Erin Jeanne McDowell’s Foolproof Tips for Perfect Holiday Pies

Erin Jeanne McDowell, baking expert and Food52 Resident, is no stranger to making pies. She’s written a whole book on the subject (called, literally, The Book on Pie), graced our
Bake It Up a Notch videos with hours of helpful advice, and shared her recipes—including her famous All-Buttah Pie Crust—on our site. And in this month’s episode of her show, Erin’s back with even more tips, all aimed at helping you perfect your pies throughout the fall and holiday season. Rather than focusing on a specific recipe or method, Erin goes through the three main types of fall pies (pecan, pumpkin, and apple) and troubleshoots common issues that occur with each one. That way, you can still reach for your tried-and-true family recipe—but maybe this year, you’ll be sure to avoid a soggy bottomed pie crust or a cracked surface on your custard filling. Here are five of our favorite takeaways from Erin’s video.

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1. Use Pie Weights Correctly

It’s common knowledge that, when par-baking a pie crust, it’s important to weigh it down with dry beans, pie weights, or another heavy, heat-proof material. What I didn’t know is that those weights should not just cover the bottom of the crust—they should also go all the way up the sides, filling the pie dish completely. “We’re not only trying to weigh down the base of the crust so that it doesn’t puff up, we’re also trying to weigh down and support the sides of the crust,” Erin says. It’s a trick that stops the pie crust from slumping and sliding down the sides of the pan during baking.

2. Grab a Kitchen Torch

“If you want a picture-perfect surface on the top of your pie—totally smooth and absolutely beautiful—you want to call in your friend, the kitchen torch,” Erin says about perfecting your pumpkin pie. “We’re going to use that on the surface, and the heat is basically going to draw bubbles to the surface and also help to completely pop them. Be sure you don’t spend too much time doing this—we want to make sure that we’re just using enough heat to pop the bubbles, but not so much that we’re lingering [with] any heat that could start to cook the surface of our pie.”

3. Bake Custard Pies Low & Slow

Custard pies, like pecan and pumpkin, follow a slightly different set of guidelines than their fruit-filled counterparts. In general, custard pies have the best, silkiest texture when they’re cooked—and cooled—gradually. That means baking them low and slow, and letting them cool completely at room temperature before transferring them to the fridge. You’ll also want to account for carryover cooking during baking. “A properly set custard pie will appear set around the outside edge but will be slightly jiggly towards the center,” Erin says. If you leave the whole thing in the oven till it’s completely set, the surface of your pie will be more likely to crack as it cools.

4. Pre-Cook Your Apples

“The key to achieving a nice, crisp bottom crust on a fruit pie is to control the juiciness of your fruit filling,” Erin says, “and my favorite way to do that is by pre-cooking the filling.” Not only does simmering your apples over the stove rid them of excess moisture—it’s also a step you can do a few days in advance. Just store the cooked filling in the fridge until Thanksgiving.

5. Or, Macerate Your Filling

If you’re set on using raw apples for your pie filling, Erin recommends this trick, developed by Rose Levy Beranbaum: Mix the sliced apples with a portion of the sugar, and let it sit for at least an hour (and up to several). Macerating the apples with sugar in this way draws out their moisture, making them less likely to cause a soggy pie crust. Don’t throw away the excess juice, either. Instead, simmer it over the stove until it’s reduced significantly. Then, mix the concentrated apple syrup back into the filling before baking.

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