A rotating pie case in the window is the single most reliable sign that a place is worth stopping for. It says somebody arrived early enough to roll dough, cook custard and wait for hot fruit to cool before the lunch crowd showed up. These 33 recipes stock that imaginary case with flaky fruit pies, tall cream pies, quiet egg custards, nut pies, cold icebox wedges and one molasses-heavy shoofly. The first recipe is the all-purpose butter crust that handles nearly every 9-inch pastry pie here; the crumb-crust and oven-free pies get their own foundations. Fruit stops at twelve choices, because a real case needs chocolate, coconut, butterscotch and lemon to break up the rows of berries. Cut any warm fruit pie too soon and it will run, so make room on the counter and accept that cooling is part of the recipe.
All-Purpose Flaky Pie Crust
One batch makes a double crust or two single shells, so this is the dough to learn before choosing a filling. Keep the butter cold enough to stay visible in flat pieces. Those streaks melt in the oven and make the layers; blending them smooth defeats the whole job.
All-Purpose Flaky Pie Crust
Ingredients
Method
- Whisk the flour, sugar and salt in a wide bowl.
- Cut in the cold butter until flat pieces ranging from pea to almond size remain.
- Stir the vinegar into 7 tablespoons ice water, drizzle it over the flour, and toss until the dough holds when squeezed, adding up to 2 tablespoons more water only to dry patches.
- Divide the dough into 2 disks, wrap them, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before rolling.
- For a fully baked single shell, roll one disk into a 12-inch circle, fit it in a 9-inch plate, crimp, chill for 20 minutes, line with parchment, and fill with the pie weights.
- Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes, remove the weights and parchment, and bake for 8 to 10 minutes more until the bottom is dry and golden; use both chilled disks unbaked when a double-crust recipe directs.
Classic Double-Crust Apple Pie
Apple pie needs a filling that slices instead of running and apples that stay recognizable. A mix of tart and sweet baking fruit handles both. Let the finished pie cool for three hours, which is harder than making it but more important than another spoonful of flour.
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Classic Double-Crust Apple Pie
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 425°F with a rimmed sheet pan on the lower rack.
- Toss the apples with the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon juice.
- Roll one dough disk into a 12-inch circle, fit it into a 9-inch pie plate, and mound in the apples before dotting them with butter.
- Roll the second disk, cover the pie, trim and crimp the edge, cut 5 steam vents, and brush with egg wash.
- Set the pie on the hot pan, bake for 20 minutes, lower the heat to 375°F, and bake 40 to 45 minutes more until thick juice bubbles through the vents.
- Cool for at least 3 hours before slicing.
Sour Cherry Lattice Pie
Tart cherries make the bright red slice every diner case needs. Cornstarch sets the juice cleanly without making it cloudy, and almond extract backs up the cherry flavor without announcing itself. The lattice can look handmade; evenly spaced strips matter more than perfection.
Sour Cherry Lattice Pie
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 400°F with a rimmed sheet pan on the lower rack.
- Toss the cherries with the sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and almond extract and let them stand for 10 minutes.
- Roll one dough disk into a 12-inch circle, fit it in a 9-inch pie plate, add the filling, and dot with butter.
- Roll the second disk and cut it into 10 strips, weave a loose lattice over the fruit, trim and crimp the edge, and brush the pastry with egg wash.
- Bake on the hot pan for 20 minutes, lower the oven to 375°F, and bake 30 to 35 minutes more until the center bubbles for at least 5 minutes.
- Cool for 3 hours before cutting so the cherry juice sets.
Blueberry Pie with Lemon
Blueberry filling can look set around the rim while the middle is still soup. Wait for slow bubbles in the center, not just at the edge. Lemon keeps six cups of berries from tasting flat, but the finished pie still belongs to the blueberries.
Blueberry Pie with Lemon
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 425°F with a rimmed sheet pan on the lower rack.
- Toss the blueberries with the sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, lemon juice and cinnamon.
- Roll one dough disk into a 12-inch circle, fit it into a 9-inch plate, add the berries, and dot with butter.
- Cover with the second rolled crust, trim and crimp, cut 5 vents, and brush with egg wash.
- Bake for 20 minutes, lower the oven to 375°F, and bake 35 to 40 minutes more until thick bubbles rise through the center vents.
- Cool for at least 3 hours before slicing.
