52 Days of Thanksgiving
52 Days of Thanksgiving
Top-notch recipes, expert tips, and all the tools to pull off the year’s most memorable feast.
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19 Comments
Karen L.
November 7, 2018
This looks amazing. I'm going to a Pie Party and wanted to just bring 1 savory pie. Do you think it would taste ok to layer a bit of the turkey, greens, and cranberry in one pie?
Sandy B.
November 16, 2017
I love showstoppers like this! Please challenge one of your cohorts to do a vegetarian version with glutin free crust.
elsiecat
January 28, 2018
Sadly, I don't think it would be possible to do a GF hot water crust. Gluten is the magic ingredient that makes the crust so sturdy and able to hold such heavy and wet fillings. The vegetarian part is easy, though -- Food52 already has a companion recipe using the same crust. Just search this site for Curried Kale, Pumpkin, and Potato Pie.
John
November 12, 2017
Having become an unabashed fan of The Great British Baking Show, I would have to say, Erin, that Paul and Mary would definitely award you "Star Baker" for this Show-Stopper on savory pies week!
Phishstyx
November 11, 2017
very intriguing. my first thought is to adorn the layers with roasted veg (glazed for a festive appearance) to mimic the frosting flowers or marzipan fruit on a wedding cake. I wanna!
Alicia
November 30, 2016
I did this for our Thanksgiving feast and it was a hit! My family was so impressed. It made such a beautiful statement!
The potpie was delicious. the creamed greens were eaten by those who swore they'd never like greens and all were sad that there wasn't enough of the cranberry for them to take some home, like they did the pie and greens.
It took a good bit of time to fix it, but probably no more than fixing the numerous different dishes I usually fix.
The dough I finally figured out. My first batch was exactly like it should have been. My second was kinda greasy like someone else said. But, I had let the water boil instead of just simmer, like the recipe said, so the next batch I made sure that I just simmered the water, instead of bringing it to a full boil.
I will make all of the fillings again because they were such a hit. I won't wait until next Thanksgiving to enjoy them.
I'm looking forward to finding more delicious recipes for our "Italian" Christmas dinner.
Thanks for helping me make such a wonderful surprise for our gathering
The potpie was delicious. the creamed greens were eaten by those who swore they'd never like greens and all were sad that there wasn't enough of the cranberry for them to take some home, like they did the pie and greens.
It took a good bit of time to fix it, but probably no more than fixing the numerous different dishes I usually fix.
The dough I finally figured out. My first batch was exactly like it should have been. My second was kinda greasy like someone else said. But, I had let the water boil instead of just simmer, like the recipe said, so the next batch I made sure that I just simmered the water, instead of bringing it to a full boil.
I will make all of the fillings again because they were such a hit. I won't wait until next Thanksgiving to enjoy them.
I'm looking forward to finding more delicious recipes for our "Italian" Christmas dinner.
Thanks for helping me make such a wonderful surprise for our gathering
Etta
November 24, 2016
Three-Tier Thanksgiving Pie success!!! Sort of...
The pies were stacked just long enough to get a picture before I had to disassemble the tower in order to prevent it from collapsing into a mess all over my cooktop.
I have a few questions about this recipe:
1) Is the flour-to-fat ratio off in the crust? My dough was quite greasy and there was a lot of gease on the baking tray when I removed my pies from the oven. I weighed the ingredients, so my crust was true to the recipe.
2) Are the baking times a bit off? My pies needed an extra 30 mintues in the oven, and the smallest one could have done with a bit longer. The recipe says that the smaller sizes require less baking time. In my experience, all of the pies needed an hour+ in order for the crust to brown.
3) Is the cooling time a bit off? We waited 15 minutes for the pies to cool before stacking them, as instructed by the recipe. The crust was firm but still quite warm. My better judgment advised that we should hold off, but dinner was already an hour late (due in part to the extended baking time), so we pressed on. Near disaster. (And I was very glad not to be cooking for guests.) I did notice that the crust seemed much more sturdy after thie pies had cooled completely. In future, I would wait 30-45 minutes - or until the pies had cooled completely - before attempting to stack them.
Has anyone else tried this recipe and had a similar experience?
(I'm inclined to try it again sometime, but would definitely make some changes.)
The pies were stacked just long enough to get a picture before I had to disassemble the tower in order to prevent it from collapsing into a mess all over my cooktop.
