Pie Boards Are Going To Be Everywhere This Thanksgiving
A classic meat and cheese board filled with charcuterie is a staple at any gathering. So for Thanksgiving, what better way to show your gratitude than by making a board perfectly themed for the big day? Instead of salami roses and perfectly fanned slices of gouda, we're talking mini pies with *adorable designs* and caramel sauce with apple slices.
THIS is the pie board that you bring out for dessert. After everyone has finished their turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and gravy, they'll be fully ready for something sweet. This is a very DIY dessert without being too overwhelming for all those deep in a tryptophan fog (plus, you can prep it ahead). Bake a few different kids of cutely decorated pies, serve them up with whipped cream and caramel, and fill out the presentation with apple slices and grapes. With this step by step, you'll be well on your way to make own.
1. Bake your pies.
Full-size pies don't have a place here; this is a mini pie board! You can, of course, buy mini pies from a bakery or supermarket, but if you're baking them, be sure to do so in mini aluminum tins—they will make your life so much easier as you get to avoid the struggle of getting baked pie crust out of a muffin tin and guests will be able to easily eat their pie right out of the tin. Make sure there are enough for the amount of guests you have (about 1 pie per person).
We chose an assortment of mini pies for the board:
Apple pie (as a shortcut we used canned filling)
Pumpkin pie (follow our recipe)
Apple pie (as a shortcut we used canned filling)
Pecan pie (follow our recipe)
We first attempted this board with store-bought pie crust and quickly realized that was a mistake: In terms of presentation, it'll never look as good as the real stuff. Here's our tried-and-true all-butter crust recipe.
2. Start with whipped cream.
When building the board, it's easiest to start with a focal point and then build the rest of the ingredients around it. Whip some cream, transfer it to a bowl, and place it in the center of the board.
3. Arrange the pies.
There's no real art form to this. Place them tightly on the board, stacking a couple for some dimension.
4. Nestle in grape clusters and apple slices.
Fill out any blank spots with red and green grape clusters and apple slices, fanning them out and tucking them into open spaces. They act as filler, and a zesty little bite to break up the richness.
5. Add texture with fresh cranberries and pecans.
From a bird's eye view, you can probably see tiny spaces that could use something. This is where you can make little piles of colorful berries and pecans to fill it all in.
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