Fresh Peach Pie
Peach pie goes wrong when wet fruit meets too little thickener. Instant tapioca absorbs the juice while leaving it clear and glossy. Give it fifteen minutes with the sliced peaches before filling the crust so the pearls begin to soften.
Fresh Peach Pie
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 425°F with a rimmed sheet pan on the lower rack.
- Toss the peaches with the sugar, tapioca, lemon juice and nutmeg and let them stand for 15 minutes.
- Roll one dough disk into a 12-inch circle, fit it in a 9-inch pie plate, spoon in the peaches, and dot with butter.
- Cover with the second rolled crust, crimp, cut steam vents, and brush with egg wash.
- Bake for 20 minutes, lower the oven to 375°F, and bake 35 to 40 minutes more until the center filling bubbles thickly.
- Cool for 3 hours before serving.
Blackberry Lattice Pie
Blackberries make a dark, jammy filling with seeds and all; straining them would turn this into a different pie. A wide lattice lets steam escape so the bottom crust has a chance. Protect the rim with foil if it browns before the center boils.
Blackberry Lattice Pie
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 400°F with a rimmed sheet pan on the lower rack.
- Toss the blackberries gently with the sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and salt.
- Fit one rolled dough disk into a 9-inch pie plate, add the filling, and dot with butter.
- Cut the second rolled disk into strips, weave a lattice, trim and crimp the edge, and brush the pastry with egg wash.
- Bake for 20 minutes, lower the oven to 375°F, and bake 30 to 35 minutes more until bubbles rise in the center gaps.
- Cool for 3 hours so the berry filling can set.
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Rhubarb gives strawberries the tart backbone they need in a hot pie. Equal amounts keep the filling from becoming either vegetable-sharp or candy-sweet. The tapioca needs a short rest in the raw fruit, and the baked pie needs an even longer one on the counter.
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 425°F with a rimmed sheet pan on the lower rack.
- Toss the strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, tapioca and lemon juice and let the mixture stand for 15 minutes.
- Fit one rolled dough disk into a 9-inch plate, add the fruit, and dot with butter.
- Cover with the second rolled crust, trim and crimp, cut 5 vents, and brush with egg wash.
- Bake for 20 minutes, lower the oven to 375°F, and bake 35 to 40 minutes more until the center bubbles thickly.
- Cool for at least 4 hours before slicing.
Pear Cranberry Ginger Pie
Pears bring honeyed softness, cranberries bring sharp little bursts and ginger keeps the combination from tasting like canned holiday sauce. Use pears that yield slightly at the neck but are not soft. Overripe fruit turns the bottom crust wet before the cranberries finish popping.
Pear Cranberry Ginger Pie
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 425°F with a rimmed sheet pan on the lower rack.
- Toss the pears, cranberries, sugar, cornstarch, ginger and lemon juice.
- Fit one rolled dough disk into a 9-inch pie plate, add the filling, and dot with butter.
- Cover with the second rolled crust, trim and crimp, cut steam vents, and brush with egg wash.
- Bake for 20 minutes, lower the oven to 375°F, and bake 35 to 40 minutes more until the cranberries burst and thick juice bubbles through the vents.
- Cool for 3 hours before cutting.
Concord Grape Pie
Concord grape pie is a little work and tastes like no other fruit filling: dark, floral and almost winey. Slip the skins, strain the seeds from the cooked pulp and put the skins back. That old method preserves both color and texture instead of leaving a mouthful of hard seeds.
Concord Grape Pie
Ingredients
Method
- Squeeze each grape so the pulp slips into a saucepan and reserve all of the purple skins in a bowl.
- Cook the pulp for 8 minutes until it releases its seeds, press it through a coarse sieve, and discard the seeds.
- Combine the strained pulp with the reserved skins, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and salt and cool for 15 minutes while heating the oven to 400°F.
- Fit one rolled dough disk into a 9-inch plate, add the grape filling, dot with butter, and cover with the second rolled crust.
- Trim and crimp, cut vents, brush with egg wash, and bake for 20 minutes before lowering the oven to 375°F.
- Bake 30 to 35 minutes more until the center bubbles, then cool for 4 hours before slicing.
Golden Pineapple Pie
Pineapple pie belongs in the same sweet-tart lane as lemon, but with chewy bits of fruit under a flaky lid. Drain crushed pineapple thoroughly, then cook the filling before it meets the pastry. Raw canned juice will soak straight through the bottom crust.
