Pumpkin Pie

 

Natasha's Kitchen has this classic pumpkin pie with step by step instructions. Buttery, flaky crust and the best filling. Thank you for the beautiful pie photo!

Pie Crust Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups flour, plus more to dust
• 1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 sticks cold, unsalted butter, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
• 7 tablespoons ice water

Directions for Pie Crust:

Place flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to combine.

Add cold diced butter and pulse the mixture until coarse crumbs form with some pea-sized pieces then stop mixing. Mixture should remain dry and powdery.

Add 7 tablespoons ice water and pulse jut until moist clumps or small balls form. Press a piece of dough between finger tips and the dough sticks together, you have added enough water. If not add 1 teaspoon at a time to achieve desired consistency.

Transfer dough to a clean work surface and gather into a ball. Do not knead the dough. Divide the dough in half and flatten to form 2 disks. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour before using. 

Maybe made up to 3 days ahead. Soften slightly before rolling. About 10-20 minutes. You may freeze up to 3 months in an air-tight sealed wrapping.

Directions for forming crust and to Pre-bake Pie Crust (Blindbake):

Roll a single disk on a lightly floured work surface into a 12" circle. Wrap the dough around your rolling pin and transfer to your pie dish and unroll it into you pan. Gently press dough down, starting with the sides and working into the middle. Tuck excess dough underneath itself to make a thick double layered edge.

To form your edge; hold your thumb and indes finger an inch apart on the outside edge of the crust and press between them with the index finger of the other hand. 

Place the pie crust in the freezer for 30 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 425-degrees.

Line the center with a 10" ring of parchment paper and fill 2/3 full with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 17 minutes until golden at the edges. 

Remove the pie weights, prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork, brush with beaten egg white and place back in the oven without the weights for 5 minutes until golden and bottom is dried out.

Cool completely to room temperature before adding filling.

Ingredients for Pumpkin Filling:

• 15 ounce pumpkin puree (Libby's)
• 1 large egg, plus 3 egg yolks, room temperature
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 12 ounce evaporated milk, room temperature

Directions for Pumpkin Filling:

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, egg and yolks, brown and granulated sugar, vanilla, salt, pumpkin spice and cinnamon until well combined.

Add evaporated milk and whisk until blended and all the bubbles are gone from the batter. Avoid whisking too vigorously.

Tap bowl against the counter a few times to knock out any extra bubbles. Pour into pre-baked pie shell.

Reduce oven to 350-degrees and bake 55-60 minutes. It should be completely set at the edges with just a slightly loose center. Barely wobble like cheesecake.

Cool completely on wire rack until room temperature (3 hours) then serve or refrigerate if not serving the same day. When slicing wipe the knife between cuts for clean slices.

Ingredients for Whipped Cream:

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 tablespoon golden rum

Directions for Whipped Cream:

In a mixing bowl with a whisk attachment, beat on medium speed for 1 minutes until soft peaks form.

Add the sugar, vanilla and rum and beat on medium-high until medium peaks form.

Note to self: used my pie crust recipe, but followed blind bake above. Complete pouring filling once placed in oven, so no spill. I had leftover filling for 2 small buttered custard cups (350 degrees about 15 min.) A treat with the whipped cream!