The Best Pumpkin Pie

As we all know, food is my love language. I bake, cook, and create with all my heart and all my soul. This is one of the reasons why the flavor is so incredibly intense, emanating from my creations. This time of year, though, as I cook sweet treats for others, I miss the opportunity to entertain with full meals. We have family events, and the hosts are proud to provide many of the traditional meals, so I’m left with only contributing tiny little things that often go unnoticed. 

This year, though, I am blessed with the opportunity to make MOST things for the Thanksgiving feast. We are celebrating with Mom and Dad, but Mom is recovering from surgery, so I’m in charge of all but the turkey and potatoes. And, I’m going all out! With a carefully curated cheese and cracker plate to pair well with my chosen wine, we will begin. 

Next, I will steam green beans and dress them with salt and pepper, bringing out the fresh flavor of the bright green delights. I’ll roast yellow squash, eggplant, yellow and gold bell peppers with rosemary and garlic. Dad will take care of the turkey and potatoes. And then, the marvelous star of the feast (sorry, Turkey Tom), the Pumpkin Pie. 

This year I’ve chosen to experiment with of couple of new techniques and ingredients for pure perfection. The crust contains chopped pecans – yum. The filling contains both pureed pumpkin but also a touch of candied yams. And rather than evaporated milk, I used both cream and milk, and eggs + egg yolks to thicken the filling. Once I added the pumpkin spice magic, I simmered the mixture on the stovetop to “precook” before filling the pecan crust. An initial bake at 400 degrees works well to heat up the inside of the pie. 

THEN, reducing the heat to 325 for the remaining hour results in a perfectly baked pumpkin custard pie WITHOUT any cracks, sinking, or disappointing fillings. This little secret is spectacular. I also “prebaked” the filling on the stove for a few minutes, substituting cream and maple syrup for evaporated milk, resulting in a richer, more dense, and exotic flavor. Let’s face it, this pie is a bit of work, but it’s SO very worth it! Enjoy. Happy Thanksgiving! 

Oh, and no cracks, bubbles, sinking, falling, etc. This recipe eliminates all of that! Your pie will be absolutely PERFECT!

The Best Pumpkin Pie

The Perfect Pumpkin Pie Pecan Pie Crust: 

8 Tbs. ice cold butter, chopped into 1” squares 

1 large egg 

1 Tbs. bourbon 

1 Tbs. white sugar 

1 cup pecans 

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour 

In the bowl of a large food processor, pulse the butter, egg, bourbon, sugar, and pecans until beady. 

Add the flour, ½ cup at a time, and continue to pulse until even more beady and a dough ball forms. 

Transfer to parchment paper and form into a dough mound. Flatten and then roll out into an 11” round between two sheets of parchment paper. 

Invert into a glass pie plate and flute the edges for décor. Tightly wrap and freeze until ready to use, or use right away. 

Pumpkin Sweet Potato Filling: 

15 oz. canned pumpkin 

½ 15 oz. candied yams, drained 

1 cup whole milk 

1 cup cream 3 eggs + 2 egg yolks 

¾ cups granulated sugar 

1/3 cup maple syrup 

1 tsp. vanilla extract 

1 tsp. kosher salt 2 tsp. Pumpkin Pie spice 

1 Tbs. corn starch 

1 cup candied pecans 

1 Tbs. each Pumpkin Pie spice + granulated sugar 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

Using a stand mixer or a large bowl with a handheld beater, beat together the pumpkin, candied yams, milk, cream, sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, salt, and Pumpkin Pie Spice. Beat well, for about 5 minutes. 

Add the cornstarch and continue to beat for another 2-3 minutes. 

Transfer the sweet pumpkin mixture to a pot and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly for 5-10 minutes, until super thick. 

Transfer the filling to the prepared pie crust. Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 300°F and bake for 30 minutes. Then, increase the heat again to 350°F, and bake for a final 10-15 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the pie comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool for several hours. 

Decorate with a mixture of pumpkin pie spice and sugar + caramelized pecans. This amazing Pumpkin Pecan Pie recipe is absolutely fabulous – no cracks in the center, no drops in the center, and an immensely intense pumpkin spice flavor, with the richness of candied potatoes (no one will ever know). The addition of pecans creates an even more nutty, amazing flavor profile. Whipped cream is no longer needed this year. I’ll walk away as a proud mama – this pie is GOOD! Enjoy!