If you’re just starting to think about what you’ll make for Thanksgiving dessert, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite Globe pie recipes here for inspiration.
But whatever you decide to make, we want you to show it off. If you’re proud of your pie, send us a picture! A link for uploading one is at the bottom of this story. We’ll create a gallery of goodness for Globe readers to admire while they heat up leftovers after the holiday. Happy baking.
Chocolate cream pie
Globe contributor Karoline Boehm Goodnick created this recipe for our Thanksgiving recipe package this year, and it’s a beauty. She writes: “Chocolate cream pie is no stranger to the Thanksgiving table, though depending on your grandmother’s tastes, the rich chocolate pudding filling can be topped with either meringue or whipped cream. Here, we opt for whipped cream because frankly, there really is no choice between the two. The brilliant thing about this pie is that it can be made in stages, which lets a harried holiday cook space out the work over several days.”
Find the recipe here.
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Apple hand pies
This one also comes from Goodnick, who writes that “these half-moon shaped delights are perfect for a small gathering of folks who appreciate a good pastry-to-filling ratio. In this sweet version, apples are ideal because they’re firm and easy to contain. If you love to bake pies, you’ll enjoy rolling out this dough, stamping out rounds, and making these individual cuties.” Added bonus: “Leftovers will make a great breakfast. Cold pie for breakfast is the best New England tradition of all.”
Find the recipe here.
Traditional apple pie
Of course, if you’d rather make a classic apple pie for Thanksgiving, we’ve got you covered, too. Sheryl Julian writes, “A few years ago, Jackie King of A&J King Artisan Bakers in Salem, taught us how to make the definitive, classic, juicy, two-crust apple pie. It’s loaded with Cortland apples that are tucked into two rounds of buttery, flaky pie dough that are crimped at the edges and sent to the oven until the apples are bubbling at the edges and the pastry is golden brown. If you want to try your hand at pie, this is the recipe to use.”
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Find the recipe here.
Maple-walnut pumpkin pie
Globe Food contributor Jean Kressy brings us this classic pie. She writes, “Two fillings go into this holiday favorite: a spiced pumpkin-custard, sweetened with maple syrup, and a thin layer of sugared walnuts. Serve the pie with generous dollops of whipped cream.”
Find the recipe here.
Lemon icebox pie
Sure, Goodnick created this one for Pi Day, but that’s infinite, right? That surely means it’s just as good on Thanksgiving as it is in March. Plus, it has a Biscoff cookie crust, which screams special occasion to us. Goodnick writes: “Lemon icebox pie is essentially a Key Lime pie made with lemons instead of limes. Here, the warm baking spices in Lotus brand Biscoff cookies form the crust (yes, the same sweet treats that airlines hand out). Turn the cookies into crumbs and mix them with melted butter and a little sugar, then press the crust firmly into a springform pan. Use a measuring cup for a perfectly smooth base. Bake the crust briefly, cool it, and pour in an ultra-simple lemon filling made with condensed milk, egg yolks, the juice from half a dozen lemons, and some rind. Just 15 minutes in the oven will set the pie. Chill for several hours or overnight and then spoon great pillows of softly whipped cream on top, making sure to allow the filling to peak out at the edges.”
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Find the recipe here.
Peanut butter pie
For something different, consider wowing your family and friends with this multi-layered black-bottom peanut butter pie. Goodnick writes: “I first learned about baking a pie on Pi Day years ago when I was working at the flagship Flour Bakery in the South End. Owner Joanne Chang, a graduate of Harvard with a degree in applied mathematics and economics, was once known for her ability to recite more than a few digits of pi, and began baking pies on March 14 (pi begins with 3.14). This recipe for black bottom peanut butter pie has several voluptuous layers — a chocolate cookie crust covered with chocolate ganache, peanut butter mousse, whipped cream, and a garnish of peanuts and chocolate.”
Find the recipe here.
Brownie pie
Goodnick created this one for Val/Gal/Palentine’s Day, but Thanksgiving is another perfect day for spreading love. She writes: “A fudgy brownie that you make yourself is a far cry from the boxed mix and nearly as easy to make. For an extra indulgent treat this Val/Gal/Palentine’s Day, fill a flaky crust with brownie batter and bake a pie. If pie crust intimidates you but you still want to try your hand at this ingenious combination of two dessert classics, use a store-bought shell. Par-bake the shell just as you would if you had made the pastry, then pour in the brownie filling. The trick to this pie, and really for any brownie recipe, is not to over-bake the chocolate mixture.”
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Find the recipe here.
Crustless cranberry pie
This one is from The Recipe Box Project several years back, but one of its biggest fans here at the Globe swears “it’s delish and simple!” So we’re bringing it back. “This popular crustless pie is essentially a cake-y batter poured over fresh cranberries in a pie pan, baked until the cranberries make a saucy bottom for the buttery top. Cambridge resident Sandra Shapiro clipped this many years ago from The New York Times and writes, ‘I bake this in an attractive earthenware pie plate.’ Her recipe was called ‘Mrs. Arthur Morawski’s Cape Cod Cranberry Pie,’ and the clip said it was baked by Hester Griffin for the West Dennis Library. Similar recipes have appeared in The Boston Globe’s Confidential Chat, in Laurie Colwin’s ‘More Home Cooking,’ where it was called ‘Nantucket Cranberry Pie,’ and in Ina Garten’s ‘Barefoot Contessa How Easy Is That?,’ in which she adds an apple to the berries.”
Find the recipe here.
Have you baked a pie you’re particularly proud of? Show us a photo, and tell us more, by filling out the form below.
Chris Morris can be reached at christine.morris@globe.com. Follow her @morrisglobe.