In pie we crust with some spice and a slice

Zia Eger-Slobig '25

Editor-in-Chief of Content

Pies are oftentimes the star of the holidays in terms of desserts from Thanksgiving to Christmas. From the classic flavors of pumpkin, fruit, and sweet potato to the more unconventional oreo, lemon meringue, and banana cream.

All of these pies typically start from the same base of a crust, preferably flakey and buttery (like Trader Joe's pie crust). The filling is the place to have fun and experiment with new combinations of flavors.

Pumpkin pie made by Mia Butler ’25 and Zia Eger-Slobig’ 25

For my pies, I personally use my favorite baking blogs for a good recipe. However, I did add more cinnamon to both the apple and pumpkin pie. Find a good highly rated recipe and use that as your base.

Feel free to spice things up to your liking. For any berry filling recipe I always add lemon zest and mint whether it is called for or not. This adds a little depth to the flavor profile. For pumpkin pie, I will always add the amount of spices to my personal liking. Feel free to taste the filling and add more spices to your own taste. I tend to end up putting more cinnamon than called for. For the apple pie, the same goes. Depending on the sweetness of the apples, I tweak the amount of cinnamon and sugar. Don’t feel limited by a recipe; you can always spin it to your liking.

However, pies are not limited to sweets, and can even make great easy dinner recipes. For a good chicken pot pie, you need heavy cream and butter. If your recipe calls for milk, try substituting part of it with heavy cream. I personally like a little garlic flavor so along with the seasoning called for, I dice some garlic to add to the filling. For extra texture, you can also use pearl onions instead of dicing onions, but be sure to caramelize them for flavor. Be sure not to oversalt, it can't be taken away because a little goes a long way.

Apple pies made by Mia Butler ’25 and Zia Eger-Slobig ’25

Your customization does not stop at the seasoning or cooking preferences. You can always use the leftover dough or designated dough for the top of a pie to create a fun design. For a fruit pie, you typically make a lattice on top but you have the opportunity to be completely creative.

Zia Eger-Slobig '25 with her cat holding a pumpkin pie

Check out Pinterest for pie-spo and make the pie of your dreams. You can braid the lattice to add oomph or even create little leaves or flowers. The possibilities are endless. However, for a pumpkin pie, you typically want to leave the top open, so if you want to be creative you can always add leaves or flowers to the top of the crust. The most fun comes with the pot pie which requires a complete top with aeration. You can use this as a canvas to create anything you want especially if you have leftover dough.

So, grab your ingredients and let your imagination take the lead. Have fun and bake away!