Milk Street food editor and TV cast member Bianca Borges presents three pre-made pie fillings to soothe your day-of pie Thanksgiving pie panic.
Cooked Filling for Apple Pie
Makes about 5 cups filling, enough for one 9 or 10-inch pie
7 to 8 medium-large apples (choose firm apples, can mix varieties)
½ to ¾ cup sugar, to taste
Juice of ½ lemon, about 2 tablespoons
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch salt
5 to 6 tablespoons butter
Peel and core apples, and slice into 6 to 8 wedges each. Toss apples with ½ cup sugar, lemon, cinnamon and salt.
In a wide-bottomed pan, heat butter to melt. Add apples and mix well. Turn heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until juices have thickened and apples are golden and barely tender through their centers, about 6 to 8 minutes. Near the end of cooking, taste an apple and add more sugar if desired.
Stir gently until sugar is melted then continue cooking as needed.
Remove from heat and let cool. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Can be frozen up to 6 months.
TO BAKE:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Let filling come to room temperature.
Line a pie plate with dough, letting edges hang over the rim. Add filling to the dough and spread out evenly.
Top with a top-crust of dough or a dough lattice or crumble topping. Seal and crimp edges as desired.
Bake until crust is golden and filling is bubbling, about 45-50 minutes.
Pre-Made Pumpkin Pie Filling
Makes about 4 ½ cups filling, enough for one 9-inch pie
One 15-oz. can pure pumpkin puree, unflavored
1 ½ cups half-and-half
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs + 1 yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
In large bowl, combine all ingredients and whisk together until fully blended and smooth.
Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 2 days.
TO BAKE:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Let filling come to room temperature.
Line a pie plate with dough and crimp edges as desired. [Optional: To add shine to the dough, brush the extra egg white evenly over the crimped edges and partway down the sides.]
Pour filling into the dough and bake until crust is golden and filling is just set, about 45-50 minutes. The center may be slightly jiggly when removed from oven; it will continue to set as it cools. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Cranberry-Fig Pie Filling
Makes about 4 cups filling, enough for one 9-inch pie
12 oz. fresh or frozen cranberries
12 oz. dried figs, stems removed and figs coarsely chopped
½ cup sugar
¼ cup light brown sugar
1 ½ tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons butter
2 to 3 tablespoons orange juice or water
In a medium saucepan, combine half the cranberries with the remaining ingredients. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until butter and sugar are fully melted.
Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until cranberries have burst and released some juices, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Stir in remaining cranberries. When mixture returns to a simmer, remove from heat and let cool.
Store in airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Can be frozen up to 6 months.
TO BAKE:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Let filling come to room temperature.
Line a pie plate with dough, letting edges hang over the rim. Add filling to the dough and spread level. Top with a top-crust of dough, or a dough lattice. Seal and crimp edges as desired. Bake until crust is golden and filling is bubbling, about 45-50 minutes.
