Two Pies to Try for Thanksgiving: Salted Chocolate Pecan and "Perfect Apple Pie"

Still finalizing your Thanksgiving menu? Or maybe just looking for some new pie recipes? Here are two crowd pleasers.

This apple pie from Serious Eats may live up to its title of "perfect." I used a combination of Granny Smith and Gala Apples. Both stayed crisp thanks to a unique technique of soaking them in hot apple cider. This was my first time making an apple pie, and I was pretty pleased with how it turned out. 

This salted chocolate pecan pie, also from Serious Eats, is as rich and decadent as you might imagine. But it is also as easy to make as a regular pecan pie. I always love the combination of sweet and salty and this pie was no exception. I toasted my pecans before adding them to the rest of the ingredients to bring out their full flavor.

Here are the recipes:

Perfect Apple Pie

Ingredients

4 to 4 1/2 pounds of baking apples, peeled cored, and sliced into 1/4-inch slices
3 quarts boiling water or cider
10 tablespoons granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for sprinkling over crust
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (or more, to taste)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch (or more, if needed)
1 egg white, lightly beaten

Directions

Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and place a heavy rimmed baking sheet on it. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place apple slices in a large bowl or pot. Pour boiling water or cider directly over top. Cover and set aside at room temperature for ten minutes. Drain apples well and let sit in a colander in the sink, tossing occasionally until completely dry, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and add 10 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, salt, and cornstarch, and toss until apples are evenly coated. Set mixture aside. If you find that your apples become too juicy, add another tablespoon of cornstarch to thicken.

Roll one disk of pie dough into a circle roughly 12-inches in diameter. Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate. Add filling. Roll remaining disk of pie dough into a circle roughly 12-inches in diameter. Transfer to top of pie. Or you can do like I did and use scraps to make a lattice. Using a pair of kitchen shears, trim the edges of both pie crusts until they overhang the edge of the pie plate by 1/2 an inch all the way around. Fold edges of both pie crusts down together, tucking them in between the bottom crust and the pie plate and working your way all the way around the pie plate until everything is well tucked. Use the forefinger on your left hand and the thumb and forefinger on your right hand to crimp the edges. If using the double crust method, cut 5 slits in the top with a sharp knife for ventilation.

Use a pastry brush to brush an even coat of lightly beaten egg white all over the top surface of the pie. Sprinkle evenly with a tablespoon of sugar. Transfer pie to sheet tray in the oven and bake until light golden brown, about 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 375°F and continue baking until deep golden brown, about 25 minutes longer. Remove from oven and allow to cool at room temperature for at least 2 hours before serving.

Salted Chocolate Pecan Pie

4 eggs, lightly beaten
14 ounces (about 1 2/3 cups) light corn syrup
3 1/2 ounces (about 1/3 cup) dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
8 ounces toasted pecan pieces (or whole pecans, roughly chopped, about 2 cups)
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped into 1/4 inch pieces, (about 1 cup) divided
Sprinkle of Maldon sea salt crystals or other coarse salt

Directions

Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and preheat oven to 425°F. When oven is ready, line chilled pie shell with foil or parchment paper and fill with weights and bake for 15 minutes. Remove weights and liner, rotate pie, and bake until the bottom crust is a golden brown (or slightly lighter, if you prefer that style), about 10 minutes. Remove pie shell from oven and allow to cool completely. Meanwhile, adjust the over rack to the lowest position and reduce heat to 350°F.

In a medium sized bowl, gently whisk the eggs enough to beat them up without making them frothy. Add the corn syrup and whisk immediately to combine. Add the sugar, salt, and vanilla to whisk to combine. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the pecans and half the chocolate. Pour the mixture into the cooled pie shell and sprinkle the remaining chocolate over the top. Bake until the filling puffs from the edges to the center, about 45 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack before serving. This pie can be made up to two days in advance and held in the fridge. Sprinkle with sea salt before serving.

I used my favorite recipe from Martha Stewart for the pie crusts.