David Lebovitz’s roasted banana ice cream recipe involves roasting the bananas to remove liquid, softening the fruit, and caramelizing the sugars—a relatively easy way to produce rich and concentrated banana flavor. We enjoyed the ice cream so much that we wondered if we could use the rich banana flavor in a pie, too. We adapted David’s method of concentrating the banana flavor, then added it to the caramel-y matrix of a nut pie. Dark chocolate provides the perfect counterpoint to the sweet bananas and peanuts. After loving the final recipe, we still needed a name. Thinking on it, we realized that the combination of bananas, chocolate, and nuts should remind you of that classic combination from those famous ice cream guys in Vermont.

MAKES ONE 9-INCH PIE

WHAT YOU NEED

Pie dough for a Standard Single Crust (this page) 

9-inch standard pie plate 

Instant-read thermometer 

Pie crust shield or foil (see this page) 

Plastic squeeze bottle with a narrow tip or a piping bag (see this page) fitted with a #2 piping tip 

INGREDIENTVOLUMEWEIGHT (STAN

DARD)WEIGHT (METRIC)

Unsalted butter6 tablespoons3 ounces85 grams

Turbinado sugar1 cup plus 1 tablespoon7.5 ounces213 grams

Bananas, peeled and sliced (weighed after peeling)about 4 medium14 ounces400 grams

Salt½ teaspoon

Lyle’s Golden Syrup (see Sources, this page)¾ cup8.25 ounces234 grams

Eggs3 large

Vanilla extract1 tablespoon0.45 ounce13 grams

Roasted unsalted peanuts2½ cups10 ounces283 grams

Miniature chocolate chips½ cup3 ounces85 grams

Chocolate Ganache (this page), warm and pourable½ recipe

PARTIALLY BLIND-BAKE THE CRUST: Follow the instructions on this page. The pie will bake longer after the filling is added, so it should not be completely browned at this point. Remove the pie dish from the oven, set it on a wire cooling rack, and remove the foil or parchment and pie weights. Decrease the oven temperature to 275°F. 

PREPARE THE FILLING: While the crust is blind-baking, melt 1 tablespoon/0.5 ounce/14 grams of the butter in a nonstick skillet along with ¼ cup/1.75 ounces/50 grams of the turbinado sugar over medium-high heat. Once the butter is melted, add the bananas, cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes. 

Uncover the pan. The bananas should have softened and look like they are sitting in a pool of liquid, with all the sugar dissolved. If not, turn the heat up a bit, re-cover the pan, and keep checking every 2 minutes until the liquid has released and the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat to medium-high, keeping the liquid at the boiling point. Keep stirring with a rubber spatula, pressing on the bananas until they soften into a paste and the liquid has completely evaporated. The bananas will start to caramelize and concentrate. Keep breaking up and flipping the banana paste until fully caramelized and concentrated, another 10 to 15 minutes, then remove it from the heat. You should have approximately 1½ cups/7.6–8.8 ounces/215–250 grams of caramelized banana paste at this point. Set it aside. 

Melt the remaining 5 tablespoons/2.5 ounces/71 grams butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Whisk in the remaining ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon/5.75 ounces/163 grams turbinado sugar, salt, and golden syrup. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Microwave the mixture at medium (50%) power, checking the temperature and stirring every minute or so until it gets to 130°F. (You can also use a double boiler; to do so, fill a medium saucepan with 1 inch of water, bring the water to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and set the bowl over the water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water; whisk constantly until it reaches 130°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes.) 

Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve and into another bowl to remove any stray bits of cooked egg. Whisk in the vanilla and the caramelized banana paste. Switch to a rubber spatula and fold in the roasted peanuts and the chocolate chips. 

FILL THE CRUST AND BAKE: Place a pie crust shield on the crust to protect the edges from drips and splashes and pour the mixture into the warm pie shell. Transfer the filled pie with the pie shield to the middle rack of the oven and bake until the top has browned slightly and the filling has puffed and set, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. If the center still sloshes when the pie is moved, continue baking, checking every 5 minutes until the filling has puffed and the center wobbles slightly. Remove the pie from the oven, take off the pie shield, and set the pie on a wire rack to cool completely. 

