Pumpkin Pie

The Taste of Every Autumn Memory

There is no smell in the world quite like a pumpkin pie baking in the oven. Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves mingling with sweet pumpkin and buttery crust. It smells like every good autumn memory I have ever had, rolled into one. I make this pie every single fall, and the recipe has become as much a part of my holiday tradition as the gathering itself.

I am going to share my method for both the crust and the filling, because a truly great pumpkin pie starts with a truly great crust. Store-bought works in a pinch, but homemade is always worth the effort.

The Butter Crust

Cut 115g of cold butter into 160g of flour and a pinch of salt until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. The key word here is cold. Cold butter creates steam pockets during baking, which is what gives you a flaky crust. Add ice water one tablespoon at a time, mixing just until the dough barely comes together.

Shape into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Then roll it out on a floured surface and fit it into a 9-inch pie plate, crimping the edges decoratively. Everyone has their own crimping style. Mine is simple fork presses, but you can get as artistic as you like.

The Silky Filling

Whisk together 425g of pumpkin puree, 150g of sugar, 1.5 teaspoons of cinnamon, half a teaspoon of ground ginger, a quarter teaspoon each of nutmeg and ground cloves, and half a teaspoon of salt. Make sure you are using pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. They are different products on the same shelf and the can looks almost identical, so check the label.

Beat in 2 eggs one at a time, then stir in a can of evaporated milk until the mixture is completely smooth and homogeneous.

Blind Baking for a Crisp Bottom

Line the chilled crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake at 190°C/375°F for 15 minutes, then remove the weights and bake for another 5 minutes until the bottom looks dry and is just beginning to color. This prevents the dreaded soggy bottom that plagues so many pumpkin pies.

Baking the Pie

Pour the filling into the warm, par-baked crust. Bake at 190°C/375°F for 40 to 50 minutes. Here is the trick: the pie is done when the edges are set but the center still has a slight wobble, about a 3-inch circle in the middle that jiggles like gelatin. It will continue to set as it cools. Overbaking leads to cracks, and nobody wants a cracked pie.

Cooling and Serving

Let the pie cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours. The filling needs this time to firm up properly. Cutting too early gives you a runny slice. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled with a generous mountain of freshly whipped cream.

Tina's Tips

• Pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. I cannot stress this enough. Pie filling already has sugar and spices added, which will throw off the entire recipe. Read the label carefully.
• Blind bake the crust for a crisp bottom. Soggy-bottomed pumpkin pie is tragically common and completely avoidable. Those 20 minutes of par-baking make all the difference.
• Pull the pie when the center still wobbles. Carryover cooking will finish the job. A firm center in the oven means an overbaked, cracked pie on the table.
• Make the pie a day ahead. Pumpkin pie actually tastes better after resting overnight in the fridge. The flavors meld and the filling sets up perfectly.
• Fresh whipped cream, never from a can. Whip cold heavy cream with a little sugar and vanilla. It takes 3 minutes and the difference in taste is staggering.