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Thanksgivi­ng pies

- By Melissa Clark |

Here’s a truth about Thanksgivi­ng: No matter how much gravy-bathed turkey, marshmallo­w-topped sweet potato casserole and mounds of stuffing one may devour, when dessert time rolls around, there’s always room for pie.

Pie had been a constant on Thanksgivi­ng tables even before Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the day a national holiday in 1863. Pumpkin was the first variety to be associated with the feast, soon joined by apple and pecan. The three work perfectly together — creamy, smooth pumpkin, juicy apple and crunchy, candylike pecan — each adding a distinct allure. In a perfect world, my Thanksgivi­ng dessert plate would hold wedges of them all, topped with whipped cream and devoured in alternatin­g bites until the last buttery flakes of crust were gone.

Skip the actual pumpkin

Have you ever gone to the trouble of slicing, seeding, peeling, cooking and pureeing the flesh of a big orange pumpkin to make a

pie — only to conclude that, after all that work, it’s not as good as if you’d used the pulp from the can?

The reason is a dirty little secret in the canned goods aisle: The puree in Libby’s, one of the leading supermarke­t brands, isn’t made from big orange pumpkins; it’s made from a variety of squash called Dickinson.

All of this means that everything you’ve heard about canned pumpkin being better than homemade puree isn’t exactly true. Yes, canned pumpkin is better than homemade pureed field pumpkins. But homemade pureed winter squash is delicious and a whole lot better than anything in a can — sweeter, brighter and fresher. It’s also a snap to make, especially if you buy a container of peeled, cubed butternut squash.

To get the most flavor, I roast my squash cubes rather than steam or boil them. In the oven’s high heat, the cubes condense and turn golden, and caramelize at their edges. A sprinkling of sugar and a drizzle of heavy cream aids the cause.

Precooking apples does wonders

Most apple pie recipes call for raw sliced apples. But once I started precooking, I became a convert, for two reasons.

Raw apples release their liquid into the pie crust as they bake, which steams and pools, making it harder to get a crisp crust, no matter how many vents you cut into the top or how much thickener you add. Raw apple slices also collapse as they bake, creating a gap between the sunken filling and the mounded top of the crust.

Precooking the apple slices helps stabilize them, so they don’t dissolve into a saucy heap. You end up with glossy, perfectly cooked apples sandwiched in a crunchy, buttery crust.

To get a supple and consistent texture in the filling, use only one kind of apple. You may lose some nuance in flavor, but you gain big in mouthfeel.

Pecan pie: More nuts, less goo

The problem with most pecan pie recipes is their toothachei­nducing level of sweetness.

This recipe is different. Instead of corn syrup, I use a combinatio­n of maple syrup and honey, which makes the mixture less cloying while adding complex earthy and floral notes. Simmering the maple syrup for a few minutes helps concentrat­e its flavor.

I made another tweak, too. Most pecan pie recipes contain melted butter. But, in my mind, in every pot of melted butter, there’s brown butter waiting to happen. To make it, just continue to heat the melted butter for a few extra minutes until the milk solids fall to the bottom of the pan and caramelize, turning golden brown.

And finally, the more nuts you can fit into your pie pan, covered with the least amount of goo to hold them in place, the better the final pie.

 ?? RYAN LIEBE/THE NEW YORK TIMES PHOTOS ?? For the best pumpkin pie, maple-honey pecan pie and classic apple pie, skip the actual pumpkin, increase the pecans and precook your apples.
RYAN LIEBE/THE NEW YORK TIMES PHOTOS For the best pumpkin pie, maple-honey pecan pie and classic apple pie, skip the actual pumpkin, increase the pecans and precook your apples.

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