Pumpkin pie must be one of the easiest pies to make. Every cook has his/her own unique recipe. Best part, you can vary the amount of spices to your personal taste.
Custard:
3 egg yolks + 1 egg
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup white sugar
½ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon, 2 tsp ginger, 1 tsp cloves, ¼ tsp nutmeg
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
1 ½ cup cream (or 1 cup cream + ½ cup whole milk)
Pie Crust:
2 ½ cup all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
8 +/- tablespoon iced water
Bake crust first:
Using hand or food processor, blend dry ingredients first. Cut cold butter into flour mixture until size of peas. Slowly add water one tablespoon at a time, mixing quickly without overworking the dough. Transfer onto a large piece of cling film and collect together tightly into a ball. Flatten with your hand.
Refrigerate for two hours. When chilled, preheat oven to 350F. Roll out dough into a round disk measuring about ¼ inch thick, enough to cover the 9” pastry dish.
Scrunch up a large piece of parchment, unfold, and place over the dough. Fill the dish with pie weights of dried beans. Bake for fifteen minutes, remove from oven. Remove the pie weights/beans and paper. Use fork to pierce across the pastry. Return to oven, and bake for another fifteen minutes. Remove and cool on counter.
Pumpkin Custard:
In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar with a mixer. Add puree, cream, spices, salt, and vanilla. Continue to blend until mixture is smooth. Pour into cool pastry. Bake at 350F for forty-five to fifty minutes. Turn off heat, open oven slightly, and let pie cool for two hours. Refrigerate overnight before serving.
Enjoy with a dollop of fresh whipped cream!
