The Ultimate Pie Guide From Marie Saba

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Nothing says Thanksgiving quite like homemade pie … And as it turns out, baking an impressive one from scratch is easier to pull off than you might think! We’ve had our eye on Marie Saba not only because she is a Women of Today reader but because she also happens to be a pie maker extraordinaire! You may recognize her work from Instagram … Marie is known for her amazing pie crush designs. Have a look ….

Today, she is sharing her tips on how to make the pie crust from scratch. Plus, sharing her delicious apple and pecan pie recipes. If there was ever a time to start baking pies yourself, it’s definitely this Thanksgiving!

First, watch Saba’s videos below for easy tips on how to make pie crust using a food processor.

Pro tip: Don’t over mix the dough and use cold butter and ice water.

Saba assures, “People always freak out if you start talking about pie crust. But there’s nothing to freak out about. Really, even if you horribly over-mix the dough and have virtually no visible pieces of butter, your crust will still taste way better than one of those chemical-filled concoctions from the grocery store.”

Now we’re ready for these incredibly tasty pie recipes … starting with this Updated Apple Pie!

Updated Apple Pie Recipe

Ingredients

6-8 medium Granny Smith apples
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar (Saba recommends using raw or unrefined sugar as a substitute)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (Saba recommends using Better Butter's Gluten-Free flour as a substitute)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into eight slices
Optional: egg wash (1 egg white + 1 T water, beaten with fork) brushed on top before baking
Optional: 2 teaspoons sugar, for sprinkling on top before last 10 minutes of baking

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425° and set oven rack in the middle of the oven.
Peel and slice apples (slices should be thin, but need not be uniform). If you have a food processor, use the slicing blade to speed up the process.
Place apple slices in a large bowl. Add lemon juice. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and flour until well-combined. Pour the dry mixture over the apples and, using your hands, toss until all slices are fairly evenly coated.
Place one pie crust in a 9-inch pie plate Add half of the apple mixture. Place four slices of butter, spaced evenly, on top of the apples. Add remaining apple mixture, arranging the slices so they form a small mound. Top with remaining butter.
Place second pie crust over filling. Seal the edges of both crusts by pressing the crusts together, and then tucking them under to form an even edge.
Use your hands to form a decorative scalloped edge if desired. With a sharp paring knife, make four 1-inch to 2-inch slits in the top pastry. The slits should form a cross shape, but without meeting in the center.
If you want to add decorations, use cookie cutters to cut out shapes using extra dough. Place these on around the edges or over top of the pie. These can be used instead of or in addition to a second pie crust.
Brush with egg wash if desired. (If you are planning to freeze your pie, add the egg wash later, as instructed below, right before baking.)
Cover edges of pie crust with a pie shield. (If you do not have a pie shield, no worries. It helps but is not essential.) In addition to the pie shield or instead of the pie shield if not using one, gently lay a piece of foil over the top of the entire pie — this will protect the top crust (or lattice or decorations) from burning. Bake pie at 425 degrees for 20 minutes on a rack in set in the middle of the oven.
Remove pie from oven and remove foil laying over top (but leave pie shield if using one). Reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake pie for 30 more minutes.
Remove pie from oven and sprinkle with sugar. Return to oven and bake for 10 more minutes or until apples are tender when a toothpick is inserted through one of the slits.
Cool for 1-2 hours before serving.

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Next up… Double-Shot-Of-Bourbon Pecan Pie (bourbon is optional)! You can watch Saba’s special Thanksgiving segment with Rachael Ray featuring the pie here!

Double-Shot-Of-Bourbon Pecan Pie

Ingredients

1 9-inch homemade all-butter pie crust
3 large eggs
1 cup packed coconut sugar (Saba recommends using raw or unrefined)
1 cup maple syrup
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp bourbon (optional)
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 cups pecan halves

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fit pie crust into a 9-inch pie plate; refrigerate while making the filling.
Place eggs, brown sugar, honey, vanilla, and bourbon (optional) in a large bowl.
Add melted butter. Stir until well blended. Add pecans. Stir to combine. Pour mixture into pie crust.
Cover edges of pie crust with a pie shield. (This will keep the crust from overbrowning. It also helps the pie bake evenly.) Bake pie for 25 minutes. Remove pie shield. Bake for 30 more minutes. Remove pie from oven.
Cool before serving. (The pie filling will dry out a little as it cools; this will make it easier to serve.)