Martha Stewart's Simple Extra Step To Elevate Homemade Pie Filling

Baking a pie from scratch can be a blessing in and of itself, but it's still a lot of work. Taking the time to lovingly craft each portion, to carefully work together the butter and flour for the perfect pie crust, and waiting patiently while your filling boils down. According to Sister Pie's Lisa Ludwinski, to make a more flavorful pie crust, European-style butter is the secret. Its higher fat content gives the crust more flavor, and therefore, gives your crust the most bang for its buck. After wrangling together all that, you may think the job is done, right?

Martha Stewart says not so fast, there's one more step. Don't worry, Stewart's not throwing anything too crazy your way. Just a quick trick to elevate your pie filling from "just good" to — as Martha would say — a "very good thing." And it'll make your pie look more polished, which can be a huge help for those of us who have little helpers who are less than precise.

If you're looking to pump up your pie this holiday season, look no further than some glaze. Home hostess saint Martha Stewart recommends apricot for flavors like apple (per Food & Wine). She simply takes half a cup of apricot preserves, heats them in a pan to thicken, and then runs them through a sieve until she gets that glassy glaze consistency. Then, paint on the glaze with a pastry brush to cover any multitude of culinary sins, before popping your pie in the oven. The glaze isn't just about looks, it also helps keep your fruit or filling from drying out, according to Leiths School of Food & Wine, leading to moister, plumper filling.

Don't have apricot preserves? Not sure about the difference between preserves vs. jam vs. jelly? Don't be afraid to get creative and mix up the flavors. While Stewart says, "I love apricot," she also says she loves the pairings of plum with raspberry or current jelly — and with smooth current jelly, there's no need to sieve out thick fruit bits or seeds! Mildly flavored apple jelly is also ideal for glazing (per King Arthur Baking). Try out different flavor pairings and have fun with it.