Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin pie is always a traditional staple at our holiday dinners. This creamy, simple pie is delicious on it's own or with a mountain of whip cream (yes, we pile it on in our house!). It's hard to mess up pumpkin pie, but there are a few key steps that make it perfect:

Start by baking the crust before baking with the pie filling. Some people don't pre-bake; they bake the pie and crust all together. With a cream filling, the crust needs a head-start to cook thoroughly. It improves the overall texture of the pie if the crust is evenly crisp.

The filling can pose some challenges. It can be too wet and not set up properly, resulting in a mushy filling and soggy crust. I'm partial to Libby's recipe but I've tweaked it by using fresh pumpkin and simmering it with the spices(a trick learned from America's Test Kitchen). Simmering the pumpkin does two things: it allows the spices to bloom and "dries" the pumpkin--evaporating excess moisture and resulting in a better texture in the pie.

Overall, this is one the easiest pies to make, and it's so tasty!

Pumpkin Pie:
adapted from Libby's with some technique from America's Test Kitchen

1 single pie crust-recipe here
1 3/4 cup pumpkin puree-recipe here
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
Whipped cream for topping, optional

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Crust: On a floured surface, roll out crust to 1/8 inch thickness. Transfer dough to pie plate and press the dough evenly around sides of the plate. Using a pastry brush, brush off any excess flour. Trim pie crust to a 1-inch overhang around the edges. Using index finger and thumb, flute the edges of the crust. Place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before baking. Remove from refrigerator and line crust with a piece of parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, remove paper and pie weights, rotate crust for even browning and bake for additional 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool.

Filling: In a small saucepan, bring pumpkin to a sputtering simmer for 5-7 minutes. Add the cinnamon, ginger and cloves and simmer for an additional 10 minutes until pumpkin is thick and spices are fragrant. Allow the pumpkin to cool slightly before proceeding. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs and whisk in the pumpkin mixture, sugar, salt and milk. Pour into the pie plate and bake for 15 minutes. Lower temperature to 350 degrees; bake an additional 20-30 minutes or until pumpkin is set. Cool completely before serving and refrigerate leftovers.

Pie Crust

Pie Crust: it's not everyone's favorite thing to make. Pies require a lot of effort and the crust can be the most frustrating part of making a pie. I personally feel that if my crust doesn't turn out good, the whole pie is a waste.

Well, that may be a bit drastic, but you understand my point.

When it comes to making a pie, I need a no-fail method. This is my tried and true crust recipe. It's simple and has always turned out perfect.

The first essential step is chilling ALL of your ingredients. I start by measuring the flour and salt in a mixing bowl, and then putting that bowl into the refrigerator. Yes, I even chill the bowl. Chill the shortening (and butter if you choose to use) as well. I also use ice water (or water that you've chilled in the fridge or freezer). Once everything is nice and cold, you are ready to begin.

Using a pastry cutter, cut the shortening into the flour and salt. The mixture should be crumbly like so:

Pea sized pieces and smaller

Slowly add water and mix. I'm sorry, but the best way to do it is to get your hands in it!

Clean hands of course...

Do not over mix! Over mixing causes the dough to be tough. Only mix till the dough comes together and is no longer crumbly. Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and lightly knead and pat together like so:

Tightly wrap the dough with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until ready to use. To save time, make the crust a day ahead. It will be chilled and ready to go!

Pie Crust:

Single-Crust Pie:

1/2 cup vegetable shortening (I recommend Crisco)

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour 

1 teaspoon salt

3-4 tablespoons ice water

Double-Crust Pie:

1 cup vegetable shortening

3 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons salt

6-8 tablespoons ice water

Mix flour and salt together. Using a pastry blender, cut shortening into flour until crumbly. Slowly add cold water and mix until dough comes together. Turn dough onto a floured cutting board and lightly knead until dough comes together. Tightly wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Refrigerate for one hour before assembling pie. The crust keeps indefinitely in the fridge or freezer.

Note: For a rich, buttery crust, substitute half of the shortening with unsalted butter.

Cappuccino Cake

Here is a quick post for an easy recipe. One evening, I came across this delicious recipe while watching "Lidia's Italy in America." This cappuccino cake, or "pie", is the perfect ending to any meal. It's very easy to prepare and can be done a day ahead. If you like coffee and chocolate, this is a dessert for you!

Cappuccino Cake
from Lidia's Italy in America

Crust:

12 chocolate graham-cracker sheets, crushed (2 1/3 cups)
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
Pinch kosher salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Filling:

1 quart coffee ice cream
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup of sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a food processor, grind together the graham crackers, sugar, espresso, and salt until fine. Add the melted butter and pulse until combined. Press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of a 8-inch pie plate. Bake the crust until set, about 10-12 minutes. Cool completely before filling.

Remove ice cream from the freezer to soften a bit. Using a stand or hand mixer, whip the cream and sugar until soft peaks form. Gently whisk in the sour cream until combined.

Spread the ice cream in an even layer in the cooled pie shell. Spread the whip cream evenly over the ice cream, add chocolate shavings if desired. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and freeze until cream is frozen, at least 4 hours or overnight. To Serve, remove pie from freezer and allow to set at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before slicing. Cut with a knife dipped in hot water and serve immediately.

*Note: The original recipe called for twice the whipped cream. I thought it sounded like too much so I halved it and I thought it was the perfect amount. Use your judgement though, if you like a lot of cream, double the amount of heavy cream, sugar and sour cream.