Want the perfect pie for your Thanksgiving meal? Happy Valley bakers share their tips

Is there any element of the classic Thanksgiving feast so revered as the pie? The big meal’s final flourish, it’s the last thing your family will remember as you send them home laden with leftovers, already dreaming of next year’s celebration.

Unfortunately, a perfect pie is far from easy to accomplish. To help you out, we asked a few Happy Valley bakers, shops and restaurants known for their pie prowess for their top tips.

Don’t make these major(ly common) mistakes

All of us home bakers are human and many of us are making the very same mistakes with our pie prep — and there are pie pitfalls to watch out for at every step along the way.

“Some of the mistakes home bakers make when making a fresh fruit pie at home is not including the proper amount of thickening agents like corn starch or flour,” said Mary Hilliard, owner of Dolce Vita Desserts. “These are essential for your pie to firm up and set, so it does not run when cut. Be sure to measure this and make adjustments based on the amount of filling you use.”

Then, she explained, when making your homemade crust, it’s easy to overmix the dough. “The butter should be cut into the flour, leaving pea-sized bits of butter throughout. The water should be ice cold and stirred in just until [the dough] comes together, then [the dough should be] wrapped and placed in the refrigerator to chill through, before rolling out,” she described.

Tatiana Polay, owner of The Cakeshop by Tati in Pleasant Gap, said that common mistakes include overbaking or underbaking pies, either the fillings or the crust.

“I recommend [you] blind bake or par-bake the crust before putting the filling in, to ensure the bottom part of your shell is cooked and will not come out raw,” she said.

Polay noted that, when baking your pie shell, you should also not forget to use a pie weight. Without one, your pie could lose its shape, drooping on the sides and forming an air bubble in the middle. Likewise, when baking your pie crust, cover the borders with foil so they don’t overcook.

Don’t want or don’t have time to make a crust? Andi Heidt, owner of the Hublersburg Inn — where the coconut cream pie is a favorite — assures it’s OK to just buy a pre-made crust. You can even, she said, buy a crust that rolls out to fit your pie pan at home (and then tell everyone you made it!).

Make things as easy as possible

Overall, if you want to make things as easy as possible, don’t get fancy. Stick with a tried-and-true pie variety like pumpkin or apple, said Polay, or if you want something a little different, maybe opt for a cream pie, like coconut, chocolate or vanilla cream, with added fruit, for a fresher, lighter dessert.

Consider pulling out your family-favorite recipes, too. As Megan Coopey, co-owner and bakery manager at Way Fruit Farm said, “Many people assume there’s a perfect recipe and will continuously search until they find it. I would say that the tried-and-true recipes from Grandma or Mom are often the best. Even if you have different preferences, some simple ingredients can be tweaked in order to get a new-and-improved taste or texture while still holding onto the old-fashioned classic pie.”

Opted for store or bakery-bought? There are tips for you, too

As Heidt said, the easiest pie is the one you buy from a good restaurant or bakery.

“Martha Stewart didn’t do women (and men) any favors with making us believe we had to do it all,” she said. “We have enough to do around the holidays, so never over stretch yourself when you don’t have to.”

So, Polay said, if you do buy your pie from a local baker or store this season, keep it in the fridge until you’re close to serving time, then reheat it in the oven for around 15 minutes (making sure the oven is preheated first!).

If you’re trying to time this around your other baking and cooking projects on the day-of, Coopey said, “Pop it in the oven after the turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes and green bean casserole are out of the oven. The leftover heat from the oven will warm the pie and make it the perfect temperature to serve for dessert with some local ice cream.” (Though, she does note that pumpkin pie does not reheat well, so keep it in the fridge.)

Want to add a little something extra? Hilliard recommended adding a drizzle of caramel or chocolate, or a dollop of whipped cream, to the plate itself, for a nice presentation.

Whatever your pie of choice, have fun with it

No matter what kind of pie you’re making, though, and no matter what tips, tricks and hacks you try out this Thanksgiving, all our experts agree: Have fun with it!

Sometimes, this might mean baking your pies the day before the holiday, per Hilliard’s suggestion, to save you stress on the day-of. Coopey even says that a good, fresh pie can sit at room temperature for three to four days, or in the fridge for almost a week.

“Overall, with baking, have fun,” Coopey said. “My daughter is the one in our family who bakes the pies, but when I bake, it’s like delicious therapy. Mixing, chopping, stirring and baking are all just good for the soul. There is no pressure for perfect, just delicious. Experiment or don’t. Eat a classic apple or pumpkin, or go crazy and add nuts or caramel. Just have fun and enjoy the sweetness of the holidays.”

Holly Riddle is a freelance food, travel and lifestyle writer. She can be reached at holly.ridd@gmail.com.