DECORATE THE PIE: Pour the warm Chocolate Ganache into a squeeze bottle or prepared piping bag. Place the shield on the pie again to keep the edges clean, and drizzle the ganache decoratively over the surface. The pie is best served at room temperature. (Leftovers can be stored, covered, at room temperature, for up to 3 days.) 

THE GUYS TALK PIES:

Pie-Proofing Your Oven

Having baked pies in many different ovens over the years, there are three things we always check for before we use an oven: temperature accuracy, hot spots, and tilt. Place an oven thermometer in the center of the oven and heat the oven to a desired temperature. Check the temperature 15 to 20 minutes after the oven has indicated that it has reached that temperature. Ideally, the temperature on the oven and the thermometer will match. Hot spots can be found by placing about 15 slices of white bread across one of the racks of the oven and toasting them. The goal is for all slices to turn evenly golden brown at the same time. If some burn, that indicates a hot spot in the oven. Tilt is especially important for pies with baked custard fillings, like the German Chocolate Pecan (this page). If the oven or oven rack is not level, the filling will be higher on one side than the other and could bake unevenly or cause one side to dry out while the other side remains undercooked. Check your oven racks with a carpenter’s level to ensure the rack is level both side to side and front to back. If your oven has any of these imperfections, clearly you must destroy it, claim the insurance money, and buy a new one. No, don’t do that! Just call an appliance technician and ask to have your oven calibrated and leveled. Otherwise, fold up squares of aluminum foil to use as shims to prop up the “low” side of the pie pan so as to even out the slope, adjust the set temperature on the oven to compensate for the temperature discrepancy, and rotate your pies a bit more frequently than you normally would to minimize the effects of hot spost.

Did you know that German chocolate cake has no connection with the country of Germany? The cake was made using German’s sweet chocolate, a baking chocolate developed by a man named Samuel German. Feel free to drop that trivia at your next party and impress your friends. The traditional German chocolate cake flavors—chocolate, caramel, coconut, nuts—are the inspiration for this award-winning pecan pie. The caramel-y custard filling is packed with toasted coconut and chocolate reminiscent of the filling and topping layers of a German chocolate cake.

MAKES ONE 9-INCH PIE

WHAT YOU NEED

Pie dough for Cocoa Pastry Crust (this page) 

9-inch standard pie plate 

Pie crust shield or foil (see this page) 

Plastic squeeze bottle or a piping bag (see this page) fitted with a #2 piping tip 

INGREDIENTVOLUMEWEIGHT (STAN

DARD)WEIGHT (METRIC)

Dulce de leche1¼ cups (from 1 

13.4-ounce 13.4 ounces380 gramsDark brown sugar, lightly packed1 cup7 ounces200 grams

Unsalted butter, softened2 tablespoons1 ounce28 grams

Dark corn syrup¼ cup2.9 ounces82 grams

Eggs3 large

All-purpose flour1 tablespoon0.3 ounce9 grams

Salt½ teaspoon

Pecan pieces, toasted2 cups8 ounces227 grams

Sweetened coconut flakes, toasted½ cup1.5 ounces42 grams

Miniature semisweet chocolate chips¼ cup1.5 ounces43 grams

Chocolate Ganache (this page), warm and pourable½ recipe

PARTIALLY BLIND-BAKE THE CRUST: Follow the instructions on this page. The pie will bake longer after the filling is added, so it should not be completely baked at this point. Remove the pie dish from the oven, set it on a wire cooling rack, and remove the foil or parchment and pie weights. Keep the oven at 350°F. 

MAKE THE FILLING: Into the bowl of a food processor, place the dulce de leche, brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, eggs, flour, and salt. Process until uniformly mixed, about 10 seconds. Add the pecans, ¼ cup/0.75 ounce/21 grams of the coconut, and the chocolate chips. Pulse once or twice to just incorporate them into the filling. 

FILL THE CRUST AND BAKE: Place a pie crust shield on the crust to protect the edges from drips and splashes and pour the mixture into the warm pie shell. Carefully transfer the filled pie to the oven and bake until the top has browned slightly and the filling has puffed and set, about 35 minutes. If the center still sloshes when the pie is moved, continue baking, checking every 5 minutes until the filling has puffed and the center wobbles slightly. Remove the pie from the oven, and cool completely before finishing. 

