It is the season of entertaining, so we’ve gathered four recipes that are sure to be crowd-pleasers! Try your hand at a classic, or shake it up with something new!
The Classic: Pumpkin Pie
This classic, easy pumpkin pie is one you'll want to make over and over again.
Ingredients
1 3/4 cups (or 1 15-oz can) pumpkin puree
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup half and half
1/3 cup milk
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 9-inch homemade pie crust or prepared pie crust
Whipped cream (optional)
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400⁰F.
In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except pie crust and optional whipped cream and beat until smooth.
Pour into pie shell and bake at 400⁰F for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350⁰F and bake for 40-50 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool on a wire rack for 2-3 hours before slicing. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream, if using.
The Vegan Stunner: Aquafaba Lemon Meringue Pie
This is an epic pie. It takes a little time to make all the components and assemble, but the tangy filling and stunning toasted meringue on top is worth the effort. You can make the crust and the filling a day ahead and refrigerate, then whip up the meringue on the day of serving for a pie that is sure to impress.
Ingredients
Crust
1/2 cup unbleached flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 stick vegan margarine (not soft spread)
Up to 1/2 cup ice water
Filling
1 15-ounce can coconut milk
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon agar powder
2 pinches turmeric or a few drops yellow food coloring
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest
6 tablespoons cornstarch
Meringue
3/4 cup aquafaba
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup sugar, ground and divided (see Tips & Notes)
1 teaspoon vanilla
Preparation
Crust
Heat the oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, combine the flours and salt, and whisk to combine. Using the large holes of a grater, grate the cold vegan margarine into the flour mixture, tossing to coat the shreds with flour. Work the margarine in just a little by squeezing the mixture with your fingers to break the shreds into smaller pieces, about the size of peas. Sprinkle in about 3 tablespoons of ice water, fluffing the mixture with a fork. Add water a tablespoon at a time, and start to gently turn and squeeze the dough as it forms. Once all the flour is moistened and the dough starts to hold together in a ball, flatten the dough ball to form a disk.
Flour the counter and roll out the dough to fit in a 9-inch deep pie pan. Place the dough into the pie pan and flute the crust. Chill half an hour.
Line the crust with foil and fill it with dry beans or pie weights. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and remove the weights and foil. Return the crust to the oven for 15 minutes more until the crust is fully baked, crisp, and golden. Remove from the oven and cool completely.
Filling
Pour the coconut milk into a 2-quart pot, and whisk over low heat to melt any lumps. When melted, whisk in the sugar, vanilla, agar powder and turmeric or yellow food coloring. Increase the heat to medium and bring to a boil, then reduce to hold a gentle simmer. Cook, whisking occasionally, for 5 minutes, to melt the sugar and agar completely.
In a cup, whisk the fresh lemon juice with the cornstarch. Slowly pour into the simmering pot, whisking until the mixture thickens and comes to a boil. Lower the heat and whisk for 1 minute more to thicken. Stir in the lemon zest. Scrape the filling into the cooled pie crust and place in the refrigerator to set.
Meringue
Preheat the broiler. Place a rack so that the top of the pie (it will be tall) will be about 3 inches from the heat. For the meringue, place the aquafaba, cream of tartar and 1/4 cup sugar in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or a large bowl with an electric beater. Mix on low for a minute to combine well, then turn the speed to medium-high. Whip for 10 minutes, until the mixture is light and glossy. Gradually whip in the remaining sugar, a tablespoon at a time, sprinkling the sugar very slowly over the surface of the mixture for at least a full second before adding the next tablespoon. The mixture will be billowy and shiny. Whip in the vanilla at the end, just to mix it in well.
Dollop the meringue mixture over the lemon filling and spread it decoratively. Don't make very deep indentations in the meringue, as the broiler will not reach them to brown them. If you have a creme brulee torch, you can make any shapes you want and use the torch to brown everything evenly.
To brown the meringue, place on the rack and leave the door open as you monitor the browning, turning the pie every few seconds. It will brown very quickly, so don't look away. As soon as it is golden and toasted, remove the pie from the oven.
Refrigerate the pie to set the topping for at least an hour before slicing. Serve cold. Keeps in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Tips & Notes
To prevent grittiness in meringue, it’s best to use sugar that’s more finely ground than standard granulated sugar. For a 3/4 cup yield measure out 3/4 cup plus an additional 2 teaspoons, to compensate for smaller granules. Grind the sugar for about 30 seconds in a blender, food processor or clean coffee grinder. Do not overgrind or you’ll end up with powdered sugar.
A Savory Take: French Leek Pie With Gruyere Cheese
This savory tart is perfect for lunch or brunch. It's simple to make and is easily varied with a few ingredient swaps.
Ingredients
1 9-inch prepared pie crust
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 leeks, trimmed, cleaned and sliced in 1/2-inch pieces (about 3 1/2 to 4 cups)
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/4 cup water
Salt and pepper
1 cup half and half
2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Prick the pie crust several times with a fork and prebake the pie crust for 12-15 minutes. Let the crust cool before filling.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the leeks for 5-6 minutes. Add the tarragon, water and a pinch of salt and pepper and sauté another 5 minutes until the leeks are tender. Remove from heat and stir in the half and half and shredded cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste, and then pour the mixture into the prebaked pie shell. Bake the pie for 40-50 minutes. Let the pie sit for 15 minutes before slicing.
Serving Suggestion
This thin savory tart, accompanied by potato leek soup (a great way to use the rest of the bunch of leeks) or a salad, makes a delicious weekend brunch or lunch. For an easy variation, try adding crumbled cooked bacon, layer in some tomatoes and use shredded Mozzarella in place of the Gruyere.
Something New: Apple Dumplings With Cider-Cinnamon Sauce
These cranberry-and-hazelnut-stuffed dumplings are like having your own personal apple pie. You can purchase the pastry or make your own.
Ingredients
Apple Dumplings
2 tablespoons chopped dried cranberries
2 tablespoons chopped hazelnuts
1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
6 crisp, tart apples like Granny Smith or Pink Lady, peeled and cored
3 tablespoons butter
Pastry Dough for Apple Dumplings (see recipe below)
Apple Cider-Cinnamon Sauce
1 cup granulated unrefined sugar
1 cup apple cider
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons butter
Pastry Dough for Apple Dumplings
2 cups unbleached white flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup unsalted butter
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375° F.
For Pastry Dough
Combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Using a pastry cutter or your food processor, cut in the butter until the texture resembles coarse cornmeal. Stir in the milk until a soft dough is achieved.
Form the dough into a square, about 1-inch thick and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Roll out as directed.
For the Apple Dumplings and Sauce
Combine the cranberries, hazelnuts and maple syrup and stuff the center of each apple with the mixture. Top each with a pat of butter.
Roll out the pastry to 1/8-inch thick and cut into 6 squares, about 7 inches each. Place one apple in the center of each square and bring the corners up to meet in the middle. Crimp all the edges to seal well. Place the dumplings in a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and set aside while you make the sauce.
Place sugar, apple cider, lemon juice, cinnamon and remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan and boil for 1 minute.
Pour cider sauce over dumplings. Bake for about 1 hour, spooning sauce over dumplings once or twice during baking. Serve dumplings in dessert dishes with sauce spooned over.
Serving Suggestions
Delicious served with ice cream or your favorite local cheese.
Reprinted with permission by strongertogether.coop