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What’s your favorite fall pie? We put together this list of popular options.
1. PIE TYPE
What type of pie do you hanker for? For the autumn season, we particularly like:
Apple and apple combinations, such as apple-cranberry and apple-pear
Caramel apple, pear, pecan, etc.
Cherry pie
Maple-nut
Maple-pear
Pecan and other nut pies (almond, hazelnut, macadamia, walnut)
Pumpkin, squash and sweet potato pies
You can take any pie you like and tailor it to your aesthetic preferences. Just follow this simple guide.
2. PIE FORMAT
Next, pick a shape:
Conventional round pie
Deep dish pie
Galette
Hand pie
Pan pie
Slab pie
3. PIE CRUST TYPE
There are choices beyond the classic flaky pâte brisée. A soft, tender crust, it is made of flour, water and fat, and designed for moist fillings.
(Pâte sablée, tart dough, makes a harder, cookie-like crust. The fat, typically butter, is creamed together with sugar; then the eggs and flour are added.)
But step away from the tried-and-true, and consider other choices:
Cake batter crust
Cereal crusts: corn flakes, granola
Cheddar cheese crust
Cinnamon roll crust, made with sliced cinnamon roll dough
Coconut crust
Cream cheese crust
Crushed cookie crust: Biscoff, chocolate wafer, graham cracker, gingersnap, oatmeal, shortbread, sugar cookoie, vanilla wafers
Dried fruit crust, with chopped dried cherries, cranberries or other fruit(s)
Nut and seed crusts, including salted almond and pecan. The nuts or seeds are mixed with flour, but can be all nut for a gluten-free crust.
Pretzel crust
Surprise crust, with candy (e.g. M&Ms) on the bottom
Other flour crust: gluten-free, whole wheat, etc.
Note that some fruits, e.g. blood orange, simply go better with a tart crust.
PIE CRUST RIMS
What type of edge (rim) do you like on your crust? Photo #1 will give you some ideas (there’s a larger version of it below).
Braided edge
Classic fluted rim/rope crimp
Finger crimp
Folded/pleated edge
Fork tines, parallel, chevron, crosshatch
Scallop crust (made with the tip of a spoon)
TOP CRUST
You can add festivity to the top crust with :
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[1] Different crust styles; see them more clearly in the photo below (photo courtesy Sur La Table).
[2] Petticoat tail nut shortbread tops a pumpkin pie (photo courtesy La Brea Bakery).
[3] Pie cutters are available in numerous designs, including holiday themes like pumpkins and snowflakes (photo courtesy Nordicware).
[4] Can’t decide? Go for some of everything, like Judy Kim of The Judy Lab.
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Cobblestones, squares of dough like those atop cobblers
Cookies, either design shapes (leaves, flowers) or petticoat tails (photo #2)
Dough appliques
Lattices
Streusel or nut crumble
Stencils (cut-outs—photo #3)
CHECK OUT OUR PIE GLOSSARY FOR THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PIES
Top row: scattered leaf appliques, mini applique edge, lattice. Middle row: applique flowers, classic fluted
edge, applique leaves. Bottom row: stencil cut, braided edge with leaf applique, full leaf applique top.
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