Pumpkin Pie
In preparation for Thanksgiving, I’m going old school on you guys. Back-to-basics and a “must” on every Thanksgiving table…Pumpkin Pie.
Pumpkin Pie is a dessert that most of us eat only once a year, so if you’re making it, it better be good. Actually, it better be the best. I found this delicious recipe in Food 52 Genius Recipes by Kristen Miglore but it was originally published in Meta Given’s Modern Encyclopedia of Cooking.
The “genius” here is cooking down the canned pumpkin to caramelize it. The result is an intensely flavored, unapologetic pumpkin pie. I mean, let’s not be shy. Heavy cream and whole milk replace the more commonly used evaporated milk, so the resulting pie is rich and creamy. You may only need a small slice but go for a big one because it’s Thanksgiving and what would this holiday be if you don’t walk away from the table over-served and over-stuffed. Enjoy!
By the way, I won’t be posting next week as my day job will be morphing into a 24-hour gig as we prepare the many Thanksgiving catering orders. So enjoy this wonderful holiday with family and friends-who-are-like-family and I’ll see you back here on November 28!
Pumpkin Pie
NOTE: Photo credit goes to my talented 13-year old daughter who will likely be enlisted to take all of my photos from here on out.
- 1 can (425g) canned pumpkin puree
- 3/4 c sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 2 large eggs
- 1 c heavy cream
- 1/2 c milk
- 1 unbaked, unpicked, chilled 9-inch pie crust (store-bought or homemade--I use Pillsbury roll-out crust)
- whipped cream for serving, optional
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Turn the pumpkin into a saucepan and stir frequently over moderate heat, for 10 minutes until somewhat dry and caramelized. Remove from heat but keep hot.
- While pumpkin is cooking, mix thoroughly together the sugar, salt, cinnamon and ginger.
- Stir sugar mixture into the hot pumpkin when it is done cooking.
- Beat the eggs, add the cream and milk, and whisk into the pumpkin mixture until smooth.
- Pour immediately into the unpricked pastry-lined pie pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes*, until the pastry is golden brown and only a 1-inch circle in the center of the filling remains liquid.
- Cool thoroughly on a wire rack before slicing.
- Serve with whipped cream, if desired.
- *I had to cook my pie for about 15 extra minutes to achieve the desired doneness. This may have been due to the fact that I used a thick, ceramic pie dish. This timing likely works for a thin glass or metal pan. Just check your pie before removing from the oven to make sure that only the very center is wiggly.