Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you all have a very safe and enjoyable holiday!
I love baking pies and for years it's been my own Thanksgiving tradition to bake pies for members of my staff at the farm. I offer a choice of several kinds and then I spend two to three days preparing the dough and baking each pie from scratch. Last weekend, I made the pâte brisés, so they were ready to roll into pie crusts. And then earlier this week, I, along with a small group of helpers, mixed all the fillings and baked a total of 32 pies and tarts - maple bourbon pumpkin pie, pumpkin honey molasses pie, pecan pie, and chocolate pecan tart.
I hope you saw photos on my Instagram page @marthastewart48. Here are more, enjoy.
Here I am rolling out one of the pâte brisée discs. When rolling, make sure there are no cracks. To fit a nine-inch pie plate, roll out an 11-inch round that’s about 1/8-inch thick. I have been making this pâte brisée for many years and have perfected this recipe. It calls for two-and-a-half cups all-purpose flour, one teaspoon kosher salt, one teaspoon granulated sugar, two sticks unsalted butter, and a quarter to a half cup of ice water.
Here are several chilled pâte brisée discs. Pâte brisée is the French version of classic pie or tart pastry. It is a versatile all-butter dough for both sweet and savory recipes—from apple pie to quiche.
While I roll out the doughs, Enma gathers all the necessary tart pans and pie plates.
Look closely – one is clearly a Martha Stewart pie plate.
To keep everything organized, I write down all the ingredients and amounts for every kind of pie on my list and then adjust the amounts for the number of each pie I need to make.
My productive hens made sure I had enough fresh eggs for all my pies. Eggs are picked every day and brought to the house at 3:30pm sharp.
As part of the preparations, Matt chops several bags of pecans for the pecan pies and the chocolate pecan tarts.
Matt also selects all the “perfect” pecan halves for the pecan pie tops.
Semi sweet chocolates are measured and laid out for the chocolate pecan tarts.
Also for the chocolate pecan tarts – corn syrup. I use a strainer held over the pot with wooden spoons and then turn the bottles upside down to empty – frees up my hands to do other things.
Because I am making several different kinds of pies all at the same time, it is crucial that everything be labeled as it’s mixed and cooked.
I rolled all 32 pie and tart crusts myself – it’s fun and good exercise.
After pressing the dough into the plate, using kitchen shears trim the edge to one inch over and fold under, so it looks neat and tidy. Save the scraps for the decorations. Then put the plate into the fridge to chill.
I told my baking team it isn’t worth all the work if the pie crust isn’t done right. I taught Matt how to crimp the pie crust, so it is well defined. Crimping is not only decorative, but if done properly, it makes it less likely the sides of the pie will fall or shrink during baking.
Here’s Matt pouring in the pumpkin for the maple bourbon pumpkin pies. I need enough filling for at least eight.
As the fillings are made, the stainless steel bowls are covered and accurately labeled.
For the pumpkin, the filling is poured carefully into the chilled pie crust. I asked Matt to hold the crust on the edge of the metal bowl to prevent unnecessary drips. I am using my square ladle – it’s part of my kitchen tool set at my shop on Amazon.
Enma brushes the crusts with an egg and cream wash – just enough to moisten for a simple glazed finish.
These are all lined up and ready to put into the oven.
Find lots of holiday recipes in ENTERTAINING from Clarkson Potter. My very first book is now re-released for all of you to enjoy. It includes all 300 recipes and 450 full color photos from the original version.
These maple bourbon pumpkin pies will bake for about 45-minutes to an hour until the custard is firm and the top is glossy and golden brown. Unfortunately, I had to leave while the pies were still baking.
I also make lots of small decorations for the pies. The decorations are cut from the scraps of dough and baked separately.
I make seasonal appropriate decorations, such as leaves.
Small cookie cutters are perfect to use for these decorations.
Here are the pecan pies in the oven – they look great. They’re almost ready.
These are the chocolate pecan tarts also ready to go into the oven – every member of the staff is required to bring the pie plate back after enjoying their dessert.
This is a pumpkin honey molasses pie.
