpkin pie Why is it important to let the filling sit overnight before baking? ›

For better pumpkin pie, refrigerate the filling overnight

To that end, we've found that refrigerating pumpkin pie filling overnight before using it not only enhances the spices' flavors, but also mellows them. Any “sharp edges” disappear, and you're left with a smooth meld of complementary flavors.

If made ahead without baking, the pastry crust can become too wet and end up soggy after baking. The best way to make your apple pie in advance? Bake the pie completely, then chill it overnight, allowing the pie to sit at room temperature for at least an hour before serving.

Keep It Cold

If your butter melts during the mixing or rolling process—before the pie crust hits the oven—you won't achieve those flaky layers we're looking for in this buttery pastry. With this goal in mind, the cardinal rule of pie crusts is to keep things as cold as possible.

If you're making a pie that doesn't require a baked filling, you still need a baked crust. Or if you're baking a pie with a liquid-y filling that sets quickly in the oven, like pumpkin pie, your crust may need a baking headstart.

Think of it this way: poor pie dough wouldn't stand a chance (aka be a soggy mess) with a custard filling if we don't give it a head start. Hence why we pre-bake, because custard pies are too delicious to have soggy bottoms. Custard pies = pumpkin pies.

Pumpkin pie is a great make-ahead dessert to cross off your Thanksgiving to-do list. You can prepare and bake the pie up to two days in advance, and it will still taste great on the big day. Just make sure you store the pie in the refrigerator—not on the kitchen counter—until you are ready to serve it.

For best results, I typically bake pies up to no more than 2 days in advance if I plan to store them in the fridge or at room temperature.

Baking pies the day before is just fine! I do it all of the time. Once the pies have completely cooled, I like to tent them with aluminum foil (not plastic wrap) and refrigerate overnight to set. Take them out on Thanksgiving morning to let the pies come to room temperature before serving.

How to make pies ahead of time for Thanksgiving? ›

Prep and freeze pie dough and/or fruit pies.

You don't want to bake them – just prep pies up to the point where you'd pop them into the oven. The day before you want to bake, thaw pies overnight in the fridge. Then bake as usual the next day.

Whether you use a food processor, a stand mixer, or your hands to incorporate the ingredients together, overmixing is a common mistake that leads to a chewy crust. It's tempting when baking to combine the ingredients completely, but the texture should resemble a coarse meal before adding your liquid.

If you're making apple pie or any other type of pie, you should prebake the crust if you want your end result to be flaky. Otherwise, your pie crust could wind up underdone and soggy.

After you've formed and crimped the crust into your pie plate or tart pan, simply use the tines of a fork to prick holes all over. (Don't forget the sides!) Then proceed with baking as instructed, leaving you with a pristine, crisp crust for all of your pie and tart needs.

If you're slicing a pie in a conventional 9-inch pie pan, you should aim to cut between 6-8 slices. When you make your first cut with the serrated knife, slice the entire pie in half. Cut the remaining pieces at one time—this ensures all your pieces remain the same size, while also making slice-removal much easier.

Contestants must place their hands behind their backs while eating the pie. Contestants must not touch / eat any pie until the start signal is given. The first person to finish his/her pie will throw their hands in the air to end the contest and be declared the winner.

We use the acronym PIES¹ to stand for the four principles: Positive Interdependence, Individual Accountability, Equal Participation, and Simultaneous Interaction.