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Pies for the
Holidays DAZZLE GUESTS WITH A SLICE— OR TWO—OF PASTRY PARADISE BY K AT I E J A N S E N P H OTOS BY E M BAT E M A N , U N L E S S OT H E R W I S E N OT E D
A
s the holidays approach, your to-do list can easily become a mile long with all of the planning, decorating, grocery shopping, gift-wrapping, guest
room prepping and/or hotel booking you have to accomplish. When it comes to dessert, however, local bakers are here to take one thing off your plate—by putting pie on it. From the home-baker-turned-small-business-owner, to the largescale caterer or neighborhood café and bakeshop, Triangle businesses are pulling out all the stops to ensure their customers have a successful holiday season, replete with dazzling and delicious pies. We’ve rounded up five of our favorite pies for the holidays—OK, four pies and an one amazing tart—to help you cut out the research and make an informed decision about what to serve for, arguably, the most important part of the meal. This list includes classics like Grandma’s Chocolate Pie, as well as a creative Cozy Pie offering a flavor combination reminiscent of sitting around a warm fire on a cold winter night. These pies are all available for purchase this holiday season at the participating businesses and restaurants that created them. But if you’re feeling ambitious, we’ve got the recipes for you to bake them from scratch in your own kitchen. (Don’t worry—we won’t tell anyone if you buy one or two and pass them off as homemade. After all, there’s nothing like supporting a local restaurant while also impressing the in-laws!) From a pumpkin tart that will surely become a Thanksgiving staple, to a perfect-for-Christmas pie featuring a gingersnap crust, these pies will send you bustling through the holiday season with confidence (and a fork in hand)! Whether your guests are craving chocolate or passionate about pecan, you’ll have options to impress even the most demanding sweet tooth. You may even find yourself wishing you could lose the turkey or ham and host a pie party instead of Thanksgiving dinner. Our recommendation: Bake (or buy) these pies as quickly as
Catering Works’ Grandma’s Chocolate Pie Ingredients 1 pie shell 1½ teaspoons of vanilla extract 2¼ cups of sugar ¼ teaspoon of iodized salt 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted 4½ tablespoons of cocoa powder 3 eggs Whipped cream, for topping 9 ounces of evaporated milk Directions In a bowl, whisk the sugar with the cocoa powder, butter, beaten eggs, evaporated milk, vanilla and salt until smooth. Pour the filling into the pie shell and bake it for about 45 minutes, until the filling is set around the edges but a little jiggly in the center. Cover the crust with strips of foil halfway through baking. Transfer the pie to a rack and let it cool completely before cutting it. Serve with whipped cream. This pie can be refrigerated overnight, so you can make it ahead of time.
possible and try all five before the holiday season comes to a close!
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