TOP THE PIE: Add the warm Chocolate Ganache to the squeeze bottle or the prepared piping bag. Place the pie shield on again to keep the edges clean and drizzle the ganache generously over the surface of the pie. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup/0.75 ounce/21 grams toasted coconut evenly over the pie. This pie is best served and stored at room temperature. (Leftovers keep up to 3 days.) 

Chris’s willpower is no match for the lure of an icy strawberry margarita. Its bright berry flavor with tart lime and a hint of orange beg to be made into a pie. For this creation, a strawberry cream filling made with a nonalcoholic frozen drink mixer is topped with lime curd and infused with a hint of tequila. A salted pie crust rim and a dusting of flaked sea salt sprinkled on the top just before serving is the perfect pairing for this sliceable cocktail. If you want this to be a completely alcohol-free pie, replace the tequila with orange juice.

MAKES ONE 9-INCH PIE

WHAT YOU NEED

Standard Single Crust (this page), baked and cooled in a 9-inch standard pie plate 

Large-flake sea salt, such as Maldon, for serving 

INGREDIENTVOLUMEWEIGHT (STAN

DARD)WEIGHT (METRIC)

SALTED RIM

Egg white, at room temperature1 large

Large-flake sea salt, such as Maldon1 tablespoon0.35 ounce10 grams

STRAWBERRY CREAM FILLING

Frozen strawberry daiquiri mixer (nonalcoholic), thawed1¼ cups10 ounces283 grams

Fresh orange juice2 tablespoons1 ounce28 grams

Cornstarch3 tablespo

ons0.8 ounce23 grams

Egg yolks3 large

Sweetened condensed milk1 14-ounce can14 ounces397 grams

Saltpinch

Unsalted butter2 tablespoons1 ounce28 grams

Tequila2 teaspoons

LIME CURD TOPPING

Whole milk1 tablespo

on

Unflavored powdered gelatin½ teaspoon

Finely grated lime zest1 tablespoon

Sugar¾ cup5.25 ounces150 grams

Fresh lime juice¼ cup2 ounces57 grams

Eggs2 large

Saltpinch

Unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces4 tablespoons2 ounces57 grams

Tequila1 tablespo

on0.5 ounce14 grams

MAKE THE SALTED RIM: Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, whisk the egg white, then use a pastry brush to lightly coat a 2- to 3-inch section of the crust’s edge with the egg white. Immediately sprinkle the brushed area with the sea salt. Continue around the pie until all of the edge has been brushed and sprinkled with salt. Don’t brush the pie edge all at once; if your kitchen is warm or dry, the egg white may dry before you have a chance to sprinkle the salt. Bake the crust until the egg white is dry and the salt is set, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the pie crust to a wire rack to cool completely, about 15 minutes. You can use a dry pastry brush and a spoon like a broom and dustpan to collect any extra salt that may have landed inside the crust. (A few pieces of extra salt won’t hurt, but a lot of salt could wreak havoc with your filling.) 

MAKE THE STRAWBERRY CREAM FILLING: In a medium saucepan, whisk together the thawed strawberry drink mixer, orange juice, and cornstarch until the cornstarch is dissolved. Whisk in the egg yolks, condensed milk, and salt. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly. Continue whisking, reduce the heat to medium-low, and continue to boil for 1 minute. 

Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the butter and tequila until the butter has melted and is incorporated. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl, using a rubber spatula to press the cream through the sieve. 

Transfer the strawberry mixture to the cooled pie crust and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Press plastic wrap directly onto the top of the strawberry mixture and refrigerate until cool and firm throughout, at least 2 hours. 

MAKE THE LIME CURD TOPPING: Place the milk in a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the milk and set aside. 

Combine the lime zest and sugar in a small saucepan. Using your fingertips, pinch the lime zest into the sugar to extract the flavorful lime oils. Do this until the sugar has turned a light green color. Whisk in the lime juice, eggs, and salt and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture begins to thicken and coats the back of a spoon. Watch the mixture carefully as it cooks, as it can thicken quickly. (If the mixture begins to bubble at the edges, immediately remove it from the heat.) When the mixture is thickened, remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter until melted and incorporated. Whisk in the softened gelatin and the tequila. 

