The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (333 page)

SERVES 8

Feel free to vary the amount of each berry as desired as long as you have 6 cups of berries total; do not substitute frozen berries here. Serve with
WHIPPED CREAM
.

1.
Gently toss berries together in large bowl. Process 2¹⁄
₂
cups of berries in food processor until very smooth, about 1 minute (do not under-process). Strain puree through fine-mesh strainer into small saucepan, pressing on solids to extract as much puree as possible (you should have about 1¹⁄
₂
cups); discard solids.

2.
Whisk sugar, cornstarch, and salt together in bowl, then whisk into strained puree. Bring puree mixture to boil, stirring constantly, and cook until it is as thick as pudding, about 7 minutes. Off heat, stir in lemon juice; set aside to cool slightly.

3.
Pour warm berry puree into baked and cooled prebaked pie crust. Melt jelly in clean small saucepan over low heat, then pour over remaining 3¹⁄
₂
cups berries and toss to coat. Spread berries evenly over puree and lightly press them into puree. Cover pie loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until filling is chilled and has set, about 3 hours; serve chilled or at room temperature.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Too often, pumpkin pie appears at the end of a Thanksgiving meal as a grainy, overspiced, canned-pumpkin custard encased in a soggy crust. We wanted to create a pumpkin pie destined to be a new classic: velvety smooth, packed with pumpkin flavor, and redolent of just enough fragrant spices. To concentrate its flavor, we cooked the canned pumpkin with sugar and spices, then whisked in heavy cream, milk, and eggs. This improved the flavor and the hot filling helped the custard firm up quickly in the oven, preventing it from soaking into the crust. For spices, we chose nutmeg, cinnamon, and, surprisingly, freshly grated ginger. Sugar and maple syrup sweetened things, but for more complex flavor, we added mashed roasted yams to the filling (switching to canned candied yams streamlined the procedure). To keep the custard from curdling, we started the pie at a high temperature for 10 minutes, followed by a reduced temperature for the remainder of the baking time. This cut the baking time to less than an hour and the dual temperatures produced a creamy pie fully and evenly cooked from edge to center.

SERVES 8

You can use
FOOLPROOF
,
ALL-BUTTER
, or
CLASSIC SINGLE-CRUST PIE DOUGH
for this pie. Make sure to buy unsweetened canned pumpkin; avoid pumpkin pie mix. If candied yams are unavailable, regular canned yams can be substituted. When the pie is properly baked, the center 2 inches of the pie should look firm but jiggle slightly. The pie finishes cooking with residual heat; to ensure that the filling sets, let it cool at room temperature and not in the refrigerator. Do not cool this fully baked crust; the crust and filling must both be warm when the filling is added. Serve with
WHIPPED CREAM
.

1.
Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk cream, milk, eggs and egg yolks, and vanilla together in bowl. Bring pumpkin puree, yams, sugar, maple syrup, ginger, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg to simmer in large saucepan and cook, stirring constantly and mashing yams against sides of pot, until thick and shiny, 15 to 20 minutes.

2.
Remove saucepan from heat and whisk in cream mixture until fully incorporated. Strain mixture through fine-mesh strainer into bowl, using back of ladle or spatula to press solids through strainer. Whisk mixture, then pour into warm prebaked pie crust.

3.
Place pie on heated baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees and continue to bake until edges of pie are set and center registers 175 degrees, 20 to 35 minutes longer. Let pie cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 4 hours. Serve.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

A no-bake pumpkin pie promises the ultimate in speed and convenience, but it’s not worth saving time if you end up with a pie with a crumbly crust and poorly textured filling. We wanted it all: creaminess as well as lightness—and without the hassle of making pie pastry during a busy holiday season. For a simple and sturdy base for our pie, we turned to our classic graham cracker crust. We achieved the right consistency for our filling by choosing the right thickener: a modest amount (2 teaspoons) of gelatin that prevented the tough, rubbery texture found in pies made with too much thickener. To attain the optimal rich, velvety texture for our filling, we gave the canned pumpkin a quick whirl in the food processor to make it truly smooth, and also replaced the whipped egg whites of classic chiffon-style pies with a simple custard—the yolks were necessary for a luxurious texture. For complexity, we added a mix of ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves, but we first heated them in the cream to soften their harshness. A combination of orange juice and vanilla extract added a sweet, perfumed punch.

