Thanksgiving Bonus: Pumpkin Pie

I make the same pumpkin pie recipe every year. It is truly the best recipe I have found. I also make fresh whipped cream, not by hand thankfully since the mixer is in much better shape than I am. To make whipped cream, whip heavy cream until fluffy, add a few spoons of powdered sugar, a pinch of salt, and a little vanilla extract. I sometimes add some cinnamon as it pairs very nicely with the pie.

Ingredients

Crust
1 1/4 cups flour

1 tablespoon sugar
6 tablespoons cold salted butter, cut into cubes
1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into cubes

2 tablespoons cold vodka
2 tablespoons cold water 

Filling

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

3 large eggs plus 2 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla 

2 cups pumpkin puree (or 1-15 oz can)

1 cup drained candied yams

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup maple syrup (real, none of that corn syrup stuff)

2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt

Start with the crust of course, process flour and sugar until well mixed. Add butter and shortening and process until small crumbles. Pour into a medium bowl. Sprinkle the vodka and water over the top and fold in with a rubber spatula. Flatten into a disc, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for a minimum 45 minutes, and up to 2 days.

When ready to bake, heat oven to 400 degrees, move the rack to the lowest position, and place a baking sheet on the rack. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, roll out and set into your pie plate. Lift the edges and ease the dough into the pan. Try not to stretch the dough, it will shrink back when baking if you stretch it. Trim to 1/2 inch and tuck under, fold or crimp as desired. Refrigerate 15 minutes. 

Remove from fridge, line with foil or parchment (if using parchment crumple and smooth out a few times to make it more pliable), fill with pie weights or beans. Bake on the baking sheet in the oven for 15 minutes. Gently remove the foil and weights, rotate, bake an additional 5-10 minutes until golden brown. 

While baking, start on the custard filling! Whisk the cream, milk, eggs, yolks, vanilla in a medium bowl and set aside. Combine the pumpkin, yams, sugar, maple syrup, spices and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, cooking 5-7 minutes. Continue to simmer, stirring, and smooshing the yams until it is thick and shiny, about 12 minutes.

Remove from the heat, whisk in the milk mixture. Strain through a fine mess strainer and whisk again. Please the pie shell in the oven, pour in the custard mixture carefully. You may be good at moving pies full of liquid but I am not, so I pour when it is in place. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees and continue baking 25-30 minutes longer. The pie should register at 175 degrees. Remove and cool on a wire rack. 

Enjoy! 

This year, our pie featured pusheen in a pile of leaves! Pusheen was so excited to get on the pie that she didn't allow it to cool long enough which made such a fun cracking pattern. Oh Pusheen!