6 Ways to Improve Your Thanksgiving Pie

Stop. Breathe. You do not need three pies at Thanksgiving. Or at least you do not need three different pies. Do so and you'll be wrangling as many as three separate crust recipes while playing the Oven Temperature shuffle, all the while reducing your chances of actually achieving the pie perfection you're hoping for.

So make your favorite pie and give it your all. Some people may not want that pie; they are welcome to bring their own. Or eat more stuffing. Or dig into a pint of Haagen Dazs that you’ve been keeping in the freezer for just such an occasion, you clever dog, you.

Thanksgiving's not Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie—and people who say it's way too dense. A simple way to keep all of your guests happy: Fold two whipped egg whites into the filling for an airier, souffle-like consistency.

Don’t like crunchy, undercooked apples in your pie? Neither do we. To ensure your apples cook thoroughly—and to collapse them a bit so you can fit more in your crust—give them a head start in a pan on medium heat with a pat of butter, a scant tablespoon of flour, and all your sugar, salt, and seasonings. Cook the apples for just a couple minutes until they soften slightly. The other advantage of this extra step? Checking your seasoning to make sure your the apples taste exactly the way you want them to.

Thanksgiving is editor Leslie Pariseau's excuse to make meringue—lemon meringue, chocolate meringue, a bowl of secret meringue she can hide for second dinner when everyone else is eating turkey sandwiches. The billowing fluff is especially satisfying when the stiff peaks are perfectly toasted. To do it, skip the oven broiler, which can easily burn your meringue in a matter of seconds, and stick to a blowtorch. It impresses the hell out of family, and it's also useful for browning marshmallows for sweet potatoes and flaming orange peels for rum punch.

Flavored whipped cream is an easy way to add a little more oomph to your Thanksgiving dessert spread. Vanilla and bourbon are classic, but we're also partial to cinnamon or Earl Grey tea. Just steep your spice, herb, or tea in cold heavy cream for 30 minutes to an hour before whipping for a gentle flavor boost perfect with pie.

A fast flavor boost for your pie crust: add a tablespoon of cider vinegar. The acidity cooks out of the finished crust, leaving behind a gentle apple sweetness that some say also tenderizes the dough a little more.