I have a few questions about this recipe:
1) Is the flour-to-fat ratio off in the crust? My dough was quite greasy and there was a lot of gease on the baking tray when I removed my pies from the oven. I weighed the ingredients, so my crust was true to the recipe.
2) Are the baking times a bit off? My pies needed an extra 30 mintues in the oven, and the smallest one could have done with a bit longer. The recipe says that the smaller sizes require less baking time. In my experience, all of the pies needed an hour+ in order for the crust to brown.
3) Is the cooling time a bit off? We waited 15 minutes for the pies to cool before stacking them, as instructed by the recipe. The crust was firm but still quite warm. My better judgment advised that we should hold off, but dinner was already an hour late (due in part to the extended baking time), so we pressed on. Near disaster. (And I was very glad not to be cooking for guests.) I did notice that the crust seemed much more sturdy after thie pies had cooled completely. In future, I would wait 30-45 minutes - or until the pies had cooled completely - before attempting to stack them.
Has anyone else tried this recipe and had a similar experience?
(I'm inclined to try it again sometime, but would definitely make some changes.)
Etta
November 25, 2016
UPDATE: Sufficient cooling is definitely key to successful stacking. The leftover portions of pie that spent the night in the refrigerator are rock solid.
Marisa
November 18, 2016
WOW, just wow. Thank you for inspiring all of us. I would like to try this but I live in Germany and they do not have shortening. And the only lard I have seen in stores is pig lard. Can you advise?
They don't celebrate Thanksgiving in Germany, but I figure I could invite friends over for a Pie-surprise.
They don't celebrate Thanksgiving in Germany, but I figure I could invite friends over for a Pie-surprise.
Jeff P.
November 19, 2016
Hi Marisa,
You should be fine to use pig lard — lard is, by definition, from pigs! The recipe Erin uses, https://food52.com/recipes/64572-hot-water-crust, calls for lard by default too.
Shortening and lard are very similar, at least chemically speaking — neither has water (unlike butter) — and their melting points are close (lard's melting point, 95–113°F / 35–45°C, is lower than shortening, 115-120°F / 46–49°C.) While I haven't tested it, presumably it's the slight difference in melting ranges that make differences. So, if you see other recipes calling for shortening and want to try giving them a try with lard, I would expect they'd usually work, although they'd be more likely to "melt earlier", so things like pie crust might slide down a side of a pan if blind-baked without filler weights.
-Jeff
You should be fine to use pig lard — lard is, by definition, from pigs! The recipe Erin uses, https://food52.com/recipes/64572-hot-water-crust, calls for lard by default too.
Shortening and lard are very similar, at least chemically speaking — neither has water (unlike butter) — and their melting points are close (lard's melting point, 95–113°F / 35–45°C, is lower than shortening, 115-120°F / 46–49°C.) While I haven't tested it, presumably it's the slight difference in melting ranges that make differences. So, if you see other recipes calling for shortening and want to try giving them a try with lard, I would expect they'd usually work, although they'd be more likely to "melt earlier", so things like pie crust might slide down a side of a pan if blind-baked without filler weights.
-Jeff
Peggy
November 18, 2016
Pure brilliance!!! There are only three of us home this year so it was going to be a small unimpressive celebration but now... now it will be spectacular!!! The guys love pie AND pot pies. The bonus is I already own all the equipment!
anniette
November 18, 2016
I've been making all my pies in springform pans, 3 inch high aluminum Magic Lines, since having been served a smooth, high, slice of sweet potato pie at KPaul's in New Orleans thirty years ago. The pie had obviously been made in a springform pan, and it just made so much sense. It was a eureka moment for me, and my pie life has been a confident pleasure since then. As all cooks understand, sometimes when you are served a wonderful meal, there is that one tiny trick you notice and take home, that changes and improves your own game thereafter.
Etta
November 12, 2016
This is amazing! My husband and I are going to give it a try. We're in the process of moving to a different state, and this recipe gives us a fun project to look forward to in our new kitchen. Thank you!
jenniebgood
November 11, 2016
This stopped me dead in my tracks - what a beautiful presentation! Saving this one definitely!
Melissa
November 18, 2016
OMG - genius...and looks fantastic! I don't do a lot of cooking & baking, so this looks overwhelming to me. Ha ha I'd pay someone to make it for me though! Hahahahaha ;)
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