Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin Pie is one of my favorite pies. To keep it short and sweet, this one turned out outstanding, just the way I like it. It was smooth and moist with a wonderful blend of favors. Using fresh ingredients - fresh pumpkin, freshly ground cinnamon, etc. really makes the difference. The pie crust was just perfect as well - moist but not soggy, perfect thickness, and not too crumbly that it fell apart. The whole pie came together beautifully. If you are looking for a recipe for pumpkin pie for the upcoming holidays - or to have in general - this one tops the cake (or should I say pie).
One thing I noticed different from the recipe is that my pies took 20 minutes longer than expected to make. This might be because when I put the pies in the oven, there were apple pies already cooking in the oven. But you’ll know when its done… It goes from just jiggling to solid very quickly, so be sure to keep a close eye on it.
Special thanks to my friend C who came over and helped make these pies with me. It was great help and lots of fun.
Recipe: Pumpkin Pie from Martha Stewart
Ingredients
Makes one 10-inch pie
1 sugar pumpkin (about 4 pounds), halved, or 1 1/2 cups solid-pack canned pumpkin (one 15-ounce can)
1 1/2 Pate Brisee (Ingredients & Directions below)
All-purpose flour, for work surface
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons heavy cream
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
Whipped cream, for serving
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. If using fresh pumpkin, roast pumpkin, cut sides down, on a rimmed baking sheet until soft, 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool completely. Roasted pumpkin can be refrigerated in an airtight container overnight.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the larger disk of dough into a 14-inch round. Fit round into a 10-inch pie plate; trim and fold dough under flush with rim of pie plate. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.
3. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Roll out remaining disk of dough to 1/8 inch thick. Whisk 1 egg and heavy cream in a small bowl; set aside. Using a 1-inch leaf-shaped cookie cutter, cut out leaves. Brush edges of pie shell with egg wash. Arrange leaves around edges, pressing to adhere. Brush leaves with egg wash. Cut a large circle of parchment paper; fit into pie plate, extending about edges. Fill with pie weights. Freeze until cold, about 10 minutes. If desired, cut out additional leaves and place on a small parchment paper-lined baking sheet. These may be baked and used to garnish pie slices.
4. Bake pie shell 10 minutes. Remove weights and parchment; bake 5 minutes more. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
5. If using fresh pumpkin, discard seeds. Scoop out flesh using a large spoon; transfer to a food processor. Process until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer pumpkin to a large bowl. Add brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, ginger, vanilla, nutmeg, remaining 3 eggs, and evaporated milk; whisk until combined.
6. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Place pie on a rimmed baking sheet. Transfer pumpkin mixture to pie shell. Bake until all but the center is set, 50 to 60 minutes. Let pie cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into wedges, and serve with whipped cream.
Pate Brisee: Pie Dough from Martha Stewart
Makes enough for one double-crust or two single crust 9-inch pies
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup cold (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water
Directions
1. Pulse flour and salt in a food processor. Add butter, and pulse until mixture forms coarse crumbs with some larger pieces remaining, about 10 seconds.
2. With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream just until dough holds together without being wet or sticky, no longer than 30 seconds.
3. Divide dough in half, and shape into disks. Wrap in plastic; refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. Dough can be frozen up to 1 month; thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using.
