Pumpkin Pie

I’ve recently discovered something.

I am terrible at making pumpkin desserts. I don’t know what it is, but I must have some deep-seated subconscious issue with pumpkins that makes me sabotage my desserts every time.

For example, last week I went to make pumpkin mousse at my friend Suzzette’s house. I botched the recipe so bad, we had to use an ice cream maker to save things (Thanks Suzz. You’re the best!). Remember. When all else fails, try freezing it.

Ok, not really. But thankfully, because the mousse was cream based, we could make pumpkin ice cream out of it. Believe it or not, it’s not so bad.

This week, to continue with the holiday baking posts, I thought pumpkin pie would be a great choice. And it definitely was. I almost redeemed myself from last week’s mousse debacle. Except…the middle wasn’t quite cooked all the way. That can easily be remedied in your own kitchen by leaving it in 5 minutes longer than I did (in other words, follow the recipe). All-in-all, this pie was pretty good. Top it off with some homemade whipped cream (1 c heavy cream, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 1 TBS sugar, beat on high til thickened and forming stiff peaks) and you’ve got yourself a holiday winner.

Clearly I won’t be bringing pumpkin based desserts to any parties anytime soon. I think I’ll stick to chocolate.

Makes 1 9-inch pie

Ingredients::

• 1 basic pie crust
• 1 can (15 oz) pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
• 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 3 whole eggs, plus 1 egg yolk for pie crust
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups (12 oz) evaporated milk
• 1/2 tsp salt

Directions::

1. On lightly floured surface, roll out pie dough into a 10-inch round. Fit dough into 9-inch pie plate, trim edges so there is almost no dough overlapping the edge of the plate. Chill pie shell for about 30 minutes until firm. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a small bowl, whisk egg yolk and 1 TBS water. Brush chilled pie shell with egg wash. Line shell with parchment paper, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Fill shell with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until edges just start to turn golden, about 15 minutes. Remove parchment paper and weights. Return crust to oven, baking for 15 minutes more or until golden all over. Cool completely on wire rack.
3. Turn oven down to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, whisk (or mix on low) together pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt, nutmeg, eggs, and evaporated milk until combined. Pour mixture into crust, and bake until filling is set around the edges but is still soft in the center, 40-45 minutes. If crust gets too dark, cover with foil or crust covers. Transfer pie to cooling rack to cool completely.