Remove the plastic wrap from the cold strawberry filling, and pour the lime mixture over the top, spreading evenly with an offset spatula, if needed. 

CHILL THE PIE: Refrigerate the pie until it is cold, at least 3 more hours or up to overnight. Serve each slice with an additional light sprinkling of flaked sea salt. (The additional salt is not required, but it is highly recommended!) (Store leftovers tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Keep in mind that moisture in the air, especially if you live in a humid environment, will begin to dissolve the salt on the crust.)

There are gingerbread houses, gingerbread cookies, and gingerbread cakes. We think it’s high time for a gingerbread pie. Our basic pie crust is augmented with gingerbread elements, while the filling features the dark, bittersweet taste of molasses, along with warm spices including the zing of two types of ginger. This wintertime classic combination of flavors is elevated by the addition of crisp, toasty cashews. Cashews’ curvy shape reminds us of the cute squiggles used to decorate gingerbread men (and ladies) adorning the top of the pie.

MAKES ONE 9½-INCH DEEP-DISH PIE

WHAT YOU NEED

Pie dough for a Gingerbread Crust (this page)  

9½-inch deep-dish pie plate 

2-inch gingerbread man cookie cutter 

Pie crust shield or foil (see this page) 

Piping bag (see this page) fitted with a #3 piping tip, if decorating with royal icing 

INGREDIENT

FILLING

Dulce de leche1¼ cups (from 1 

13.4-ounce can)13.4 ounces380 grams

Muscovado sugar1⅓ cups9.3 ounces265 grams

Unsalted butter, at room temperature3 tablespoons1.5 ounces43 grams

Unsulphured molasses⅓ cup3.75 ounces106 grams

Eggs4 large

All-purpose flour4 teaspoons0.4 ounce12 grams

Kosher salt¾ teaspoon

Ground ginger1½ teaspoons

Ground cinnamon1¼ teaspoons

Ground cloves¼ teaspoon

Crystallized ginger, chopped¼ cup1.4 ounces40 grams

Cashews, roughly chopped and toasted3 cups13 ounces369 grams

DECORATION

White Royal Icing (this page), piping consistency (optional)1 recipe

PREPARE THE CRUST: Roll out the large disc of dough to a ⅛-inch thickness (this page) and place in a deep-dish pie plate—ideally, one with deep ruffled edges. Trim the dough along the ruffled edges or crimp as desired (see this page). Place the prepared crust in the freezer until it is quite firm, about 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 

PARTIALLY BLIND-BAKE THE CRUST: Follow the instructions on this page. The pie will bake longer after the filling is added, so it should not be completely browned at this point. Remove the pie dish from the oven, set it on a wire cooling rack, and remove the foil or parchment and pie weights. Keep the oven at 350°F. 

Roll the small disc of dough to a 1⁄16-inch thickness and transfer it to a piece of parchment. Using the gingerbread man cutter, cut out about 10 gingerbread men. Slide the parchment with the gingerbread cutouts onto a sheet pan and place the little guys in the freezer. 

MAKE THE FILLING: To the bowl of a food processor, add the dulce de leche, muscovado sugar, butter, molasses, eggs, flour, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and crystallized ginger. Process until uniformly mixed. If the bowl of your food processor is large enough, add the cashews and pulse once or twice until just incorporated into the filling. (If you have a small food processor, you’ll have to stir the mixture and cashews together in a larger bowl.) 

Place a pie crust shield on the crust to protect the edges from drips and splashes and pour the mixture into the warm pie shell. Place the frozen gingerbread men from the freezer on the surface of the pie. You can arrange as many men as desired in whatever pattern you like, depending on the size of your cutter. Seven of them will fit nicely around the edge, arms outstretched but not quite holding hands. 

BAKE THE PIE: Carefully transfer the filled pie to the middle rack of the oven and bake until the top has browned slightly and the filling has puffed and set, about 1 hour. The gingerbread men will also appear a bit more suntanned than when they went in. If the center is still jiggly, continue baking, checking every 5 minutes until it has set and is firm. Allow the pie to cool completely to room temperature. 

