Tasty triangular slices enclosed in charming circular pies. No matter how you cut it, the season for pie is here. We tapped some of the city’s finest piece makers for recipes.

Salted Caramel Pear Pie

Fran Kolenik, owner of Drive-By Pies in Brookline, always uses fresh fruit, so winter can pose a bit of a problem. Luckily, Anjou pears provide a decadent solution for pie fillings. Drizzled with a warm caramel sauce, her salted caramel pear pie is a play on the more familiar apple pie. “Pear seemed a natural fruit to add to my repertoire,” Kolenik says. “They are creamier than apples and a little sweeter.” Read more »

Banana Cream Pie

Chris Coombs has long had a soft spot for banana cream pie from his time frequenting the now-shuttered Pie bakery in Newton. But while dbar customers might recognize this recipe from the early days of his Dorchester spot’s dessert menu, it’s never graced the list at Coombs’ Deuxave or Boston Chops. Instead, he’s often served this recipe for friends and family, so you’re best bet for enjoying it might be to track down some Nilla wafers and get baking. Read more »

Mississippi Mud Pie

Tasked with baking desserts for a Friendsgiving party, Lower Mills Tavern executive chef Cara Nance whipped up a vegan version of her classic Mississippi mud pie to satisfy every guest’s sweet tooth. “This pie was always everyone’s favorite,” Nance says. “I spent hours reworking my entire recipe so it could remain a crowd-pleaser.” Creamy and decadent, the pie’s Oreo crust is stacked with a layer of flourless chocolate cake and dark chocolate pudding before it’s topped with aquafaba cream. Read more »

Cranberry Bakewell Pie

The cranberry Bakewell pie whipped up by pastry chef Joe Norton of Loyal Nine in Cambridge is a hit for those who aren’t fans of cloying concoctions. Although it’s made with a shortbread-like buttery crust and a black walnut frangipane, an acidic cranberry jam with a healthy glug of Eric Bordelet Nouvelle Vague Hard Sidre brings the zing. Norton opted for this brand of booze instead of a nonalcoholic cider, saying: “It is not overly sweet and its inherent dryness creates a great balance.” Read more »

Pilgrim Pie

Kate van Geldern Bowler seriously ups the leftovers game with this play on a chicken pot pie that clears out the fridge. “It’s like the best day-after-Thanksgiving sandwich baked into a flaky, buttery pie crust,” says the lifestyle blogger, who suggests making extra pie dough while baking desserts or swapping in rotisserie chicken for leftover turkey if it’s ahead of the holidays. And there’s plenty more where this came from: Van Geldern Bowler’s New England Invite just hit bookshelves, full of menus dedicated to Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s with recipes such as pumpkin butter and mac-and-cheese baked apples. Read more »

Sweet Potato Pie

As a Jewish deli, Mamaleh’s is always keen on serving pie, but with a wealth of good pie options in the area, pastry chef/co-owner Rachel Sundet sought to stray from the more traditional varieties and toward flavors like sweet potato. Inspired by a side dish of sweet potatoes topped with marshmallows, slices of this pie are added to the menu a few weeks before Thanksgiving. Says Sundet of the many pie varieties that Mamaleh’s offers throughout the year: “It’s just such an iconic and comforting dessert, and there are so many variations—it’s easy to keep it fun.” Read more »

S’mores Pie

Pastry chef Deanne Steffen Chinn of Big Heart Hospitality describes her s’mores pie as a treat “just like by the fireside, but by the slice.” Served at Sweet Cheeks Q, the pie features a gluten-free graham cracker crust filled with a dark chocolate ganache. And what about the all-important marshmallow? Instead of a classic marshmallow-like meringue, she opts for homemade fluff, which she torches after piping it into fluffy peaks. Read more »

Apple Rye Pie

After tackling gigs everywhere from Formaggio Kitchen to Clear Flour and Oleana, the husband-and-wife team of Teddy and Alyssa Applebaum recently opened Elmendorf Baking Supplies, stocking hard-to-find products, milled-to-order grains and equipment at the East Cambridge spot, which also serves coffee, sandwiches and pastries that show off the store’s unique syrups, single-source chocolates and other specialty ingredients. But when it comes to their own kitchen, the duo’s got its eyes on this apple rye pie, a recipe that’s 11 years in the making, using a mixture of tart and sweet varieties like Braeburn, Mutsu and Northern Spy. Says Alyssa: “Teddy loves apple pie—Applebaum is a fitting name.” Read more »

Pumpkin Pie

After selling more than 160 pies for the holidays during her first year, Capo pastry chef Kate Holowchik is gearing up for another season of serving elegant takes on classic recipes. “With my art background, I was all about dressing up traditional mainstays during the holidays,” Holowchik says. This pumpkin pie boasts a buttery pâte brissée crust cradling a filling made with autumnal spices and is adorned with piped whipped cream and tuile cookies. Read more »

Bourbon Caramel Pecan Pie

Pecan pie was never a personal favorite for SRV head pastry chef Meghan Thompson, but by incorporating some well-liked holiday flavors such as bourbon and chocolate, she’s found a recipe more suited for her palate. Thompson uses liquor to cut the sweetness of the caramel, while cocoa powder adds a level of earthiness to the Thanksgiving staple. Says Thompson: “By adding bourbon, caramel and a hint of cocoa, the recipe elevates a traditional pecan pie to give it a little more dimension.” Read more »

 


GIVE PIECE A CHANCE: Pies photographed for The Improper Bostonian by Holly Rike; Photo Assistant: Rachel Kucharski; Food Styling: Chantal Lambeth / Anchor Artists

 


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