Thanksgiving is pie time. But during the holidays, who has the patience to struggle with a complicated crust? Pam Anderson shows you how to make three holiday classics without the bother.
A Thanksgiving without pie is about as rare as one without turkey. But why do so many of us delegate pie baking to the grocery store or bakery? I suspect it's that darn crust, which requires some skill, practice and patience. The latter is in short supply just now. Although I believe every cook ought to learn how to make a good pie crust (see my Perfect Pumpkin Pie recipe), this may not be the year. Fortunately, frozen puff pastry is a simple, high-quality stand-in for the real thing. Roll out the sheet of dough just a little bit more and fit it into a tart pan for Rich Chocolate Tart or bake it free-form for Apple-Cranberry Crostada.
Pumpkin cheesecake is not technically a pie, but it does have a crust and has become a Thanksgiving classic. And I've simplified its crust, too: Simply lay whole graham crackers in the pan, then spread melted butter and sugar over the crackers, and bake. The crusts are simple, and so are the fillings. So there's no excuse: Let them eat your homemade dessert this year.
Copyright 2004 USA Weekend and columnist Pam Anderson. All rights reserved.
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