Thanksgiving Confession: I Hate Pie Crust
Let the pie throwing begin.
Renee Comet
There’s a special kind of excitement at my family’s Thanksgiving table just before the pecan, pumpkin, apple and blueberry pies make an appearance. Everyone hushes as the desserts are brought into the dining room and the power of the pies even lures my niece and nephew back to the table from their playing.
I love that moment and will miss it this year, but I won’t miss the pies.
That’s because although I enjoy making, decorating, looking at and photographing pies as much as my family loves eating them, I’ve never been 100 percent on team pie.
As a food professional, I truly believe that an artfully made pie is a thing of beauty. But personally, I have no interest in eating a full slice.
That’s because I hate pie crust.
There, I’ve said it. My truth has been revealed.
It’s not that I haven’t tasted a truly excellent pie crust and don’t know any better. Believe me, I won’t say “no” to at least tasting each pie (or quiche) I’m offered, just in case it could change my mind. I get that pie-crust lovers like its buttery, flaky qualities and the way its saltiness and crisp texture contrast with the creamy filling.
Still, the crust does absolutely nothing for me and all I really want is the pie filling. In fact, I’d love it if only the filling was served with a nice bowl of fresh whipped cream on the side.
Fortunately, there are lots of ways for me to get all the creamy, fruity, crunchy loveliness of pie filling without a crust in sight on the Food Network Kitchen app — for that I’m truly thankful.
In her Crustless Pumpkin Pie class, Arlyn Osborne skips the crust and delivers a creamy and satisfying dessert that’s pure filling topped with chopped candied pecans.
Instead of apple pie, Daniel Boulud turns apples into a fruit-forward iconic French dessert in his Tarte Tatin class.
In her Blueberry Crisp class, Vallery Lomas assembles a juicy dessert with an irresistible crunchy topping instead of using a crust as a base.
Even Erin Jeanne McDowell, the queen of some of the most beautiful pies in the land, has found a way to add all of the pumpkin pie flavor to a super easy crustless dessert in her Pumpkin Panna Cotta class.
Now that I’ve shared my unpopular opinion, I’ll be over here with my crustless pie situation on Thanksgiving Day — and ducking the digital pies thrown at me for taking this controversial stance.
For the majority of you who absolutely love a perfect pie crust, check out Erin’s Brown Sugar Chess Pie, Cider-Caramel Apple Pie or Blueberry Slab Pie classes and more Thanksgiving dessert classes on the Food Network Kitchen app.
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