ADD THE DECORATION: If desired, decorate the surface of the pie and the gingerbread men with the Royal Icing, using the prepared piping bag or a squeeze bottle if you prefer. This pie is best served at room temperature. (Leftovers can be stored, covered, at room temperature for up to 3 days.) 

Our version of baklava, the sticky dessert popular in the Mediterranean and Middle East, pairs pistachios and honey with lemon and cardamom for a modern take on a classic treat. While the bottom is our standard crust, the topping of crisped, flaky layers of phyllo dough reflects the origins of this pie.

MAKES ONE 9-INCH PIE

WHAT YOU NEED

Pie dough for a Standard Single Crust (this page) 

9-inch standard pie plate 

Instant-read thermometer 

Pie crust shield or foil (see this page) 

INGREDIENTVOLUMEWEIGHT (STAN

DARD)WEIGHT (METRIC)

FILLING

Unsalted butter, melted6 tablespoons3 ounces85 grams

Sugar1 cup7 ounces200 grams

Salt½ teaspoon

Honey⅓ cup4 ounces113 grams

Light corn syrup⅓ cup4 ounces113 grams

Finely grated lemon zest1 teaspoon

Fresh lemon juice1 tablespoon0.5 ounce14 grams

Ground cardamom¼ teaspoon

Ground cinnamon¼ teaspoon

Eggs3 large

Pistachios, shelled, roasted, unsalted, and coarsely chopped1¾ cups10 ounces283 grams

TOPPING

Phyllo dough, thawed3 sheets

Unsalted butter, melted1½ tablespoons0.75 ounce21 grams

Sugar2 teaspoons

PARTIALLY BLIND-BAKE THE CRUST: Follow the instructions on this page. The pie will bake longer after the filling is added, so it should not be completely browned at this point. Remove the pie dish from the oven, set it on a wire cooling rack, and remove the foil or parchment and pie weights. Decrease the oven temperature to 275°F. 

MAKE THE FILLING: When the crust is almost finished blind-baking, use a medium microwave-safe bowl and whisk together the melted butter, sugar, salt, honey, corn syrup, lemon zest, lemon juice, cardamom, and cinnamon. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Microwave the mixture at medium (50%) power, checking the temperature and stirring every minute or so until it gets to 130°F. (You can also use a double boiler; to do so, fill a medium saucepan with 1 inch of water, bring the water to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and set the bowl over the water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water; whisk constantly until it reaches 130°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes.) 

FILL THE CRUST: Fold the pistachios into the filling. Place a pie crust shield on the pie to protect the edges from drips and splashes and pour the mixture into the warm pie shell. 

MAKE THE TOPPING: Place 1 sheet of phyllo on the countertop and brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar and cover with a second sheet of phyllo. Brush that sheet with melted butter and sprinkle with the other teaspoon of sugar. Place the third sheet of phyllo on top and gently press the dough all over to seal. Place a 9-inch circle (such as a cake pan, a plate, or a circle cut from cardboard or parchment) on top. Using a sharp knife or pizza wheel, trim away the excess phyllo from around the circle. Remove the cake pan and slice the circle into 8 even wedges (like a pie). Place the phyllo wedges slightly overlapping around the surface of the pie. 

BAKE THE PIE: Carefully transfer the filled pie to the middle rack of the oven and bake until the phyllo wedges have browned, crisped, and puffed, and the filling is set, about 60 minutes. If the center still sloshes when the pie is moved, continue baking, checking every 5 minutes until the filling has puffed and the center wobbles slightly. Allow the pie to cool completely at room temperature before serving. (Leftovers can be stored, covered, at room temperature for up to 3 days.) 

LEFTOVER PHYLLO DOUGH

You’ve probably figured out by now that there are way more sheets of phyllo dough in a box than just the three you used for the pie topping in this pie. If you weren’t already planning on having spanakopita for dinner on the day you have the pie for dessert, you may be wondering what to do with the extra. Fortunately, phyllo can be re-wrapped and re-frozen for future use. In addition to savory pies for dinner, you can use the same three-layered phyllo topping trick for other baked pies—say, if your top lattice isn’t working out or you forgot to make enough dough for a top crust; just pull the leftover phyllo out of the freezer for a quick fix.

