Sponsored by Gefen

Gefen products are the secret ingredient to making almost anything, especially when it comes to creating delicious, comforting pies. Whether you’re craving a savory steak pie to warm you up on a chilly evening or a sweet, fragrant honey pear crumble for dessert, Gefen has everything you need to bring your culinary visions to life. From their high-quality spices and tomato paste, Gefen’s range of ingredients elevates your dishes and ensures the perfect balance of flavor and texture every time.

So, if you’re ready to bake up some comforting pies, look no further—Gefen has got you covered for all your savory and sweet pie needs!

Steak Pie

A hearty and comforting meal, this savory steak pie is perfect for hunkering down with. Tender chunks of beef are wrapped in a flakey pie crust with carrots, celery, and Yukon gold potatoes.

Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1.5 pounds beef chuck stew meat, cut into bite-sized pieces

1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons flour, divided

1 yellow onion, diced

2 carrots, peeled and diced

2 celery stalks, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons Gefen tomato paste

1 pound yellow potatoes, quartered

1 tablespoon fish-free Worcestershire sauce

1 (12 ounce) can or bottle of beer

2 cups beef broth

1 deep-dish pie crust

1 regular pie crust, for the topping

1 egg yolk

Directions:

1. Remove pie crusts from the freezer.

2. In a large Dutch oven or saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. In a bowl, toss the meat in 1/4 cup of flour to coat. Add diced onion, carrots, and celery to the Dutch oven.

3. Saute for a few minutes until veggies begin to soften and the onion is translucent. Next, add the meat to the pan and saute until browned on all sides. Add in garlic, salt, pepper, and tomato paste.

4. Then, add the potatoes to the pot and pour in the Worcestershire sauce, beer, and beef broth, scraping the bottom of the pan to get the browned bits off.

5. Cook, covered, over medium-low heat for 45 to 50 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. After the stew has cooked through, make a slurry with three tablespoons of flour and 1/2 cup of cold water in a separate bowl, then pour into the stew to thicken it. Stir and turn off the heat.

6. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.  Fill your deep-dish pie crust with the stew filling, remove the other pie crust from the pan, and cover the pie. Use a fork to pinch the crusts together. Brush the top crust with egg yolk, cut a couple of slits in the center of the crust, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden.

Butternut Squash Pie with Caramelized Onions

This savory pie combines the richness of caramelized onions with the sweetness of roasted fresh butternut squash.

Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed (2 cups)

1 onion, diced

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon Gefen black pepper

1/2 cup Gefen coconut milk

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon Gefen vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon Gefen ground cinnamon

1 cube Gefen frozen minced ginger

1 pie crust

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Roast squash: Toss with two tablespoons of the olive oil, salt, and pepper on a baking sheet. Roast 30 to 40 minutes or until tender.

3. Heat a skillet with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-low heat. Cook the diced onion for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

4. In a blender or food processor, puree roasted squash, coconut milk, sugar, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger.

5. Stir in caramelized onions.

6. Fill pie crust with squash mixture.

7. Bake for 15 minutes; reduce heat to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the crust is golden.

Apple Cranberry Pie

I love adding orange zest for a bright citrusy note to this classic apple and cranberry pie. It hits all the sweet, tart, and tangy notes!

Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:

4 large Honeycrisp apples, cored, peeled, and sliced (about 6 to 7 cups)

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 cup Gefen jellied cranberry sauce

1 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons orange zest

1 teaspoon Gefen vanilla extract

1 deep-dish pie crust

1 regular pie crust

Turbinado sugar for garnish, optional

Directions:

1. Put the apple slices in a large bowl and drizzle with fresh lemon juice. Toss to coat the apples. This will keep the apples from browning.

2. Add the cranberry sauce, sugar, flour, cinnamon, orange zest, and vanilla extract. Stir until combined.

3. Fill the deep-dish pie crust with apple cranberry filling.

4. Remove the second pie crust from the tin and use a pastry wheel, pizza cutter, or sharp knife to cut the pie dough into strips, about 1 to 2 inches wide. Carefully weave the pie dough strips over and under one another.

5. Press the edges of the dough strips into the bottom pie crust edges, and seal with a fork.

6. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush crust and edges with egg wash. Sprinkle pie with turbinado sugar, if using.

7. Place the pie on a foil-lined baking sheet, just in case the filling bubbles out.

8. Bake for 60 to 80 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. If the top of the pie is browning too quickly, you can tent the top with aluminum foil or use a pie crust shield. Make sure you check it halfway through to be safe.

9. When the pie is done baking, remove from the oven and cool completely before serving so it can set, about 3 hours.

Maple Pear Crumble Pie

Pear and caramel are such a good match. This crumble features a heavenly built-in caramel sauce and is topped with a deliciously fragrant pecan crumble.

Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:

5 medium-size pears, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1 and 1/4 teaspoons Gefen ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1 and 1/4 teaspoons Gefen pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 and 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 and 1/2 tablespoons Gefen cornstarch

1 pie crust

Topping:

1/2 cup old-fashioned/rolled oats

1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, roughly chopped

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup unsalted margarine, melted 

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place sliced pears in the pie crust and toss with lemon juice. Spread out the pears in the pan in an even layer.

2. In a small mixing bowl, whisk the maple syrup, light brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, vanilla, salt, and cornstarch until combined. Pour maple syrup mixture over pears and mix until evenly coated.

3. For the Topping: In a separate medium size bowl, combine and stir the oats, pecans, flour, melted margarine, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Sprinkle topping over the filling.

4. Bake the pie in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes until the fruit juices are bubbling and the top is golden brown. Fruit should be fork- or knife-tender. Tent with foil if the topping starts to brown too quickly.

5. Allow the pie to cool slightly before serving. Serve warm or room temperature with vanilla ice cream and/or a drizzle of caramel syrup.