*A Good Thing* Vol.7

The only pumpkin pie better than Libby's. Also, a pie crust AND a whipped cream recipe. (A very long post...)

In the great debate of pecan vs. pumpkin, pumpkin pie ALWAYS wins for me. Pecan is too sweet and you cannot take an entire pie to the face as I have with pumpkin several times since birth. (As in, I have eaten an entire pie by myself…several times…) Until a few years ago, you could not convince me there was a better option than Libby’s premade pumpkin and a Pillsbury frozen pie crust. It is perfect. It remains perfect. It will always be perfect.

But.

Over lockdown, when I had many hours to bake, I experimented with a few other options. Lo and behold I found one that rivals my beloved Libby’s. Sally’s Baking Addiction is home to a few of my die-hard recipes. I have no idea who Sally is, all I can tell you is I come back to her site often and have baked this pie and a few of her other recipes several times.

As always, please reference her in depth recipe. Find below, my copied and pasted version that includes my notes and preferences in bolded italics.

Over lockdown, I also had time to create photo shoots with my pie…

The Great Pumpkin Pie Recipe

by Sally’s Baking Addiction

*Sally garnishes her pie with sugared cranberries. Totally beautiful. I have never had the desire or the patience for the cranberries.

Ingredients

• Homemade Pie Dough (You can use this link for her pie crust which is very, very good but I never have shortening on hand. OR you can use a frozen pie crust because who has time to make crust? ORRR you can use my favorite pie crust recipe A quick note on that pie crust…I never use the vinegar.)

• egg wash: 1 large egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon milk

• one 15-ounce can (425g) pumpkin puree

• 3 large eggs

• 1 and 1/4 cups (250g) packed light or dark brown sugar

• 1 Tablespoon (8g) cornstarch

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1/4 teaspoon ground or freshly grated nutmeg

• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper (THIS IS THE SECRET. The pepper is what sends this pie over the edge of perfection.)

• 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream

• 1/4 cup (60ml) milk

Instructions

1. Make the pie crust or use your favorite pie dough or store-bought. (If making your own pie crust do account for the fact that it will need at least a few hours to chill in the fridge. Great to make a day ahead too.)

2. Preheat oven to 375°F.

3. Roll out the chilled pie crust: Remove 1 disc of pie dough from the refrigerator. (Let it warm up just the tiniest bit on the counter or rolling it out will be very annoying and probably cause you to break a sweat.) On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out into a 12-inch circle. Make sure to turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls. Carefully place the dough into a 9-in pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it’s tightly pressed into the pie dish. Fold any dough overhang back into the dish to form a thick rim around the edges. Crimp the edges with a fork or flute the edges with your fingers. Brush edges lightly with egg wash mixture.

4. Par-bake the crust: Line the pie crust with parchment paper. Crunching up the parchment paper is helpful so that you can easily shape it into the crust. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. (always helpful to have your pie weight beans on hand.) Make sure the weights/beans are evenly distributed around the pie dish. Par-bake the crust for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment paper/pie weights. Prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork (I always forget to do this…) to create steam vents and return crust (without weights) to the oven for 7-8 more minutes or until the bottom is *just* starting to brown.

5. Make the pumpkin pie filling: Whisk the pumpkin, 3 eggs, and brown sugar together until combined. Add the cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, pepper, heavy cream, and milk. Vigorously whisk until everything is combined.

6. Pour pumpkin pie filling into the warm crust. Only fill the crust about 3/4 of the way up. (If using a deep dish pie dish as instructed, you should only have a little filling leftover. Use extra to make mini pies with leftover pie dough scraps if you’d like.) Bake the pie until the center is almost set, about 55-60 minutes give or take. A small part of the center will be wobbly—that’s ok. After 25 minutes of baking, be sure to cover the edges of the crust with aluminum foil or use a pie crust shield to prevent the edges from getting too brown. (Always the most stressful part of the pie baking process. Without fail, I always spill pie into the bottom of the oven and burn my fingers. Good luck.) Check for doneness at minute 50, and then 55, and then 60, etc.

7. Once done, transfer the pie to a wire rack and allow to cool completely for at least 3 hours before garnishing and serving.

This is such a great recipe. The spices. The creaminess. Not overly sweet. It has completely stolen my heart. Thank you, Sally, whoever you are.

A few other things to tell you:

1. When making the pie dough, you’ll have enough for two pies-worth aka two discs. Obviously, you’ll use one for the crust. For the other, I roll it out thin and cut little leaves for decoration. As pictured above…my crude attempt at a Pinterest pie… Or use the extra disc for a mini pumpkin pie or hand pies filled with jam.

2. WHIPPED CREAM. I am, as of a few years ago, a convert to pumpkin pie with whipped cream. I must have it. My favorite whipped cream recipe comes from my absolute rockstar, master pastry chef, sister-in-law, Amber. She made this for us a few years ago and I have never recovered. You must keep this recipe on hand.

   *AMBER’S MAGICAL WHIPPED CREAM*

   200g whipping cream

   100g powdered sugar

   50g sour cream

   10g vanilla

   2g salt

Happy Holidays!

The next Good Thing will be the very best sugar cookie recipe I’ve ever encountered…also from Sally’s Baking Addiction.

Have a divine weekend, talk to you Monday!