Golden Pineapple Pie
Ingredients
Method
- Whisk the reserved pineapple juice, sugar, cornstarch and salt in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until bubbling and thick.
- Stir in the drained pineapple, lemon juice and butter, cook for 2 minutes, and cool for 20 minutes while heating the oven to 400°F.
- Fit one rolled dough disk into a 9-inch plate and add the cooled pineapple filling.
- Cover with the second rolled crust, trim and crimp, cut steam vents, and brush with egg wash.
- Bake for 20 minutes, lower the oven to 375°F, and bake 25 to 30 minutes more until the crust is deep golden and the filling bubbles.
- Cool for 3 hours before slicing.
Fresh Strawberry Glaze Pie
This is the shiny red spring pie made from actual berries, not a tub of prepared glaze. One cup of crushed strawberries cooks into the binder while the rest stay fresh and whole. Chill it just until set; overnight storage makes the crust and berries softer.
Fresh Strawberry Glaze Pie
Ingredients
Method
- Crush 1 cup of the strawberries in a saucepan and leave the remaining 5 cups whole or halved only if large.
- Whisk the sugar, water, cornstarch, lemon juice and salt into the crushed berries.
- Cook over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes, whisking, until the glaze turns translucent and bubbles thickly.
- Cool the glaze for 20 minutes, fold it gently through the remaining berries, and mound them in the cooled crust.
- Refrigerate for 3 hours until the glaze is set enough to slice, and serve the same day.
Deep Chocolate Cream Pie
Chocolate cream pie needs a custard dark enough to stand up to whipped cream. Cocoa gives depth and chopped chocolate gives a clean set without gelatin. Keep whisking once it boils; starch thickens only after that first real bubble.
Deep Chocolate Cream Pie
Ingredients
Method
- Whisk the milk, granulated sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, salt and egg yolks in a heavy saucepan until smooth.
- Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the custard boils, then continue for 1 minute.
- Remove from the heat, stir in the chocolate, butter and vanilla until smooth, and pour into the cooled crust.
- Press parchment directly on the filling and refrigerate for at least 5 hours.
- Beat the cream and powdered sugar to soft peaks, spoon it over the chilled pie in a simple uneven layer, and slice with a hot dry knife.
Toasted Coconut Cream Pie
Coconut belongs in the custard, not just on top where it can fool you for one bite. Toasting half makes the flavor deeper while leaving half pale and chewy. Cool the filling before the whipped cream goes on or the cream slides toward the crust.
Toasted Coconut Cream Pie
Ingredients
Method
- Toast 3/4 cup coconut in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for 4 to 5 minutes until patchy golden.
- Whisk the milk, granulated sugar, cornstarch, salt and egg yolks in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until boiling and thick.
- Boil for 1 minute while whisking, remove from the heat, and stir in the butter, vanilla, untoasted coconut and half the toasted coconut.
- Pour the filling into the crust, press parchment on the surface, and refrigerate for 5 hours.
- Beat the cream and powdered sugar to soft peaks, spread over the pie, and scatter the remaining toasted coconut evenly over the cream.
Old-Fashioned Banana Cream Pie
Bananas go under the custard so every slice gets fruit without a gray layer on top. Use ripe yellow bananas that are still firm enough to cut cleanly. The warm vanilla filling seals them away from some air, but this pie is still best within a day.
Old-Fashioned Banana Cream Pie
Ingredients
Method
- Arrange the banana slices in 2 snug layers across the bottom of the cooled crust.
- Whisk the milk, granulated sugar, cornstarch, salt and egg yolks in a heavy saucepan.
- Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the custard bubbles, then boil for 1 minute.
- Remove from the heat, stir in the butter and vanilla, pour the warm custard over the bananas, and press parchment on the surface.
- Refrigerate for 5 hours, then beat the cream and powdered sugar to soft peaks and spread it over the chilled filling.
Salted Peanut Butter Cream Pie
Peanut butter can make a pie dense enough to stick to the roof of your mouth. A milk custard keeps this filling sliceable and light, while salted peanuts bring back some crunch. Use standard smooth peanut butter; separated natural butter can make the custard oily.
Salted Peanut Butter Cream Pie
Ingredients
Method
- Whisk the milk, granulated sugar, cornstarch, salt and egg yolks in a heavy saucepan.
- Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture boils, then continue for 1 minute.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the peanut butter, butter and vanilla until completely smooth.
- Pour into the crust, press parchment on the surface, and refrigerate for at least 5 hours.
- Beat the cream and powdered sugar to soft peaks, spread it over the filling, and add the chopped peanuts in one even layer.
Brown Sugar Butterscotch Cream Pie
Real butterscotch starts with dark brown sugar and butter, not a yellow pudding mix. The filling should taste toasted and a little salty beneath the whipped cream. Keep the heat at medium; scorched milk turns the whole pie bitter.
Brown Sugar Butterscotch Cream Pie
Ingredients
Method
- Whisk the brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, milk and egg yolks in a heavy saucepan until smooth.
- Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly and scraping the corners, until the custard boils.
- Boil for 1 minute, remove from the heat, and stir in the butter and vanilla.
- Pour into the crust, press parchment directly on the filling, and refrigerate for at least 5 hours.
- Beat the cream and powdered sugar to soft peaks and spread it over the chilled pie just before serving.
Crackled-Top Buttermilk Pie
Buttermilk pie has a lemony custard under a thin, browned skin that cracks when the fork goes in. Pull it while the middle still gives a small wobble. If the center rises like a dome and splits, the eggs have gone too far.
Crackled-Top Buttermilk Pie
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F and set the unbaked crust on a rimmed sheet pan.
- Whisk the eggs, sugar and flour for 1 minute until smooth.
- Whisk in the melted butter gradually, then add the buttermilk, lemon juice, vanilla, nutmeg and salt.
- Pour the filling into the crust and bake for 50 to 55 minutes until the top is golden, the edges are set and the center wobbles slightly.
- Cool for at least 3 hours before slicing so the custard sets cleanly.
Southern Chess Pie
Chess pie is sweet, plain and proud of both facts. Cornmeal rises into the faintly crisp top while vinegar keeps the sugar from tasting one-note. It needs no whipped topping and no story about where the name came from to justify another slice.
Southern Chess Pie
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F and set the crust on a rimmed sheet pan.
- Whisk the eggs and sugar until smooth but not foamy.
- Whisk in the butter, milk, cornmeal, flour, vinegar, vanilla and salt.
- Pour into the crust and bake for 45 to 50 minutes until the top is golden and the center moves as one small wobble.
- Cool for at least 3 hours before cutting.
Lemon Meringue Pie
A sharp lemon filling and meringue that reaches the crust edge solve most of this pie’s problems. Spread the meringue while the filling is piping hot so the layers bond. Leave gaps and beads of syrup usually show up by dinner.
Lemon Meringue Pie
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F and whisk 1 cup sugar, the cornstarch, salt and water in a saucepan.
- Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbling, whisk 1 cup of the hot mixture into the egg yolks, then return everything to the pan and boil for 1 minute.
- Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon juice, zest and butter, and immediately pour the hot filling into the crust.
- Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar to soft peaks, gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, and beat to glossy stiff peaks.
- Spread the meringue over the hot filling all the way to the crust edge and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until browned and 160°F.
- Cool for 1 hour, then refrigerate for 3 hours before slicing.
Key Lime Pie
Key lime pie should be pale yellow-green from juice and yolks, never neon. Condensed milk gives the filling its dense clean slice while a short bake sets the eggs. Regular Persian lime juice works when Key limes are scarce; bottled cocktail mixer does not.
Key Lime Pie
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F and mix the graham crumbs, granulated sugar and melted butter.
- Press the mixture firmly into a 9-inch pie plate and bake for 8 minutes.
- Whisk the condensed milk, egg yolks, lime juice and zest until thick and pour into the warm crust.
- Bake for 15 to 17 minutes until the edge is set and the center trembles slightly, then cool and refrigerate for 4 hours.
- Beat the cream and powdered sugar to soft peaks and spread a plain layer over the chilled filling.
Nutmeg Egg Custard Pie
Egg custard pie is a test of stopping on time. The filling should quiver in the center and finish setting on the counter, not bake until it puffs and curdles. Fresh nutmeg on top gives the pale slice enough character without hiding the custard.
Nutmeg Egg Custard Pie
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F and set the partially baked crust on a rimmed sheet pan.
- Whisk the eggs, sugar and salt just until smooth without making foam.
