Say Hello To Pie Season This Thanksgiving!

You’ve read articles so far. Enter your email to keep reading for free

Sign up for FREE and get unlimited access to more respectful, relevant, and ridiculously good content!

Sign in with Google

Or

Sign up

Sign in to an existing account

*By registering, you are also subscribing to our newsletters.

Read our privacy policy here. If you have any questions regarding our Privacy Policy or our use of your information, please email publisher@indiacurrents.com.

Thank you for registering!

An account was already registered with this email. Please check your inbox for an authentication link.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

It’s officially pie season—the time of year when buttery crusts, warm spices, and slow-baked goodness fill the air and our homes. As the Thanksgiving rolls in, nothing says comfort quite like a perfectly
baked pie.

As kitchens begin to buzz with festive baking, three irresistible pie recipes capture the warmth of the season while showcasing the rich flavor and natural goodness of fruits and nuts, all crafted to bring comfort, celebration, and a touch of magic to every dessert table

Take things up a notch with a velvety, spiced Pumpkin Pie, a golden, crunchy spin on a beloved classic – the Apple Streusel Pie, and a vibrant, tart-meets-sweet holiday favorite – Cranberry Pie.

California Cranberry Pie

Ingredients

For the pastry:
25g walnut halves
150g plain flour
1 tablespoon icing sugar
75g butter, diced
For the filling:
150g light brown muscovado sugar
50g butter, softened
3 medium eggs
1 teaspoon  vanilla essence
100g maple syrup
50g single cream
150g walnut halves
75g dried cranberries

Preparations

To make the pastry: 

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6.
2. Place the walnuts in a food processor and finely chop. 
3. Add the flour and icing sugar and pulse to blend. 
4. Add the butter and mix to give a breadcrumb texture, add 2-3 tablespoons cold water, and mix to give a soft dough. 
5. Wrap in clingfilm and let it chill for 15 minutes.
6. Roll pastry out on a floured surface and line a 23cm fluted flan tin. 
7. Prick the base with a fork and chill for 10 minutes. 
8. Place on a baking tray, line the pastry case with foil, and add baking beans.
9. Bake for 10 minutes, remove the beans and foil, and cook for a further 5 minutes.

To make the filling: 

10. Whisk together the sugar and butter until blended. 
11. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, then whisk in the vanilla, maple syrup, and cream.
12. Roughly chop 100g of walnuts; add to the filling with cranberries. Pour into the pastry case and scatter over the remaining walnuts.

13. Bake for 10 minutes then reduce the oven temperature to 180°C, gas mark 4 and bake for a further 20 minutes until just set. Allow to cool slightly before removing from the tin.

California Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients

For the pastry:
25g California walnuts
250g plain flour
125g cold butter, diced
1 medium egg yolk
For the filling:
425g can pumpkin puree
3 large eggs
397g can condensed milk
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
100g California walnuts, chopped, plus 25g
1 tablespoon maple syrup

Preparations

To make the pastry:

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C, gas mark 6.
2. Place the walnuts in a food processor and blitz until finely chopped. 
3. Add the flour and butter and blitz until it resembles breadcrumbs.
4. Add the egg yolk and up to 3 tablespoons of water and mix until it forms and soft dough. Wrap in clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes. 
5. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and use to line a 23cm fluted flan tin, prick the base with a fork, and chill for 15 minutes. 
6. Line the pastry case with scrunched-up baking parchment and add baking beans and bake blind for 15 minutes, remove the beans and parchment and bake for a further 5 minutes. Allow to cool slightly. 
7. Place the pumpkin in a food processor with the eggs, condensed milk, and spices and blitz until smooth. 
8. Stir in the walnuts and pour into the pastry case. 
9. Bake for 40-45 minutes until set and golden on top. 
10. Allow to cool before removing from the tin. 
11. While the pie cools, mix the remaining 25g walnuts, roughly chopped, with the maple syrup and place on a small roasting tin.
12. Bake for 5 minutes until caramelised. 
13. Sprinkle over the pie to serve.

California Streusel Apple Pie

Ingredients

For the Streusel Topping:

1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 cup California walnuts, roughly chopped
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, melted

For the Filling:

8 cups thinly sliced apples (Golden Delicious)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 9-inch deep-dish prepared pie crust

Preparations

1. In a medium bowl, use a fork to mix oats, walnuts, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and ginger. 
2. Drizzle with butter and combine to form a coarse crumb mixture. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, toss apples with sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, and ginger. 
4. Arrange apples in a prepared pie crust. Sprinkle walnut streusel over top, completely covering the apples. 
5. Bake the pie on a baking sheet, covered loosely with foil, in the center of a 190°C oven for 50 minutes. 
6. Remove foil and bake until streusel is golden and apples are tender, about 10 minutes more. 
7. Let it sit for 15 minutes before serving.