Rich Flavorful Pumpkin Pie Recipes

PUMPKIN PIE IV

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Beat eggs lightly in a medium bowl. Add pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Blend thoroughly, then beat in milk. Pour into pastry-lined pie plates.
• Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) and bake until set, 20 to 30 minutes more. Chill before serving.

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.

SKINNY CRUSTLESS PUMPKIN PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray the bottom and sides (up to the rim) of a 9 1/2-inch regular depth (not deep dish) pie pan with no-stick spray.
• Beat the eggs with a mixer (hand held or stand mixer with whisk attachment). Add remaining ingredients and beat on low setting (to avoid splashing) until combined.
• Add remaining ingredients: granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg pumpkin puree, salt and fat-free evaporated milk. Beat on low setting (to avoid splashing) until combined.
• Place the prepared pie pan on a light colored (not black) baking sheet. Pour the mixture into the pie pan.
• Bake for 50 minutes and test for doneness by sticking a knife in the middle of the pie. If the knife comes out clean it's done (it may still jiggle a little). If the knife is not clean, bake another 5-10 minutes until the knife comes out clean. Do not over bake!Note: the pie will firm up when removed from the oven so if it still moves a bit don't worry.
• Allow to cool on a wire rack for 2 hours before cutting or chilling in the refrigerator. May be be made the day before serving.

HISTORIC, SCRATCH PUMPKIN PIE (NOT AS HARD AS YOU THINK!)

Steps:

• The day before, wash your pumpkin, pierce it 3-4 times to vent steam, and set it into a pan large enough to hold it. (If the pumpkin is very large or if you want the seeds for planting slice the pumpkin in half and bake the halves cut-side-down in a shallow dish.
• Bake it whole at 350 for 1-2 hours depending on size or until the flesh is very soft and the skin color has deepened.
• When cool, separate the flesh from the skin and the seeds. If the flesh seems watery, drain it in a colander.
• Mash the flesh (some breeds of pumpkin have stringy flesh that resists mashing. This will give the pies an unusual texture but does not affect the flavor).
• Prepare your favorite pie crust recipe and line 4, 8-9" pans or 3, 10" deep-dish pans.
• Mix the pumpkin, spices, vanilla, 2 cups of half and half, mollases, and 1/2 cup of sugar together thoroughly.
• Taste to check the sweetness and the balance of flavors. Some pumpkin is sweeter, some not so sweet, some more richly-flavored, some fainter. Add additional sugar until the sweetness is right and add a pinch or two more of each spice if the flavor needs perking up.
• Beat the eggs into the remaining half and half then combine well with pumpkin mix.
• Ladle the mix into the pie shells, being sure to get an equal amount of pumpkin flesh and custard in each.
• Bake at 425 for 15 minutes then at 350 for 40-60 minutes (or more for very large pans or a very full oven) -- until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Cool on wire racks then refrigerate.
• Serve topped with real whipped cream.
• Note: Because of the molasses and the variability of individual pumpkins the pies are likely to be more brown than the vibrant, even electric orange of a store-bought pie.
• Historical note -- While the modern pumpkin pie is mainly sweet custard with some pumpkin and lots of spices the pumpkin pie of our ancestors was mainly pumpkin, held together with custard, lightly sweetened (perhaps only with a little molasses), and just enough spices to enhance the pumpkin without dominating it. It was actually served more as a vegetable dish than as a dessert and might even be eaten as the main course at lunch or for a light supper.
• This pie is a compromise between the two -- rich with pumpkin but not candy-sweet.

PUMPKIN PIE POPS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400° and make sure the oven rack is in the middle of the oven. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spray the parchment paper with nonstick cooking spray.
• In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine pumpkin puree, brown sugar, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.
• Pour pumpkin mixture into a small saucepan and over medium-high heat stir and cook till filling thickens about 6-8 minutes.
• Remove from heat and add in cream cheese, 1 egg lightly beaten, and vanilla extract and mix until well combined and smooth. Set aside.
• Take your chilled pie crust, roll out and cut out pumpkin shapes and place on parchment paper.
• Place popsicle sticks in the center of each pumpkin so that the stick is halfway up each pumpkin and the longest portion of the stick is coming out of the bottom of the pumpkin.
• Add a small spoon of filling to the middle of the pumpkin cut out.
• Optional: Next cut out the tops of the pumpkins and with a small sharp knife cut small triangles for the eyes and a simple smile or toothy grin for the mouth.
• Place the tops on the pies. Use a fork and press around the edges of each pie to crimp and seal the edges.
• Brush tops with beaten egg and sprinkle with turbinado sugar, if desired.
• Place in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the cookie sheet. Use a spatula to lift the pies and place in a glass Kerr canning jar full of sugar to display and serve.