- Whisk in the warm milk and vanilla gradually.
- Pour the custard into the crust and sprinkle the nutmeg evenly over the surface.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the outer 2 inches are set, the center quivers, and the filling reaches 175°F.
- Cool completely before slicing.
Brown Sugar Sweet Potato Pie
Sweet potato pie should taste like roasted sweet potato first and warm spice second. Baking the potatoes keeps water out of the filling, while brown sugar adds a faint molasses edge. Blend until smooth, then stop before beating in a lot of air.
Brown Sugar Sweet Potato Pie
Ingredients
Method
- Bake the sweet potatoes at 400°F for 50 to 60 minutes until completely soft, then cool, peel, and measure 2 cups flesh.
- Lower the oven to 350°F and set the crust on a rimmed sheet pan.
- Beat the sweet potato, brown sugar and butter until smooth, then mix in the eggs one at a time.
- Add the evaporated milk, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, vanilla and salt and mix only until uniform.
- Pour into the crust and bake for 50 to 55 minutes until the edges are set and the center wobbles slightly.
- Cool for 3 hours before slicing.
Classic Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin pie needs enough spice to smell like fall and enough salt to keep the filling from tasting flat. Evaporated milk gives a steady custard without excess water. A small center wobble is right; a cracked ring near the crust means it stayed in too long.
Classic Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 425°F and set the crust on a rimmed sheet pan.
- Whisk the pumpkin, brown sugar, eggs, evaporated milk, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt and vanilla until smooth.
- Pour the filling into the crust and bake for 15 minutes.
- Lower the oven to 350°F without opening the door and bake for 40 to 45 minutes more until the outer filling is set and the center wobbles slightly.
- Cool for at least 3 hours before slicing.
Classic Pecan Pie
Pecan pie should have toasted nuts across the top and a soft set underneath, not a layer of sugary liquid. Toast the pecans before filling and cool the pie completely. Warm slices are delicious, but they slump all over the plate.
Classic Pecan Pie
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F, spread the pecans on a sheet pan, and toast them for 7 minutes until fragrant.
- Arrange the warm pecans in the unbaked crust.
- Whisk the eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, melted butter, bourbon, vanilla and salt until smooth.
- Pour the filling slowly over the pecans and set the pie on a rimmed sheet pan.
- Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until the edges are set and the center moves as one soft wobble.
- Cool for at least 4 hours before slicing.
Chocolate Walnut Pie
Walnuts and bittersweet chocolate turn a syrup pie darker and less sweet than the usual pecan version. Chop the chocolate instead of using a smooth layer, so pockets run through the filling. A little espresso powder makes the chocolate taste deeper without making the pie taste like coffee.
Chocolate Walnut Pie
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F and scatter the walnuts and chopped chocolate evenly in the crust.
- Whisk the eggs, corn syrup, brown sugar, melted butter, espresso powder, vanilla and salt until smooth.
- Pour the filling over the nuts and chocolate and set the pie on a rimmed sheet pan.
- Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until the edge is firm and the center gives one soft wobble.
- Cool for at least 4 hours before slicing so the chocolate-nut filling sets.
Salted Honey Peanut Pie
Roasted peanuts make a rougher, saltier pie-case slice than pecans, and honey keeps the filling from tasting like straight corn syrup. Use unsalted butter and salted nuts so the seasoning stays predictable. The top should look crowded and bronzed, not black at the rim.
Salted Honey Peanut Pie
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 350°F and spread the peanuts evenly in the crust.
- Whisk the eggs, honey, brown sugar, melted butter, flour, vanilla and salt until no flour lumps remain.
- Pour the filling slowly over the peanuts and place the pie on a rimmed sheet pan.
- Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until the edges are set and the center wobbles as one piece.
- Cool for at least 4 hours before cutting with a sharp serrated knife.
No-Bake Lemon Icebox Pie
This is the cold, dense lemon pie for days when the oven stays off. Cream cheese gives the condensed-milk filling enough structure to cut, while whipped cream keeps it from feeling heavy. Fresh juice is nonnegotiable; bottled shelf juice leaves a blunt aftertaste.
No-Bake Lemon Icebox Pie
Ingredients
Method
- Mix the graham crumbs, granulated sugar and melted butter and press them firmly into a 9-inch pie plate.
- Refrigerate the crust for 20 minutes while beating the cream cheese until smooth.