SERVES 8

Make sure to buy unsweetened canned pumpkin; avoid pumpkin pie mix. Serve with
WHIPPED CREAM
.

1.
Stir orange juice and vanilla together in medium bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over orange juice mixture and let sit until gelatin is softened, about 5 minutes.

2.
Combine ¹⁄
₂
cup heavy cream, ¹⁄
₃
cup sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves in small saucepan and cook over medium-low heat until bubbles form at edges; remove from heat. Whisk remaining ¹⁄
₃
cup sugar and egg yolks together in medium bowl until pale and slightly thickened. Slowly pour hot cream into yolk mixture, whisking constantly, to temper. Return mixture to now-empty saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to thicken and forms ridge on tip of spoon when bottom of pan is scraped and spoon is lifted, about 2 minutes. Immediately pour custard over gelatin mixture and stir until smooth and gelatin has completely dissolved.

3.
Puree pumpkin in food processor until smooth, 10 to 15 seconds. With food processor running, add remaining ¹⁄
₂
cup heavy cream in steady stream. Scrape down sides of bowl and process for additional 10 to 15 seconds. Add pumpkin mixture to custard mixture and stir until completely smooth. Pour filling into cooled prebaked pie crust. Refrigerate pie, uncovered, until filling is just set, about 3 hours. Cover pie with plastic wrap and continue to refrigerate until fully set, at least 6 or up to 24 hours. Serve.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Too many sweet potato pies either come in a custardy pumpkin-pie style or resemble mashed sweet potatoes in a crust. Our challenge was to create a recipe that both honored the flavor of the sweet potatoes and was still recognizable as a dessert. For a sweet potato pie that would really taste like sweet potato, we microwaved and mashed the potatoes, which preserved some bite in their texture. White sugar and a touch of molasses brought us still closer to the pie we were looking for. But what finally took our pie from good to great was melting brown sugar on the crust before adding the potato filling. The pecan pie–like sweetness of the brown sugar perfectly complemented the filling, which maintained a bright orange color that spoke loudly of sweet potatoes.

SERVES 8

You can use
FOOLPROOF
,
ALL-BUTTER
, or
CLASSIC SINGLE-CRUST PIE DOUGH
for this pie. Some tasters preferred a stronger bourbon flavor in the filling, so we give a range. If you like molasses, use the optional tablespoon; a few tasters felt it deepened the sweet potato flavor. The crust and filling must both be warm when the filling is added. The pie finishes cooking with residual heat; to ensure that the filling sets, let it cool at room temperature and not in the refrigerator. Serve with
WHIPPED CREAM
.

1.
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Poke each potato several times with paring knife over entire surface. Place potatoes on paper towel–lined plate and microwave until tender but not mushy, about 10 minutes, flipping potatoes halfway through cooking. Hold potato with potholder or kitchen towel and peel with paring knife; transfer to large bowl and discard skin. Repeat with remaining potatoes (you should have about 2 cups). While potatoes are still hot, add butter and mash with potato masher until just few small potato lumps remain.

2.
Whisk granulated sugar, eggs, egg yolks, nutmeg, and salt together in medium bowl; stir in bourbon, molasses, if using, and vanilla, then whisk in milk. Gradually add egg mixture to mashed sweet potato mixture, whisking gently to combine.

3.
Sprinkle bottom of warm prebaked pie crust evenly with brown sugar, then pour sweet potato mixture on top. Bake pie until edges are set but center jiggles slightly when shaken, about 45 minutes. Let pie cool pie on wire rack to room temperature, about 4 hours. Serve.