A Better Pumpkin Pie
If you are here, you may have already read my article “Pumpkin Pie is Gross”. It must seem pretty odd that I would make a pumpkin pie considering my feelings about this holiday staple. However, here at “Simmer and Stir” I strive to make all things better—at least as far as cooking is concerned. As stated in my article, pumpkin pie suffers from a textural problem. It is too soft and gelatinous for many people to truly enjoy. This unpleasant jiggly texture is due to the high water content of the canned pumpkin puree at the center of traditional pumpkin pie recipes. Canned pumpkin’s high water content isn’t the only thing to blame for this issue. The general obsession with a pie with a smooth and crack-free surface is also a major culprit in pumpkin pie’s unappealing texture. Lots of eggs, liquid and slight undercooking are required to achieve such a pristine surface. The ratio of these ingredients creates a pumpkin custard which many love, yet many others simply suffer through once a year out of tradition.
There is a better way. By building a pumpkin pie modeled after the much more universally loved sweet potato pie, I ended up with a smooth and creamy pie that has the dense and rich texture people love in desserts like New York cheesecake. My version of pumpkin pie lacks the Instagram worthy glassy top—however what it lacks in style, it more than makes up for in substance. Actually, I really like the cracks. For me they give the pie a rustic charm that is homey and perfect for Thanksgiving.
Once the textural problem was addressed, all that remained was perfecting the flavor. Boosting the flavor with dark brown sugar, rum and vanilla, and dropping the traditional yet medicinal cloves in favor of far superior allspice resulted in the best pumpkin pie I’d ever eaten. So if you’ve always hated pumpkin pie, give this recipe a try and you’ll soon be asking for a second slice. Another benefit to this recipe is that it is a deep dish pie. This means that one pie easily serves 12 turkey stuffed dinner guest—so less baking for you! Happy Thanksgiving!
Watch the video version of this recipe here!
Directions:
Adjust oven rack to the lowest position and preheat oven to 375°F.
Roll out 1 disc of “No-Fail Vodka Pie Dough” to an 15-16 inch circle. Spray a deep dish 9” glass pie dish with non-stick spray and line with rolled out pie dough. Fold under any overhanging edges and crimp edge as desired. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 60 minutes. Remove chilled dough from the refrigerator and remove plastic wrap. Crumple a sheet of parchment paper, uncrumple and cover chilled pie dough, gently pressing into place. (see video) Add pie weights or 4 cups dry rice or dried beans. Cover edges of pie crust with aluminum foil or a pie shield. Bake on the lowest rack of your oven for 30 minutes or until crust starts to look set but not brown. Remove from oven.* Place on baking sheet. Lift out pie weights with parchment paper. Leave pie shields in place. Increase oven temperature to 400° F. *(For an extra crispy pie shell, remove pie parchment and pie weights. Keeping pie shields in place, return crust to oven for 15 additional minutes at 375°F)
As crust is baking, melt butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add spices and sauté for 30 seconds, stirring frequently.
Add canned pumpkin, brown and granulated sugars, salt and rum to saucepan and stir to combine. Cook, stirring frequently until moisture is reduced and mixture becomes thick, holding its shape firmly when stirred (about 20 minutes).
In a small bowl, whisk together milk and cornstarch until smooth. Add to saucepan with pumpkin mixture and carefully stir together until fully incorporated. Remove from heat and let cool, uncovered for 15 minutes.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and egg yolk until no egg white is visible. Whisk in heavy cream and pass mixture through a small sieve into a large bowl. Add ⅓ cup of the warm pumpkin mixture to the egg and cream mixture, whisking vigorously to temper. Add another ⅓ cup of the pumpkin mixture to the egg mixture whisking vigorously. Add the remainder of the pumpkin mixture and whisk until smooth. Whisk in vanilla extract.
Pour filling into parbaked crust and bake on the lowest rack of a 400° F oven for 15 minutes. Without opening the oven door, reduce oven temperature to 300° F and continue to bake for 60 minutes until the center registers 170°-180° F. (Remove pie shields for the last 30 minutes of baking.) Remove pie from oven and transfer to a cooling rack to cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours before slicing and enjoying with fresh whipped cream!
(Serves 8-12)
Ingredients:
29 oz Can of Unsweetened Pumpkin Puree
2 Tbsp Butter
1 ½ tsp Ground Ginger
2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
¼ tsp Nutmeg
¼ tsp Allspice
1 tsp Table Salt
1 Tbsp Dark Rum
100 grams (½ cup, packed) Dark Brown Sugar
200 grams (1 cup) Granulated Sugar
2 Tbsp Cornstarch
180 ml (¾ cup) Milk (1%)
180 ml (¾ cup) Heavy Cream
3 Whole Large Eggs
2 Large Egg Yolk
4 tsp Vanilla Extract
One disc "No Fail Vodka Pie Dough"
If you are here, you may have already read my article “Pumpkin Pie is Gross”. It must seem pretty odd that I would make a pumpkin pie considering my feelings about this holiday staple. However, here at “Simmer and Stir” I strive to make all things better—at least as far as cooking is concerned. As stated in my article, pumpkin pie suffers from a textural problem. It is too soft and gelatinous for many people to truly enjoy. This unpleasant jiggly texture is due to the high water content of the canned pumpkin puree at the center of traditional pumpkin pie recipes. Canned pumpkin’s high water content isn’t the only thing to blame for this issue. The general obsession with a pie with a smooth and crack-free surface is also a major culprit in pumpkin pie’s unappealing texture. Lots of eggs, liquid and slight undercooking are required to achieve such a pristine surface. The ratio of these ingredients creates a pumpkin custard which many love, yet many others simply suffer through once a year out of tradition.
There is a better way. By building a pumpkin pie modeled after the much more universally loved sweet potato pie, I ended up with a smooth and creamy pie that has the dense and rich texture people love in desserts like New York cheesecake. My version of pumpkin pie lacks the Instagram worthy glassy top—however what it lacks in style, it more than makes up for in substance. Actually, I really like the cracks. For me they give the pie a rustic charm that is homey and perfect for Thanksgiving.
Once the textural problem was addressed, all that remained was perfecting the flavor. Boosting the flavor with dark brown sugar, rum and vanilla, and dropping the traditional yet medicinal cloves in favor of far superior allspice resulted in the best pumpkin pie I’d ever eaten. So if you’ve always hated pumpkin pie, give this recipe a try and you’ll soon be asking for a second slice. Another benefit to this recipe is that it is a deep dish pie. This means that one pie easily serves 12 turkey stuffed dinner guest—so less baking for you! Happy Thanksgiving!
Watch the video version of this recipe here!
Recommended Recipes or Posts
Fool Proof Vodka Pie Dough
Bacon, Corn and Cheddar Quiche