Here’s one of the maple bourbon pumpkin pies.
Here’s a chocolate pecan tart.
And a traditional pecan pie. The team works in an assembly line fashion to get all the pies ready on time. Once cooked, they are left to cool – on the counter, on the stovetop, near the sink – anywhere there is room.
After they are all done and slightly cooled, the pies are packed in boxes and brought outside for “pick up.”
All these pies were ready on time. I am always so happy to make pies for my hardworking staff. I hope you are all having a wonderful time preparing for today’s big feast. Enjoy.
Decorating doesn't have to be expensive or burdensome - just moving existing pieces of furniture can transform and refresh any room.
I always like to keep a collection of interesting container plants in my enclosed porch where I can see them every day. Most of my houseplants are kept in the greenhouse, so they can be closely maintained and then moved to my Winter House when I am home. For some time, I've been thinking about where I could put two unused long marble-topped tables. It finally came to me that they would be perfect for the porch - to hold many of my potted specimens, such as Rhipsalis, Dracaena, forced paper whites and amaryllis, and so many others.
Enjoy these photos.
My porch is a lovely space for displaying houseplants. The floor to ceiling windows allow lots of light and the plants surround my desk, where I can enjoy them while writing or while attending remote meetings.
I fill the spaces on both sides of the door with appealing and interesting specimens. All the furniture, including these plant stands, are black and the pots are natural light gray clay.
But then I had the idea to move in these two tables – narrow marble-topped tables on strong, black cast iron legs, that fit perfectly. They brighten up the porch right away.
I asked my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, to arrange the plants on the tables and add some more to the collection.
Ryan and my housekeeper, Enma Sandoval, worked together. Enma brought in plates. Whenever I decorate with plants, I use silver, copper, glass, or white plates, purchased from tag sales or antiques fairs, under the pots to catch any water. I find them more decorative than the clay saucers that come with the pots.
The plates are selected individually for each pot. Make sure it is wider than the bottom of the container.
Some of the plants here right now include this potted rhipsalis. It is native to the rainforests of South America, the Caribbean and Central America. Rhipsalis is a cacti genus with approximately 35 distinct species. I have many types of rhipsalis growing in my greenhouse.
Rhipsalis specimens have long, trailing stems making them perfect choices as indoor hanging plants.
Also known as chain cactus or mistletoe cactus, the thread-like succulent stems on the cactus are narrow, green and in can grow several feet long.
These plants prefer bright, indirect light. Rhipsalis plants also appreciate a good misting now and again and watering about once a week, or whenever the soil becomes dry.
Displayed on its own or with other specimens, rhipsalis plants always get lots of attention.
If you like growing plants, but don’t really have a lot of time to care for them, consider growing succulents. Succulents, which includes the cactus family, require very little maintenance. These plants are able to survive prolonged drought because they store moisture in their fleshy stems, roots, and leaves.
This is Euphorbia lactea is also known as a “Coral Cactus.” It is a species native to tropical Asia, mainly in India. The showy part of the plant, the section that resembles coral, is called the crest. The ridges are spiny, with short spines.
On the other side of the porch is a jade plant, Crassula ovata – another popular succulent characterized by its thick, woody stems and shiny, oval shaped leaves. It’s well known for its ease of care – it can live for many years if maintained properly.
And look who is watching all the redecorating. It’s Lilium, my brown Persian longhaired cat. She is one of four cats that live with me in my Winter House.
And this is Dahlia, a dilute calico Persian. My cats love to lounge in this enclosed porch.
Dracaena has strap-like leaves that emerge in a fountain-like cluster from a thick woody stem. This plant can grow as much as six feet in height when grown as a potted plant. In outdoor settings, it has been known to grow up to 20 feet.
On one end, I have these potted Monarch ferns. They are tropical ferns native to the Western Pacific Rim and loved for their glossy, green foliage.
Forcing is the process of speeding up a bulb’s development by simulating the conditions of winter and spring – it’s a way of fooling Mother Nature and tricking the bulb to bloom before its natural time. These paper whites were started last month and they’re developing so beautifully.
