Deconstructed Pumpkin Pie Recipes

DECONSTRUCTED PUMPKIN PIE

Steps:

• Make the ganache: Place 10 ounces of the chocolate in a bowl. Reserve the rest for decoration.
• Bring cream and syrup to a boil. Pour over chocolate. Mix well with a whisk without incorporating any air. Place a piece of plastic wrap on the surface. Refrigerate until well chilled and fairly firm, about 4 hours.
• Make the confit: Mix sugar with 2 cups water in a 2-quart saucepan. Add vanilla bean, orange and lemon zest. Bring to a boil and when sugar has dissolved, add pumpkin. Reduce heat to very low and simmer until pumpkin is translucent, about 2 hours. Use a slotted spoon to remove pumpkin to a small container, cover with about half the sugar syrup, cover container and set aside.
• Add cranberries to remaining syrup, simmer 5 minutes, then set aside for 15 minutes. Drain cranberries into a small container, cover with some syrup, cover container and set aside.
• Make the mousse: Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line a small baking sheet with foil, spread the 1 1/3 cup of pumpkin purée on foil and bake about 25 minutes to remove some moisture. Transfer to a bowl.
• Place gelatin in a small dish, stir in 1 1/2 tablespoons cold water and set aside. Place 1/3 cup cream, the vanilla, sugar and spices in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in softened gelatin. Mix thoroughly into pumpkin purée. Cover and refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours. When cold, whip remaining cream. Fold into pumpkin purée. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Make the cake: Butter a 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking pan. Line with parchment, allowing overhang on the long sides. Butter the paper. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Place flour, baking soda, salt and spices in a sieve. Sieve into a large bowl. Stir in sugar. Mix eggs with pumpkin purée. Fold into dry ingredients. Add melted butter and mix well.
• Spread batter in pan and bake 20 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cake will not rise to the rim of pan. Cool in pan at least 1 hour. Use parchment overhang to help remove from pan. Refrigerate until ready to assemble.
• Assemble the dessert: Place pumpkin confit in a strainer. Rinse briefly in cold water, drain and place on paper towels. Repeat with cranberry confit. Set aside.
• Place cake on a cutting board. Trim 1/2 inch from all sides. Nibble trimmings or let the army of assistants have at them. Cut cake in half lengthwise. Place half the cake on a large platter.
• Use a spatula to spread or a pastry bag to pipe ganache in a thick layer all over the top of the cake half on the platter. Place second half on top and press lightly.
• Place mousse in a pastry bag and pipe peaks or rows all over the top of the cake. Alternatively, form ovals with 2 teaspoons to cover top of cake, or simply spread the mousse on the cake and use the point of a knife to make peaks.
• Break up reserved chocolate and the ginger cookies and stick them randomly into the pumpkin mousse. Place some of the pumpkin and cranberry confit on the mousse and scatter the rest on the platter around the cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

SAVORY ROASTED PUMPKIN PIE

Steps:

• For the crust, combine flour and salt in a small bowl. Using your fingers, pinch the butter (1/3 cup) into the flour and salt until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add water a little at a time until the mixture begins to clump together. Press the dough into a disc, wrap it in plastic wrap, and keep in the refrigerator as you turn your attention to the other ingredients.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Peel the pumpkins, discard the seeds and stringy innards, and cut the flesh into 1-inch cubes. Put the pumpkin on a baking sheet or in a Pyrex pan and toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake at 450 degrees for 45 minutes, or until the pumpkin is tender and slightly browned.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter (2 tablespoons) with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Slice the onions and cook in the butter and olive oil, stirring frequently, for 45 minutes or until deep brown and fragrant.
• Remove the pie dough from the refrigerator and, on a floured surface, roll the dough into as thin a circle as possible. Fold the dough in half and then into quarters, transfer it to a 9-inch pie plate, and carefully unfold it. Press the dough into the pie plate and trim away excess dough from the edges.
• Remove the pumpkin from the oven and reduce the temperature to 375 degrees. Mix together the cooked pumpkin and onions, and carefully transfer this vegetable mixture into the pie crust. (You may find your pie crust overflowing with vegetables. In this case, remove some of the pumpkin-onion mixture and set it aside -- it makes a great snack or omelet filling.) Sprinkle the grated cheese on top of the vegetables.
• In a small bowl, beat together the eggs, milk, and salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste. Pour this mixture over the vegetables and cheese in the pie crust. Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds on top of the pie.
• Bake the pie at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cheese is melted, the eggs are firm, and the top of the pie is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before serving.