- Beat in the condensed milk, lemon juice and zest until the filling thickens.
- Beat the heavy cream and powdered sugar to soft peaks and fold two-thirds of it into the lemon mixture.
- Spread the filling in the crust, add the remaining whipped cream in a plain layer, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before slicing.
Chocolate Wafer Icebox Pie
Chocolate wafers soften into cake-like layers after a night against cocoa whipped cream. The pie looks almost too simple when assembled, which is exactly right. Give it eight hours in the refrigerator; two hours leaves cookies that crack against the fork.
Chocolate Wafer Icebox Pie
Ingredients
Method
- Crush 3 ounces of the chocolate wafers and press the crumbs firmly into the bottom of a 9-inch pie plate.
- Beat the cream, powdered sugar, cocoa, vanilla and salt to medium peaks.
- Spread a thin layer of cocoa cream over the crumbs and stand the remaining whole wafers in overlapping circles with cream between each layer.
- Cover the wafers with the remaining cocoa cream and smooth the top with natural swirls.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours until the wafers cut like tender cake.
Strawberry Pretzel Icebox Pie
Salty pretzels, a tangy cream-cheese layer and fresh berries make a diner-potluck pie that earns the sweet-and-salty label. Keep the pretzel crumbs coarse enough to crunch. The cream layer has to cover the crust edge to edge so strawberry juice cannot soak underneath.
Strawberry Pretzel Icebox Pie
Ingredients
Method
- Mix the pretzel crumbs, melted butter and granulated sugar and press them firmly into a 9-inch pie plate; refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth, beat 1 cup cream with the vanilla to stiff peaks, and fold it into the cream cheese.
- Spread the cream mixture over the crust all the way to the edge and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Dissolve the gelatin in the boiling water, stir in the cold water, and refrigerate for 25 minutes until cool and slightly thickened.
- Arrange the strawberries over the cream layer, pour over the gelatin, and refrigerate for at least 5 hours.
- Beat the remaining 1 cup cream to soft peaks and spoon a modest layer over the set pie before slicing.
Millionaire Pie
Millionaire pie is a cold, unapologetically mid-century mix of pineapple, coconut, pecans and cream. Drain the pineapple until it stops dripping or the filling never firms up. It should cut as a soft frozen-looking wedge, not stand like cheesecake.
Millionaire Pie
Ingredients
Method
- Mix the graham crumbs, melted butter and granulated sugar and press them into a 9-inch pie plate.
- Refrigerate the crust for 20 minutes while beating the cream cheese and condensed milk until smooth.
- Fold in the well-drained pineapple, coconut, pecans and lemon juice.
- Beat the heavy cream to medium peaks and fold it into the pineapple mixture in 3 additions.
- Spread the filling into the crust and refrigerate for at least 8 hours before cutting.
Grasshopper Pie
Grasshopper pie is minty, pale green and built on chocolate crumbs, a combination that never pretends to be subtle. Melt the marshmallows gently and cool them before folding in cream. Warm filling collapses the air and turns a fluffy pie into a rubbery one.
Grasshopper Pie
Ingredients
Method
- Mix the chocolate crumbs and melted butter and press them firmly into a 9-inch pie plate; refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Melt the marshmallows with the milk in a saucepan over low heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring until smooth.
- Remove from the heat, stir in both liqueurs and the salt, and cool for 25 minutes until no longer warm.
- Beat the heavy cream to medium peaks and fold it into the marshmallow mixture in 3 additions.
- Spread the filling in the crust and refrigerate for at least 6 hours before slicing.
Frozen Mocha Pie
This pie lands between coffee ice cream and chocolate mousse, with enough cream cheese to keep the frozen slice from shattering. Dissolve the espresso before mixing or bitter granules show up in the filling. Give each slice ten minutes at room temperature before eating.
Frozen Mocha Pie
Ingredients
Method
- Mix the chocolate crumbs and melted butter and press them firmly into a 9-inch pie plate; freeze for 15 minutes.
- Beat the cream cheese, condensed milk and cocoa until smooth.
- Dissolve the espresso in the hot water and beat it into the cream-cheese mixture with the vanilla and salt.
- Beat the heavy cream to medium peaks and fold it into the mocha mixture, then fold in the mini chocolate chips.
- Spread the filling in the crust and freeze for at least 8 hours, then stand each slice at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.