These are forced amaryllis. It won’t be long before they bloom.
If you’re hosting this Thanksgiving and getting your home ready for guests, look around, switch some furniture, add a few houseplants – and watch the space transform. Redecorating with items you already have is easy… and a very good thing.
You know cold winter weather is on the way when various ornamental vessels around my farm are covered in burlap.
I've been covering my boxwood shrubs and hedges with burlap for many years to protect them from splaying and breaking from the weight of snow and ice. I feel it is equally important to protect my outdoor garden containers from the harsh winter elements. A winter freeze, alternating with thaws, could crack or crumble any kind of stone or cement, especially if it is antique. During this time, all my outdoor planters, birdbaths, stanchions, etc., are covered in the same burlap used for my live specimens.
Here are some photos.
The “burlapping” process has begun! I have many outdoor containers and garden ornaments that are covered and protected with burlap and kept in their respected locations for the duration of the cold season. Here is a birdbath that sits outside the stable office where my business manager, property manager, and operations manager work.
Because stone, cement, and clay-based materials can crack from exposure to the winter elements, it’s important to protect them from all sides. The first thing I do is cover the large opening with a piece of plywood. The crew cuts any spare plywood into rounds to fit over various pieces. Then it is wrapped in a layer of plastic all the way around.
When we can, we reuse burlap from seasons past; however, it is also available in giant rolls of 40-inches or 60-inches wide. Also called hessian, burlap is made in Pakistan, Bangladesh and India from jute, a tall, grass-like plant grown for its strong fibrous stalks. This burlap cover is from last year. If stored properly in a dry place, it can last a couple of seasons. Pete wraps this entire vessel from top to bottom with the burlap, tucking it all in underneath.
To sew the burlap, the crew uses jute twine. It is all natural and the same color as the burlap.
These needles are specially designed for sewing jute. These five-inch long needles have large eyes and bent tips. Every member of my outdoor grounds crew has a needle. Pete stitches the top of the fabric together pulling the burlap snug.
Then he sews the opening closed. There is a lot of tucking involved to make it neat, and a lot of stitching and knotting, but my crew has been covering these pieces with burlap every year for quite some time – they are all excellent burlap sewers.
Here is the opening stitched closed. The burlap should be sewn tightly, but with some space for air circulation.
And here is the top – secured and ready for the elements. Burlap is so useful for many gardening projects – it is inexpensive, biodegradable, and the color and texture of burlap is so pretty to use.
After a group is all done, they look like pieces of burlap art. Here is the front of the stable office – the urns and birdbaths look so neat and tidy.
Pete moves on to my Winter House terrace parterre. I have pairs of smaller stone urns flanking each entrance to the area.
These containers are covered first in black plastic garbage bags.
This piece of burlap is being reused from last year also. I always encourage the crew to reuse and repurpose.
Here Pete uses a flat scraper to tuck the burlap underneath.
Then Pete pulls it taut at the opening and sews it closed. If needed, Pete starts with small stitches and knots at the top and the bottom just to keep the fabric in place.
Then he sews the burlap along the open edge at the top.
Here is the planter covered. It will stay here for the duration of the season until it is in uncovered and planted again in spring.
The same process is used for the giant planters along the carriage road under my bald cypress trees. Pete covers the top with a piece of plywood and then wraps the entire planter with strong plastic.
Here is Pete wrapping the entire vessel with burlap. It is always a good idea to wrap it first to estimate how much is needed and then cut off any excess. One doesn’t want to accidentally cut too much.
And then like a present, Pete tucks the fabric and pulls it snug before sewing the ends together.
Because these containers will be exposed to winter elements for several months, Pete makes sure to do the task very carefully.
The top is also pulled tight and sewn closed.
The edges are all folded neatly before sewing. After all, it will also be seen by visitors who come by.
And here it is all covered. Depending on the size of the vessel, it takes about 20 to 30 minutes to cover one of these ornamental containers. On this day, Pete completed more than a dozen. There is still a lot of “burlapping” to do, but it is comforting to know that all my valuable planters will be protected for the season. Do you cover your outdoor planters?
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