Decorated Pumpkin Pie Recipes

THE GREAT PUMPKIN PIE RECIPE

Steps:

• Place cranberries in a large bowl; set aside. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 cup of sugar and the water to a boil and whisk until the sugar has dissolved. Remove pan from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Pour sugar syrup over the cranberries and stir. Let the cranberries sit at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight (ideal). You'll notice the sugar syrup is quite thick after this amount of time. Drain the cranberries from the syrup and pour 1 cup of sugar on top. Toss the cranberries, coating them all the way around. Pour the sugared cranberries on a parchment paper or silicone baking mat-lined baking sheet and let them dry for at least 2 hours at room temperature or in the refrigerator. You'll have extra, but they're great for eating or as garnish on other dishes. Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Make the pie crust through step 5 according to my directions, tips, and pictures in my pie crust recipe. Or use store-bought.
• Whisk the pumpkin, 3 eggs, and brown sugar together until combined. Add the cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, pepper, cream, and milk. Vigorously whisk until everything is combined.
• Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
• Remove 1 disc of pie dough from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out into a 12-inch circle. Make sure to turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls. Carefully place the dough into a 9-inch deep dish pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is smooth. With a small and sharp knife, trim the extra overhang of crust and discard. Crimp the edges with a fork or flute the edges with your fingers, if desired. Brush edges lightly with egg wash mixture. Line the pie crust with parchment paper. Crunching up the parchment paper is helpful so that you can easily shape it into the crust. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. (Note that you will need at least 2 standard sets of pie weights to fit.) Make sure the weights/beans are evenly distributed around the pie dish. Par-bake the crust for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment paper/pie weights.
• Pour pumpkin pie filling into the warm pre-baked crust. Only fill the crust about 3/4 of the way up. (If using a deep dish pie dish as instructed, you should only have a little filling leftover. Use extra to make mini pies with leftover pie dough scraps if you'd like.) Bake the pie until the center is almost set, about 55-60 minutes give or take. A small part of the center will be wobbly - that's ok. After 25 minutes of baking, be sure to cover the edges of the crust with aluminum foil or use a pie crust shield to prevent the edges from getting too brown. Check for doneness at minute 50, and then 55, and then 60, etc.
• Once done, transfer the pie to a wire rack and allow to cool completely for at least 3 hours. Decorate with sugared cranberries and pie crust leaves (see note). You'll definitely have leftover cranberries - they're tasty for snacking. Serve pie with whipped cream if desired. Cover leftovers tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

DECORATED PUMPKIN PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Roll out 1/2 pie dough recipe on a lightly floured surface and fit into a 9 inch pie pan. Trim any uneven overhang then crimp the edge around the pie.
• In a big bowl, whisk the pumpkin, cream cheese, and molasses until smooth. Whisk in the sugars and spices. Whisk in the eggs and half-and-half until well blended.
• Pour the filling into the pie shell and bake for 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake an additional 35-40 minutes, until the pie is still very jiggly in the center. Remove from oven to a rack and cool to room temperature.
• Meanwhile roll out the second disc of dough to about 1/8 inch thick and cut out desired shapes or strips to make lattice. Attach to cooled pie, brush with egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar if you like. Bake an additional 15-20 minutes until the crust decorations are golden brown. If the edges are getting too dark cover them with foil to prevent burning. Remove and cool on a wire rack, serve at room temperature.
• In a big bowl combine the flour, salt, and sugar and make a claw with your hand to mix it up real good. Toss in the cold butter cubes and massage them into the flour mixture so you get nice big chunks.
• Combine the vinegar with 1/2 cup cold water (this is called acidulating, which just means adding acid to something - usually water). Stir the acidulated water into the flour mixture and gently work the dough until a ball is formed.
• Divide dough and shape into 2 discs, wrap in plastic squeezing out the air and chill it in the fridge for at least 1 hour. This also freezes awesome for up to a year.