Egg Custard Pie

George Hirsch November 25, 2025

The trick to making an old-fashioned custard pie is to cook it very slowly and evenly—don't be tempted to open the oven to peek until near the end of the baking time

.Egg Custard Pie

yields one 9” pie or 4 individual 3” tarts

3 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 teaspoon fresh-grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon fresh-grated orange zest

1 (9") unbaked pie shell, see Graham Cracker Crumb Crust recipe below.

Preheat oven to 425°. Prick a 9" unbaked pie shell all over with a fork and bake till lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Remove; lower oven to 300°.

Beat eggs, sugar, milk, vanilla, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Pour into the crust. Bake until custard is set but still a bit wobbly, about 1 hour. Cool completely before cutting.

Graham Cracker Crumb Crust

1 3/4 cup Graham Cracker crumbs

2 Tablespoons sugar

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 pound / 8 T butter, melted butter

Mix all ingredients and press evenly into a 9-inch pie shell, or small individual tart shells. Chill for 30 minutes.

**Enjoy another fall favorite, baked in under 30 minutes**

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Honey Glazed Acorn Squash as seen on George Hirsch Lifestyle

George Hirsch November 22, 2025

As sweet as candy! This is one of my long-time favorite dishes. Seasonal, simple, and a wow for your guests. A type of winter squash known for its distinctive ribbed, dark green exterior (often with an orange patch) and sweet, nutty, yellow-orange flesh. It is commonly baked, roasted, or stuffed and is a good source of fiber, potassium, and vitamins A and C.

I've prepared acorn squash several ways, roasted in an oven and grilled on an outdoor grill. Yes, squash is just perfect for the grill. Wow, your family and friends will love my candy-like acorn squash.

A perfect dish to go with my Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf! or for a holiday celebration, drizzled with honey and filled with cranberries.

Honey Glazed Acorn Squash

Makes 6 Servings | George Hirsch Lifestyle

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Know Your Fire Cookbook

3 Acorn Squash, split in half lengthwise, remove seeds

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 Tablespoons butter, melted

2 Tablespoons, honey, melted

pinch of fresh grated nutmeg

Brush six halves with olive oil and place upside down on a low to medium temperature grill. Cook for 10 minutes or until the inside begins to lightly brown. In a small bowl, mix melted butter, nutmeg, and honey. Turn over the squash and baste with the butter mixture. Close the cover of the grill and continue to cook on a low temperature for 15 – 20 minutes or until the inside is tender.

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as seen on George Hirsch Lifestyle Mousseline Potatoes

George Hirsch November 20, 2025

Enjoy a lighter version of mashed potatoes by cooking with a flavorful chicken broth and olive oil. Cutting out much of the dairy's heaviness and adding chicken broth makes this do-ahead recipe ideal for weeknight suppers and equally good for weekend entertaining.

For added flavor, after baking in hot oven finish potato casserole under a hot broiler for a delightful crunch — **For added flavor, after baking in a hot oven, finish potato casserole under a hot broiler for a delightful crunch**

Mousseline Potatoes

makes 6 servings

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

10 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced into small pieces

1 cup chicken broth, hot

4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

6 cloves garlic, chopped fine

3/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

4 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Black pepper and Sea salt, to taste

¼ cup fresh chives, chopped

Optional: ¼ cup cooked and finely chopped ham or pancetta

Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer, and cook the potatoes until very tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a separate small pot, add garlic to the chicken broth and simmer for 5 minutes to infuse the broth's garlic flavor. Optional: strain off the garlic.

Test the tenderness of potatoes by slipping the point of a small knife into a potato. The potatoes are done if the knife slips out easily—drain water when potatoes are tender. After draining, return the potatoes to the hot pot, add 2 Tablespoons olive oil and ½ cup chicken broth, and mash potatoes by hand or with an electric mixer. Add ¼ cup cheddar cheese and Parmesan cheese. Mix in and add 2 more Tablespoons of olive oil. Continue to mash until the desired level of smoothness. Add remaining cheese, chives, black pepper, and sea salt to taste.

If preparing potatoes ahead, cool and refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat a broiler or oven to 450 degrees F.

Grease an ovenproof 8 x 11 casserole dish with olive oil. Add potatoes and spread out evenly, leaving ridges on top. Top with an additional ¼ cup cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, and 2 Tablespoons olive oil.

Place under broiler and heat until potatoes are bubbly and golden on top. If the potatoes were made fresh and hot, the time would be approximately 3-5 minutes. If prepared ahead and the potatoes are cold, bake for 20-25 minutes or until hot and golden on top.

Serving suggestion:

Upgrade potatoes from a savory side dish to a satisfying main dish by adding your own twist. Start by pacing seasoned cooked ground beef chili, pulled chicken, or braised vegetables in an ovenproof casserole or ramekin. Top with the prepared potatoes for British-style shepherds or cottage pie. Served alongside my Oven-Fried Garlic Chicken.

Place under the broiler and heat until potatoes are bubbly and golden on top. If potatoes were made fresh and hot time will be approximately 3-5 minutes. If prepared ahead, and potatoes are cold, bake for 20-25 minutes or until hot and golden on top.

Serving suggestion:

Upgrade potatoes from a savory side to a satisfying main dish by adding your own twist. Start by pacing seasoned cooked ground beef chili, pulled chicken, or braised vegetables in an ovenproof casserole or ramekin. Top with the prepared potatoes for British-style shepherds’ or cottage pie. Served alongside my Oven-Fried Garlic Chicken.

