Ask An Atlanta Expert: Your Best Thanksgiving Pie Recipe

What's Thanksgiving without a spectacular pie to round out the meal? This year, go all out and steer clear of store-bought confections and try making your own – from scratch! We can guarantee that under the guidance of Amy Rose and one of her top-class recipes, your holiday guests will be blown away, and most definitely coming back for seconds. You might want to more than one of these delicious offerings so there's enough to go around.

Amy Rose
Farm Fresh Foods
12099 Cumming Highway
Canton, GA 30114
(404) 805-3413
www.facebook.com/farmfreshfoodsatlanta

Amy's Thanksgiving pie recipes are melt-in-your-mouth good, and they'll be family favorites for years to come. Farm Fresh Foods, Inc. makes small, hand-crafted batches of breads, soups and sauces. Ingredients are taken from local, organic or CNG farmers in the north Atlanta area. Amy prides herself on using only the very best of local ingredients, using non-GMO and organic ingredients whenever possible. Find her and her amazing baking at farmers markets across the north Georgia region.

Pumpkin Pie with Gingersnap Crust

  • 2 cups gingersnap cookies, crushed
  • 1/3 cup raw sugar
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 6 tbsp butter, melted
  • 2 cups pumpkin, roasted and pureed
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ginger
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp cloves
  • 2 tbsp bourbon (optional)

Directions:

  1. Mix the gingersnap crumbs, sugar, ginger and butter in a bowl.
  2. Press the mixture into the bottom of a pie plate.
  3. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven until lightly golden brown, about 8-15 minutes.
  4. Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl and pour into the pie plate.
  5. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven until the filling is set, about 35-45 minutes.

Related: Best Pumpkin Dishes In Atlanta

Cranberry Pear Tart with Almond Cream

  • 6 cups pears, slices
  • 1 cup fresh cranberries, washed and dried

For the crust:

  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 9 tbsp cold, unsalted butter cut into small pieces
  • 1 large egg yolk

For the Almond Cream:

  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup blanched almonds
  • 2 tsp all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp tapioca flour
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground cardamom

Directions for the crust:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch fluted tart pan and set aside.
  2. Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse. Add the pieces of cold butter to the dry mixture and pulse until it resembles coarse meal.
  3. Lightly beat the egg yolk and slowly add it to the mixture, pulsing after each addition.
  4. When the yolk has been added, pulse until dough begins to form large clumps.
  5. Remove dough from food processor and knead it on a lightly floured surface until it is well combined.
  6. Press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan. Chill the crust for at least 30 minutes before baking.
  7. Cover the tart with a buttered piece of aluminum foil. Bake on the center rack of a preheated oven for 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and cool.

Directions for the Almond Crust:

  1. Combine the butter and sugar in a food processor until smooth.
  2. Add the ground almonds, flour and tapioca flour.
  3. Add the egg, vanilla and spices, and process until the almond cream is well combined.

To assemble the Tart:

  1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Spread the almond cream evenly onto the bottom of the baked crust.
  3. Place sliced pears crosswise.
  4. Scoop each half onto a spatula and slide onto the almond cream in the center of the tart, placing the wide end of each pear toward the center of the crust.
  5. Gently press down on the pear to fan out the slices, forming a circle of pear spokes in the center of the tart.
  6. Pour the cranberries over the almond cream and arrange evenly over the tart.
  7. Bake the tart for 50-60 minutes or until the almond cream is puffy and golden.
  8. Cool tart on a wire rack and serve at room temperature.

Related: Best Thanksgiving Side Dishes

Katy Light is an avid home cook. She loves nothing more than using home grown and harvested produce, milk from her own goats and naturally raised meat in her recipes. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.