Pixel Chefs' November Pie Workshop
In November, the Pixel Chefs Circle ran a workshop on how to bake an apple pie, perfect for Thanksgiving and the fall season!
Food is something we all know and love, and this enjoyment can create a wonderful community such as Stanford OHS’s Pixel Chefs! The Pixel Chefs skype chat has over 160 students, who all share a passion for cooking and baking across all kinds of skill levels, with some even running their own baking businesses, such as Nivaaz (’25)! The circle constantly shares pictures of their recent creations and provides tips and recipes to each other. The current leader, Dashmi (’24), describes how there is a wide variety of students with different passions and interests in cooking. “It’s all about something so completely simple, it’s just food…it’s just so fulfilling and it’s such an easy circle to be a part of.” Some students share their everyday lunches while others send pictures of their incredible baked goods. This sense of support is felt throughout the members as well. Adriana (’24), a member of Pixel Chefs, says the community is incredibly supportive and constantly offers tips and suggestions to help one another learn and grow. Adriana says that “it’s a really supportive community. Even when there are clearly bakers better than me, I never feel inadequate. It’s a feeling of we’re all supporting each other.”
This year, Dashmi, who currently leads the circle, has begun leading cooking workshops for all of OHS to attend! Dashmi, who joined Pixel Chefs 3 years ago as her first club here at OHS, tells how she hopes the workshops spread the message that “you don’t have to be a Michelin star chef to be seen as a pixel chef, that’s not what we’re really about.” She says the workshops are “taking staple skills…and making them really accessible and really easy to learn… and letting [people] know that [cooking is] not as daunting of a skill.”
In October, Pixel Chefs ran their first workshop, which went over the basics of making a cake. This month, for a Thanksgiving-themed event, Dashmi and Adriana went over the steps on how to make an apple pie. In this workshop, they instructed how to make the delicious fall staple while they each made their own with participants following along and trying their hand at making them as well. Dashmi says that this workshop “is a way for anyone and everyone at OHS to contribute to their Thanksgiving table by making a pie.” The workshop was split into two days, with one covering the process of making the crust and the other going over the filling. The workshop was full of excitement with lively chatter happening all the time. Dashmi and Adriana, both avid home bakers themselves, ran through each step and answered questions coming through chat and on mic.
The first step was the crust, which can be done in two different ways, in a food processor or a bowl. Dashmi and Adriana each covered one, with Dashmi making hers in a bowl and Adriana using a food processor. After adding some flour, sugar, butter, and cold water, they wrapped the dough, sealed it in a ziploc, and set it in the fridge to chill. Not only did they both walk through the steps, but they also provided helpful tips to ensure the crust comes out the best it can.
The next day rolled in and Dashmi and Adriana began the steps on the filling. They prepared the apples by peeling and slicing them. Once that was done, they began seasoning the apples with sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom. Flour was then added to thicken the mixture before setting the filling aside for now.
The dough was then prepared to be rolled. First, they sprinkled some flour onto their surface and broke the pie dough in two. Using one of the pieces, they formed it into a circle and then began rolling it out. Dashmi and Adriana also provide troubleshooting tips in case of dough mishaps. The dough was then placed in the pie pan and then the apple filling was poured on top to be set aside.
Dashmi and Adriana began instructing on how to make the top of the apple pie. They started by rolling out the second piece of pie dough into a circle like the first piece. Dashmi also reminded the workshop to preheat their ovens to 350-375 degrees. Once the second piece of dough was rolled out, they cut out ribbons in the dough to cover the top of the pie. Adriana demonstrated different ways to cut and style the top. Once the dough was placed on top, the edge was sealed and traced with ice water. As the pie was being assembled, Adriana also explained why certain tips and tricks were being done, so that the participants knew the purposes of the steps. They both also walked through how to adorn and create patterns on the edge of the pie.
The final step was to create a butter wash for the pie. Once about two tablespoons of butter were melted and a mix of sugar and cinnamon was created, Adriana walked through the steps of painting the top of the pie and crust with the butter. Next, she dusted the top of the pie with the cinnamon sugar mixture to finish it off. There was also a fun banter on whether to eat pie warm or cold and what to pair it with.
The pie was finished! Before putting it in the oven, Dashmi and Adriana instructed the participants to place a piece of tin foil sprayed with nonstick spray across the pie crust to prevent burnt edges. And that’s it!
All in all, Dashmi and Adriana ran an incredibly entertaining and informative workshop on how to bake a Thanksgiving classic. You may be wondering what’s next for Pixel Chefs. Dashmi says she hopes to continue the workshops and begin hosting segments on how to make certain savory dishes in the spring along with keeping old traditions alive such as the multicultural food fair!