STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY NATALIE FINDLAY

The cooler fall weather invites us to surround ourselves with warming notes. From cozy sweaters and toques on the outside, to the warming spices of cinnamon, cardamon and nutmeg for the inside. Add these two pies to your fall and winter repertoire knowing that you will find comfort and warmth in enjoying them throughout this cooler season.

Crust

Makes 2 – 23 cm pie bases

2¾ cups flour

½ tsp salt

1 Tbs sugar (optional)

1 cup butter, cubed

8+ Tbs (120 mL) ice water, more as needed

1. Add flour, salt, and sugar to a medium bowl.

2. Add the cubed butter and start to incorporate by pressing the butter into the flour with your fingers. Continue (quickly so the butter doesn’t start to soften) until most of the butter is mixed into the flour in pea size pieces.

3. Add the ice water a tablespoon at a time, mixing into the flour until it comes together to form a dough ball.

4. Once your dough has come together, cut into two equal halves and wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge to rest at least 1 hour or up to 1 day.

Note: use as much or as little water as your flour needs to form into dough. The goal is just enough water to bring the dough together. The water will continue to hydrate the flour once you let the dough rest.

Chai Pear Pie

Chai Crumble Topping

Makes enough to top 1 - 23 cm pie

1 cup almond flour

¾ cup rolled oats

¼ cup oat flour

2 Tbs tapioca flour

½ cup brown sugar

½ tsp ground cinnamon

¾ tsp ground cardamon

½ tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp ground cloves

8 grinds freshly grated nutmeg

¼ tsp ground anise / cloves

½ cup pecans, roughly chopped

1/3 cup + 1 Tbs butter, melted

In a small bowl, stir all ingredients together until they stick together in chunks.

Chai Pear Pie Filling

Fills 1 – 23 cm pie shell

1700 g pears, peeled, cored and sliced

2½ Tbs brown sugar

1½ Tbs sugar

2 Tbs white rice flour

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cardamon

½ tsp ground cinnamon

20 grates freshly ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp ground anise or cloves

1 Tbs (15 mL) fresh lemon juice

2 Tbs butter, cubed

1. Preheat oven to 375º F.

2. In a large pan, over medium heat, add all ingredients except lemon juice and butter. Stir to combine. Let cook until just soft and the water has expelled from the pears.

Note: the rice flour should thicken up the pear liquid but if the pears have too much water, then just leave the extra liquid behind when transferring the pears into the pie shell.

3. Take the pan off the heat and let the pear mixture cool slightly.

4. Add the lemon juice and gently mix to combine.

5. Add the mixture to the pie shell. Dot the cubes of cold butter on the pear filling. Bake for 30 minutes.

6. Remove from oven and top with the chai crumble topping and return to oven for another 30 minutes.

7. Remove from oven and let cool slightly or to room temperature. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (or not).

Sweet Potato Pie

Makes 1 – 23 cm pie

1100 g sweet potato

3 Tbs butter

3 eggs

½ cup brown sugar

¼ cup white sugar

20 grates fresh nutmeg

½ tsp salt

3 Tbs (45 mL) spiced rum

½ cup (125 mL) cream

1. Preheat oven to 400º F.

2. Pierce sweet potatoes with a fork and place on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour.

3. Let cool enough to be able to scoop the softened flesh from the potato skins into a bowl. Add the butter to the sweet potatoes and mash with a fork.

4. Use the pie crust recipe from above or store bought. Line your pie dish with dough. Score the dough with your fork multiple times.

5. Blind bake: Line the pie dough with foil (covering the rim of the dough), add pie weights or dried beans (note: dry beans cannot be used for cooking after using them as a pie weight but you can store these beans and use them repeatedly for blind baking pie crusts).

Bake the crust in a 375º F oven for 15 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, add the eggs, sugars, nutmeg, salt, rum, and cream and whisk until fully combined.

7. Pour into sweet potato and whisk together until incorporated.

8. Remove pie from oven and remove the pie weights/beans and discard foil.

9. Turn oven down to 350º F.

10. Pour the sweet potato mixture into your par-baked pie dough. Bake for approximately 50 minutes or until filling is beginning to crack around the edges and the pie is wobbly but firm. Let cool.

You have 2 options from here:

You can whip up a maple-based whipped cream:

2 cups (500 mL) whipping cream

2 Tbs (30 mL) maple syrup

2 Tbs icing sugar, sifted

1. In a medium bowl, add cream and whip until soft peaks form.

2. Add the maple syrup and continue to whip to incorporate.

3. Add the icing sugar and continue to whip until sugar is incorporated and cream is thick with heavy peaks.

4. Add a big dollop to each serving of pie.

You can make a brown sugar meringue topping:

4 eggs (whites only)

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup white sugar ¼ cup water

½ tsp cream of tartar

1. In a medium bowl add the egg whites.

2. In a medium pot add the sugars plus water. Bring to a boil. Continue to boil, place a candy thermometer in the pot.

3. Meanwhile, whisk the egg whites on medium speed, until they are foamy. Add the cream of tartar and whisk to combine.

4. Once the sugar reaches 240º F, remove from stove and slowly start to stream the sugar into the bowl while whisking on high speed. The meringue should be thick and able to hold firm peaks. Dollop the meringue on the cooled pie making sure to have peaks and valleys.

5. Turn the oven on to broil. Place on the top shelf of the oven. Place the pie in the oven and watch very closely. The meringue will brown very quickly (less than a minute). You will want some bits darker than others, hence the peaks and valleys design. Serve immediately. Enjoy!