Are you looking for some delicious and amazing pie ideas for this thanksgiving? Well, well, you are in luck because we have found an extremely talented self-taught artist who bakes lip-smacking pies.
The name of the baker is Helen Nugent and she likes to call herself a messy baker. But her baked pie says otherwise. Everything about the pie that Helen bakes is simply amazing. Whether it’s the creative crust or the pristine filling, everything is just perfect.
To know from where she got inspiration, we talked to her. She told us that “I have baked as a hobby most of my life”. “My mother was, and still is, an excellent baker so all the credit for any skill I possess goes to her. My career has been in corporate communications and I never thought about the following baking as a career path. At the same time, I was feeling very burnt out with my career and looking for a new direction.”
“That led to doing work for Food Network which led to a book offer which led to a new career! I know social media gets a bad rap but sometimes great things can come from it. I’m living proof of that.”
She has also started an Instagram page, named, Pie Style. On this page, she has uploaded plenty of easy-to-follow instructions.
Scroll down to see some of the deliciously beautiful baked pie by Helen.
“A good pie starts with an all-butter crust,” the baker said. “No Crisco pies for me. While pies made with shortening are very flaky. They have no taste. Good and all-butter pie dough has all the taste with a crisp and flaky crust.”
“A good pie [also] has a firm filling that is never gloopy or starchy. It’s like a pie made with too much thickener is,” she continued.
“Pie dough shouldn’t cause you to lose your mind. I love my food processor because it makes pie dough quickly and easily and it works every time. And it tastes great. Is a pie dough made by hand a little bit flakier? Sure, but pie dough with chunks of butter in it does not work well for latticing, cutting decorating or fine details. Food processor dough is smooth, pliable, and homogeneous so it’s easy to work with,” Nugent explained. “And it’s stress-free so you can be successful at it.”
“A good pie is one you are proud of. Julie Child always said, ‘No matter what happens in the kitchen, never apologize.’ Don’t compare your pie to others or apologize to your friends and family if it isn’t ‘perfect’. Making pie is a huge accomplishment so celebrate it!”
“I do love a good pumpkin pie. It’s hard to beat that dense custard filling combined with warm spices and finished off with some whipping cream. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.”
“I get ideas from things like floor tile designs, ceiling mosaics, clothing patterns, and plaster medallions,” she said. “A walk in the woods will inspire with bark designs and leaf patterns. Inspiration comes from all around us but we really have to look up, down, and all around. Inspiration is everywhere.”
“I wanted to create reliable recipes that delivered consistent results but I also wanted to give people practical techniques to help them create pies that were beautiful as well. A lot of pie books focus on recipes but don’t spend a lot of time describing how to create the “looks”. This book includes really delicious recipes but also a step-by-step approach to creating all the decorations in the book. Users are encouraged to mix and match the decorating styles to create pies that are all their own.”
“Start with smaller, simpler decorations like cut-outs. As you gain confidence, take on more decorative techniques like latticing and braiding,” Nugent advised. “There is no standard.”