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**Click for Turkey 101 and** **Apple Brined Roasted Turkey**

Pumpkin Crème Brulee

George Hirsch November 15, 2025

Make a great, easy fall crowd-pleaser dessert. I have made thousands of pumpkin brûlées this time of year, an ideal seasonal treat. The custards can be made in advance and refrigerated, actually improving the pumpkin custard flavor. However, burn the sugar just before serving to keep it crisp and crunchy. And what a show-stopper for your guests when you torch the sugar. Enjoy!

Chef George Hirsch’s Pumpkin Crème Brûlée

Makes 8 4-inch tarts

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

1 ½ cups milk

1 ½ cups heavy cream

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon orange zest

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

8 egg yolks

¼ cup light brown sugar

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 Tablespoon light corn syrup

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pinch ground nutmeg

Pinch ground allspice

For the Brulee Sugar

3 Tablespoon granulated sugar

3 Tablespoon light brown sugar

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon | RECIPE CONTINUED, SEE BELOW

In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, cream, pumpkin puree, orange zest, and vanilla. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, then remove from heat.

In the top of a double boiler, combine the egg yolks, brown sugar, granulated sugar, corn syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, and cook until the mixture is lemon-colored and coats a spoon for about 4-5 minutes. Slowly add the pumpkin mixture and continue cooking until the mixture has the consistency of thick custard, about 3-4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and pour into eight 4-ounce ramekins or tart shells. Chill for 5-6 hours.

In a small bowl, combine the brulee sugars and cinnamon for the topping. Before serving, top each custard with 1 Tablespoon of the sugar mixture. Light a butane torch to burn the sugar—moving the flame back and forth over the sugar until it darkens. Do not overheat or the custard will melt. Or, preheat the oven broiler and watch carefully so the pumpkin custards don’t burn.

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classic apple pie

George Hirsch November 9, 2025

Looking forward to a wedge of mile-high apple pie at your Thanksgiving dinner? Make your own. I have included my winning flaky pie crust recipe in addition to the ultimate traditional apple pie recipe. I'll be using a mix of local tart and sweet apples. I will be making a few apple pies since one is never enough. Enjoy!

George Hirsch Apple Pie as featured in Celebrate Magazine

Q & A with George:

Why do you consider pies a strong technique of yours?

My mother and grandmother were both excellent bakers. Plus, the early stage of my professional cooking and baking practical experience required baking a pie to perfection. Most European chefs I trained with were not about giving a second chance if it did not come out well.

Why are people hesitant to make their own pies?

Baking can be intimidating. If someone has experience with set baking skills, sometimes it just comes down to the available time one has to spend in the kitchen. Mixing the dough, allowing it to rest, preparing the filling, assembly, and baking takes time. And the hardest part of all is the after-baking waiting, letting the pie cool down so the filling sets. Have you ever stared at a well-baked pie and not wanted to dig in?

Premade pie crust versus homemade pie crust?

Acceptable to use a premade crust for efficiency on time and for someone who is just beginning to bake because it’s a good way to gain pie-making experience. However, I encourage giving from scratch a try, as making a pie crust is easy and should be attempted. The worst thing that can happen—is you eat and start again.

What is the most common mistake people make when making a pie?

–Underbaking the bottom crust. 99% of pies have a bottom crust that is not baked.

–Tough and chewy pie crust.

–Runny fillings.

What are the must-have tools for pie baking?

A good rolling stick, a heavy-gauge metal pie pan—and I love rolling dough on marble to keep the crust cold.

as featured in Celebrate Magazine

Apple Pie Recipe

Makes 8 servings

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

1 recipe pastry for George’s Favorite Pie Crust, see below
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
6 medium-sized Granny Smith apples; peeled, cored, and sliced
2 medium-size Rome, gala, or a sweeter apple; peeled, cored, and sliced
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of fresh ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar, and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer for two minutes—cool and mix with sliced apples.

Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, and mound slightly. Cover with a top crust or a lattice crust. To add a richer color to a double-crust or lattice-topped pie, brush the top crust with an egg wash (1 egg beaten with a teaspoon of water) before baking.

Bake for 15 minutes at 425, and reduce temperature to 350 degrees. Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft.

For a nice shine, mix a quarter cup of light corn syrup with a couple of Tablespoons of water as soon as the pie is removed from the oven. Boil for 3-5 minutes. When the pie is done, brush the thinned syrup over the top of the crust.

Optional:
Add 1/4 cup of plump raisins, cranberries, or walnuts to the apple filling.

*George’s Favorite Pie Crust

Makes 1 pie or 2 bottom crusts

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup cold milk

Chill the butter and milk before you begin. Chilling keeps the pie crust flaky and prevents the fat pieces from melting into the flour and becoming tough.

Next, mix the flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder. Cut the chilled butter into the dry mixture using a pastry cutter, or pinch the fat into the mixture with your hands. The mixture should have fat lumps no larger than the size of raisins. If making pie crust in the summertime, cool off the flour by measuring your flour and refrigerate it one hour before making the dough.

Pour in the chilled liquid until the milk is absorbed, mixing gently with a fork. You should be able to press the dough into a ball gently. Mix the dough as little as possible: you don't want to cream the butter's lumps into the flour. A crust without lumps of butter will be dense, not flaky. Note that humidity will affect how much liquid the flour will absorb.

Split the dough into two parts: 2/3 and 1/3 (2/3 for the bottom and 1/3 for the top). Pat them into balls, flatten them slightly, and wrap them in plastic. The dough needs to rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Overnight is preferred. Chilling lets the flour absorb all of the liquid, lets the dough relax, becomes more elastic, and keeps the fat in separate pieces, giving the crust a lighter texture when it is baked.

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