Wet-Bottom Shoofly Pie
Shoofly pie puts a sandy brown-sugar crumb over a dark molasses bottom that stays pleasantly sticky. Pour the liquid into the crust before scattering the crumbs so the layers form on their own. Blackstrap molasses is too bitter here; use regular unsulphured molasses.
Wet-Bottom Shoofly Pie
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the oven to 400°F and set the unbaked crust on a rimmed sheet pan.
- Rub the flour, brown sugar and cold butter together until coarse crumbs form.
- Whisk the molasses, hot water, baking soda, egg and salt in a separate bowl until foamy.
- Pour the molasses mixture into the crust and scatter the crumbs evenly over the top without stirring.
- Bake for 15 minutes, lower the oven to 350°F, and bake 25 to 30 minutes more until the crumb top is set but the center still gives slightly.
- Cool for at least 3 hours before slicing.
One crust recipe that works for most of these
The all-purpose crust at the top of the list makes two 9-inch single shells or one double-crust pie. Use both disks for apple, cherry and the other covered fruit pies. Use one disk for a custard, cream or nut pie and freeze the second disk for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen dough overnight in the refrigerator, not on the counter, so the butter stays cold while the center softens. A disk needs about 30 minutes of chilling before rolling and another 20 minutes after it is fitted into the plate. That second chill relaxes the gluten and reduces slumping.
Roll from the center outward and turn the dough a quarter turn every few strokes. Add only a light dusting of flour; a gray floury crust is usually a dry one. The finished circle should be roughly 12 inches across for a 9-inch plate and an even one-eighth inch thick. Lower it into the corners rather than stretching it, because stretched pastry shrinks back in the oven. Patch a tear with a dampened scrap and move on. For a double crust, leave about a half-inch overhang and crimp both layers together. For a single crust, fold the overhang under itself before crimping so the rim has enough structure to stand above a liquid filling. A glass pie plate gives the clearest view of bottom browning; a metal plate browns fastest.
Blind baking, and when you actually need to
Blind baking means baking a crust with no filling in it, using parchment and weights to keep the bottom flat and the sides upright. Fully bake the shell for chocolate, coconut, banana, peanut butter, butterscotch and fresh strawberry pies because those fillings are cooked on the stove or chilled and will never return the crust to the oven. The crust should be dry and golden all the way across the bottom, not merely tan at the rim. Cool it completely before adding cream filling or fresh fruit.
Partially bake a shell for a delicate custard when you want insurance against a pale bottom. Bake the weighted crust for about 15 minutes at 375°F, remove the parchment and weights, prick any bubble, and bake 3 to 5 minutes more until the surface looks dry but not brown. Then add the filling and continue with its recipe. Double-crust fruit pies do not need blind baking; the hot sheet-pan method gives their bottom crust direct heat while the filling cooks. Pecan, chess, pumpkin and shoofly can also begin in a raw shell because they bake long enough to cook it, though a metal plate helps. Never pour hot filling into a frozen glass plate, and do not skip the post-rolling chill. Pie weights can hold the center down, but they cannot stop warm butter from melting before the pastry structure sets.
Questions people ask
Why does my fruit pie run when I cut it?
The center may not have reached a full bubble, or the pie may still be warm. Starch needs heat to thicken and then several hours of cooling to set. Watch for slow bubbles in the center vents and cool most fruit pies for at least 3 hours.
How do I keep the bottom crust from getting soggy?
Start with cold dough, avoid watery fruit and bake double-crust pies on a preheated metal sheet pan. Fully blind-bake shells for chilled cream fillings. Brushing on egg or adding extra flour cannot rescue a filling that contains a cup of unaccounted juice.
Can I make pie dough ahead?
Yes. Wrapped dough disks hold for 3 days in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer. Let refrigerated dough sit for 5 to 10 minutes only if it cracks hard at the edges when rolling.
Why did my custard pie crack?
It probably baked past the point of a gentle center wobble. Egg custards keep cooking from retained heat after they leave the oven, so a rigid center is already overdone. Use the temperature cues in the recipe and cool the pie away from strong drafts.
How long can cream pie sit out?
Keep cream, custard and meringue pies refrigerated and return them to the refrigerator within 2 hours. Fruit and nut pies tolerate the counter better, but cover them after they are completely cool. For clean slices, use a hot knife wiped dry between cuts.
