Paige Knight - 13 / Dec / 2024

The Anatomy of a Pie

Learn how to make the perfect Thanksgiving pie by studying the anatomy of a pie. Featuring a to-die-for pie crust and homemade pumpkin pie recipes.

On the list of easy Thanksgiving desserts, pie ranks as one of the top picks. Uniquely customizable and delicious, pie is a Thanksgiving delicacy that leaves everybody satisfied. This year, we wanted to discover what makes the perfect pie, from pie crust techniques to making a delicious pumpkin pie from scratch.

We’ve shared our ultimate Thanksgiving menu and our turkey slicing guide. Now, let’s dive into the anatomy of the most iconic Thanksgiving dessert, where we’ll share our tips for making a flaky crust for the perfect creamy pumpkin pie from scratch.

Pie 101: The Crust

One of the most important parts of a pie is the crust, and if you can’t get that right, you might as well throw it out. Pie crust can be a tricky beast if you don’t know what you’re doing, but we have the inside scoop on crafting a crust that’s perfectly flaky every time.

When making a pie crust, the most important thing to keep in mind is that all of your ingredients need to be kept very cold throughout the entire process (except when baking, of course). If things get too warm, it could cause your butter to melt before baking, sacrificing flakiness and causing your crust to lose shape while it bakes. Keep this in mind as you follow the recipe below.

a pie crust sits inside a pie pan with excess dough, a fork, a rolling pin, and small pumpkins spread around it.

^{The perfect pie crust doesn’t exist– oh, wait. It’s down below!}

Blackstone’s Pie Crust Recipe

This pie crust recipe makes things simple by breaking things down into easy-to-follow steps. Keep reading to learn more tips and tricks for the perfect crust and try out our homemade pumpkin pie recipe.

Ingredients

Instructions

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
¼ cup cold water

Combine your dry ingredients
- In a large bowl, whisk together your flour and salt.
Cut in your butter
- Add your cold butter cubes into your flour and salt mixture.
- Use a pastry cutter, bench scraper, or knife to cut the butter into your flour until it resembles coarse crumbs.
- Note: be sure not to over-work your dough. Leave a few chunky pieces.
Add your water
- Gradually add your cold water, one tablespoon at a time, folding it in until the dough just comes together.
Form your dough into a disc
- Shape your dough into an even circle about 1” thick with smooth edges.
- Wrap your dough disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
Roll out your dough
- On a lightly floured cutting board, roll out your disc of dough to a ⅛” thickness.
- Note: as you roll out your dough, be sure to give it a quarter turn with each pass of your rolling pin. This will help ensure your dough isn’t sticking. If your dough begins to stick to your cutting board, lift it and sprinkle more flour underneath.
Transfer to a pie dish and chill
- Loosely lower your rolled dough into a pie dish, allowing the dough to fall naturally into the creases of the pan without forcing it.
- Trim the excess dough from the edges.
- Cover with a clean towel and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Bake, blind bake, or partially back your crust according to your recipes instructions.

Blind Baking

Blind baking is a technique used to fully or partially bake a pie crust before adding your filling. This can help achieve a crisper crust, and it’s a technique often used on pies with fillings that aren’t meant to be baked, like homemade chocolate pie.

Whether or not you should blind bake is dependent on the unique recipe you’re making. Play around with different recipes to find out what works best!

white, circular pie weights sit inside a parchment-lined pie crust on a wooden tabletop with a rolling pin and green plaid towel beside it.

^{Pie weights stop your crust from puffing up and support the structural integrity of your sides.}

Pie Weights vs. Docking

When you blind bake a pie crust, it can puff up in the middle if you don’t take precautions. That’s why people use pie weights or dock the bottom of their pie crust. Both of these methods help to protect the structural integrity of a pie crust, so let’s talk about the pros and cons of each one.

Pie Weights:Pie weights are small, circular weights that can be added to the bottom of a pie crust to prevent it from puffing up while blind baking. In addition to protecting the bottom of your crust, pie weights also support the sides of the crust as it bakes, preventing sagging.
Docking: Docking is a process where you prick small holes in the bottom of the crust with a fork or skewer. It’s quicker and more convenient than using pie weights, but it does nothing to support the sides of the crust.

Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pie From Scratch

With Thanksgiving around the corner, we wanted to share our favorite pie recipe to pair with your perfect pie crust. Pumpkin pie is a Thanksgiving classic, so read on to make the perfect homemade pumpkin pie!

Ingredients

Instructions

15 oz pumpkin puree
1 cup heavy cream
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground ginger
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Make your crust
- Follow the directions in the recipe listed above to make your pie crust.
Preheat your oven
- Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C).
Prepare your filling
- In a large bowl, whisk your listed ingredients until smooth.
Assemble your pie
- Remove your crust from the fridge and pour your filling into the crust, smoothing the top with a silicone spatula.
Bake your pie
- Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 15 minutes.
- Reduce the temperature to 350°F (175°C) and continue baking for another 40-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool and serve
- Allow your pie to cool completely before transferring to the refrigerator.
- Chill for at least one hour and serve.

A person holds a pumpkin pie over a green surface with mini pumpkins and fall leaves surrounding it.

^{Celebrate all of your holidays at Blackstone’s where we have everything you could possibly need.}

Holidays at Blackstone’s

Blackstone’s of Beacon Hill is Boston’s premier one-stop-shop for all things holiday. We offer a wide variety of festive Thanksgiving and Christmas products, and we’re fully stocked with all things kitchenware, home decor, and gifts.

Stop by our Beacon Hill location, and our staff will help you stock up on holiday essentials. If you don’t live nearby, visit us online to browse our inventory, read our blogs, and have our products delivered right to your door. Don’t forget to tag @blackstonesboston in all of your Thanksgiving creations this holiday season!