Jaime Stone

BY JAIME STONE

It’s that time again, y’all, time to start preparing for Thanksgiving! Half of you are delighted with the mere thought, while the others are groaning in protest of the food buying, prep work and belaboring over a stove. I understand both camps. As much as I love to bake, why is it so time-consuming? The thought takes all the fun and gratitude right out of my holiday. A few quick recipes can make your Turkey Day so much easier. … You’ll be downright thankful (see what I did there?).

If you’ve never heard of a slab pie, it will change your holiday and leftover situation for the better; I promise. In my small family alone, I get four different pie requests, not counting whoever we invited. A slab pie is my secret weapon to eliminate the need to make and bake separate crusts for all varieties. You make only one pie crust, and, utilizing a cookie sheet, create partitions for each variety of pie. I’ve made slabs with two, three or four sections, and even one where three parts were baked pies, then cooled and filled the fourth with a cold filling. Just think ahead and make adjustments for varying cooking times.

My second gift to you is apple cider syrup, or, as my son calls it, apple pie in a jar. As most good things do, it came to me out of a simple need, and being cheap. Utilizing ingredients I had on hand, we enjoyed delicious fall-inspired waffles on breakfast-for-dinner night. I hope these recipes inspire you to take it easy on yourself this holiday season, while keeping your meals simply delicious!

Slab pie.

Butter Pie Crust Dough

• 2½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more to dust, spooned and leveled • ½ tablespoon granulated sugar • ½ teaspoon sea salt • ½ pound cold, unsalted butter (2 sticks) diced into ¼-inch pieces • 6 tablespoons ice water

1. Place the flour, sugar and salt into a food processor and pulse a few times to combine. You also can use a stand mixer, or go old-fashioned with a pastry cutter. 2. Add the cold, diced butter and pulse the mixture until coarse crumbs form, with some pea-sized pieces, then stop mixing. The mixture should remain dry and powdery. 3. Add 6 tablespoons of cold water (avoid adding the ice to dough), and pulse just until moist clumps or small balls form. Press a piece of dough between your fingertips and, if the dough sticks together, you have added enough water. If not, add more water one teaspoon at a time. Be careful not to add too much water, or the dough will be sticky and difficult to roll out. 4. Transfer the dough to a clean work surface, and gather the dough together into a ball.

It should not be smooth; do not knead the dough. Divide the dough in half and flatten to form a rectangle. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour before using. This can be made ahead for the following day, to save precious time.

Pumpkin Pie Filling

• 1 15-ounce can plain pumpkin puree • 2 eggs • 1 ¼ cups packed dark brown sugar • 1 tablespoon cornstarch • ½ teaspoon salt • 2 teaspoons cinnamon • ¼ teaspoon fresh nutmeg • ¼ teaspoon cloves • ½ cup cream

Whisk pumpkin, eggs and brown sugar together for 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients, and continue to whisk until well combined. Since this is for a slab pie, this blend will not be as loose as typical pumpkin pie filling, but still will have the same delicious custardy texture. This mixture also can be made ahead, early in the day or the night before, to save time.

Apple Pie Filling

• 6 tart/firm apples, cored, peeled and thinly sliced (I used Pink Lady and Granny Smith) • ½ cup sugar • 1 lemon, zest and juice • ¼ teaspoon cloves • ¼ teaspoon fresh nutmeg • 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Add apple slices to a large bowl, and toss with all ingredients until well coated.

Put It All Together.

1. Preheat the oven to 375. 2. Roll out the pie dough with a rolling pin until it’s about 1-inch larger than a 10-inch by 15inch sheet pan. Don’t let the butter get warm; work as quickly as possible. 3. Position the pie dough neatly in the pan, pressing it into the corners. Use a sharp knife to trim off excesses around the outer edge of the pan. Use the trimmings to make a barrier in the center of the pan to create two defined spaces for the two fillings. 4. Fill one side with apple filling and the other with pumpkin. 5. Use leftover dough to lattice or decorate. I used fall cookie cutters, to decorate the apple side. Brush this top crust with an egg wash for maximum beauty. 6. Bake for 30 minutes. If the crust gets too dark, cover with aluminum foil to stop browning.

Apple Cider Syrup

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon • 2 tablespoons cornstarch • 2 cups apple cider • 4 tablespoons butter

1. In a small, cold pot whisk together the cinnamon and cornstarch. Add the apple cider then turn on low heat, whisking. 2. Slowly increase heat to medium, still whisking.

Once desired thickness is reached, turn off the heat, and whisk in butter until completely combined. 3. Use on pancakes, waffles, ice cream, desserts or anything you desire. Store the leftovers in a glass jar in the refrigerator, and shake well, or gently reheat when needed.

Jaime Stone is a New England native, but feels blessed to call Georgia home since 2015. You can find her in the kitchen or garden with a cup of coffee.

Apple cider syrup.