A malted milkshake from the olde soda shoppe. A box of Whoppers at the drive-in movie. Or Ralphie’s favorite, a glass of Ovaltine, complete with decoder pin and crummy commercials! The flavor of malt brings a sense of nostalgic comfort to many desserts. We’ve resurrected good old malted milk from the 1950s and paired it with dark chocolate and toasted hazelnuts to create a rich, retro-modern treat (isn’t that the best kind?).

MAKES ONE 9-INCH PIE

WHAT YOU NEED

Pie dough for a Standard Single Crust (this page)  

9-inch standard pie plate 

Instant-read thermometer 

Pie crust shield or foil (see this page) 

INGREDIENTVOLUMEWEIGHT (STAN

DARD)WEIGHT (METRIC)

FILLING

Unsalted butter6 tablespoons3 ounces85 grams

Light brown sugar, lightly packed1 cup7 ounces200 grams

Salt½ teaspoon

Barley malt extract syrup⅓ cup4 ounces113 grams

Light corn syrup⅓ cup4 ounces113 grams

Eggs3 large

Blanched, roasted, unsalted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped2½ cups10 ounces283 grams

Bittersweet chocolate chips½ cup3 ounces85 grams

MALTED GANACHE TOPPING

Malted milk powder¼ cup1 ounce28 grams

Heavy cream¼ cup2 ounces57 grams

Bittersweet chocolate chips⅓ cup2 ounces57 grams

PARTIALLY BLIND-BAKE THE CRUST: Follow the instructions on this page. The pie will bake longer after the filling is added, so it should not be completely browned at this point. Remove the pie dish from the oven, set it on a wire cooling rack, and remove the foil or parchment and pie weights. Decrease the oven temperature to 275°F. 

MAKE THE FILLING: When the crust is almost finished blind-baking, melt the butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Whisk in the brown sugar, salt, and both syrups. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Microwave the mixture at medium (50%) power, checking the temperature and stirring every minute or so until it gets to 130°F. (You can also use a double boiler; to do so, fill a medium saucepan with 1 inch of water, bring the water to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and set the bowl over the water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water; whisk constantly until it reaches 130°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes.) 

Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into another bowl to remove any stray bits of cooked egg. Fold the hazelnuts and chocolate chips into the egg mixture, stirring until the chocolate chips are melted. Place a pie crust shield on the pie to protect the edges from drips and splashes and pour the mixture into the warm pie shell. The hazelnuts will all float to the surface—this is okay. 

BAKE THE PIE: Carefully transfer the filled pie to the middle oven rack and bake until the surface has browned slightly and the filling has puffed and set, about 60 minutes. If the center is still sloshy, continue baking, checking every 5 minutes, until it has puffed and the center barely jiggles. Remove the pie crust shield and allow the pie to cool completely. 

MAKE THE MALTED GANACHE TOPPING: Place the malted milk powder and cream in a small microwave-safe bowl and stir the cream to dissolve the powder. Microwave the cream on high for 1 to 2 minutes, until it just starts to boil. Add the chocolate chips and stir until melted and the mixture is uniform. Pour the ganache over the surface of the cooled pie. You may need to tilt the pie to encourage the ganache to flow across the whole surface of the pie or use an offset spatula to spread it to the pie crust edge. The ganache will set as it cools at room temperature. The pie is best served at room temperature. (Leftovers can be stored, covered, at room temperature for up to 3 days.) 

THE GUYS TALK PIES:

But ya ARE 
Blanch-ing Hazelnuts

Baking can be a lot of work, and when we can eliminate unnecessary steps, we do. Fortunately, one of the farmers’ markets near where we live has an incredible source of nuts of all kinds, including hazelnuts that come already blanched and roasted. However, we know that the average American supermarket stocks only raw hazelnuts that still have their brown skins attached, so a little extra prep is needed. Blanching and roasting hazelnuts is relatively simple, but it does take some manual labor.

Scatter the raw hazelnuts on a sheet pan and roast them in a preheated 350°F oven, tossing them every 5 minutes, until the skins have split and blistered, 10 to 15 minutes. Immediately transfer the hot nuts to a thick kitchen towel. Wrap the nuts in the towel and allow them to steam for about 10 minutes to help loosen the skins. Vigorously rub the hazelnuts between the layers of the towel to remove the skins. Not all of the skins will come off, but that’s okay. To roast the nuts for additional flavor, return the skinned nuts to the pan and bake until the nuts are golden brown and fragrant, about 5 minutes.

When using fancy ingredients, you want to let them shine—not cover them up with lots of other ingredients. For example, caviar is best humbly served on a blini with crème fraîche, while a few thin shavings of truffle effortlessly dress up a simple pasta dish. Although not as pricy as caviar or truffles, macadamia nuts are a flavorful, high-end ingredient that needs no grand frills or flourishes. These buttery nuts shine in this pie, accented with a few wisps of nutmeg and dark rum for a luxurious delight.

MAKES ONE 9-INCH PIE

WHAT YOU NEED

Pie dough for a Standard Single Crust (this page)  

9-inch standard pie plate 

Instant-read thermometer 

Pie crust shield or foil (see this page) 

Piping bag (see this page) fitted with a Wilton #1M or other large star piping tip (optional) 

INGREDIENTVOLUMEWEIGHT (STAN

DARD)WEIGHT (METRIC)

FRANGIPANE

Raw macadamia nuts1⅓ cups7 ounces200 grams

Granulated sugar½ cup3.5 ounces100 grams

Unsalted butter, at room temperature3 tablespoons1.5 ounces43 grams

Egg1 large

Dark rum1 tablespo

on0.45 ounce13 grams

Ground nutmeg1 teaspoon

All-purpose flour1 tablespoon0.3 ounce9 grams

Salt¼ teaspoon

CINNAMON SUGAR MERINGUE TOPPING

Egg whites3 large

Light brown sugar, lightly packed⅔ cup4.65 ounces133 grams

Salt⅛ teaspoon

Vanilla extract½ teaspoon

Ground cinnamon½ teaspoon

Raw macadamia nutsabout 121 ounce28 grams

PARTIALLY BLIND-BAKE THE CRUST: Follow the instructions on this page. The pie will bake longer after the filling is added, so it should not be completely browned at this point. Remove the pie dish from the oven, set it on a wire cooling rack, and remove the foil or parchment and pie weights. Keep the oven at 350°F. 

MAKE THE FRANGIPANE: Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and lightly toast them in the oven, 6 to 9 minutes. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool slightly for 5 minutes. Place half the macadamia nuts into the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times, until the nuts are mostly chopped. Add the granulated sugar and continue to pulse until the nuts are finely ground. Add the butter, egg, rum, nutmeg, flour, and salt and process until evenly combined. Add the remaining nuts to the filling mixture and pulse once or twice until they are just incorporated into the mixture. 

FILL THE CRUST AND BAKE: Place a pie crust shield on the pie to protect the edges from drips and pour the mixture into the warm pie shell. Place the pie in the oven on the middle rack and bake until it is puffed and browned, and no longer jiggles when jostled, about 15 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven and immediately start preparing the meringue topping. 

MAKE THE CINNAMON SUGAR MERINGUE TOPPING: Combine the egg whites, brown sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water to create a water bath. Cook the egg white mixture over the simmering water, whisking constantly until the temperature on an instant-read thermometer reaches 160°F. Transfer the bowl to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium-high until the meringue holds medium peaks, about 8 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and cinnamon. Spread or decoratively pipe the meringue over the still warm surface of the pie. 

DECORATE THE PIE: Carefully slice the raw macadamia nuts into approximate quarters. Try to avoid generating too much nut dust. Sprinkle the large chunks of chopped macadamia nuts on top of the pie, leaving the dust behind—which would burn if you used it. Place the pie back in the oven on the middle rack for 5 minutes. Now turn the broiler on high for 20 seconds to 1 minute. Do not take your eyes off the pie! The intensity of broilers varies, and what takes ours 45 seconds could take yours 20 seconds. Remove the pie when the meringue and nuts just start to brown slightly and cool the pie completely at room temperature before serving. (Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator up to 2 days.)