Pumpkin Pie By Caitie Girkin Recipes

PUMPKIN PIE

Steps:

• Make the dough by hand. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Using your fingers, work the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles yellow corn meal mixed with bean-sized bits of butter. (If the flour/butter mixture gets warm, refrigerate it for 10 minutes before proceeding.) Add the egg and stir the dough together with a fork or by hand in the bowl. If the dough is dry, sprinkle up to a tablespoon more of cold water over the mixture.
• Alternatively, make the dough in a food processor. With the machine fitted with the metal blade, pulse the flour, sugar, and salt until combined. Add the butter and pulse until it resembles yellow corn meal mixed with bean-sized bits of butter, about 10 times. Add the egg and pulse 1 to 2 times; don't let the dough form into a ball in the machine. (If the dough is very dry add up to a tablespoon more of cold water.) Remove the bowl from the machine, remove the blade, and bring the dough together by hand.
• Form the dough into a disk, wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 1 hour.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough with a rolling pin into a 12-inch circle about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie pan and trim the edges, leaving about an extra inch hanging over the edge. Tuck the overhanging dough underneath itself to form a thick edge that is even with the rim. Flute the edge as desired. Freeze the pie shell for 30 minutes.
• Set separate racks in the center and lower third of oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Put a piece of parchment paper or foil over the pie shell and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake on a baking sheet on the center rack until the dough is set, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and lift sides of the parchment paper to remove the beans. Continue baking until the pie shell is lightly golden brown, about 10 more minutes. Cool on a rack.
• Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
• While the pie shell is cooling make the filling. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, brown sugar, eggs, half-and-half, spices, and salt until smooth. Return the pie shell to the baking sheet and pour in the filling.
• Bake on the lower oven rack until the edges of the filling are set but the center is still slightly loose, about 50 to 60 minutes. (If the edges get very dark, cover them with aluminum foil.) Cool on a rack. Serve room temperature or slightly warm.

PARADISE PUMPKIN PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Combine cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, egg.
• Pour into pastry shell.
• Refrigerate at least 1/2 hour, or until cheesecake is firm. It has to be firm before you spoon on the pumpkin mixture.
• Combine remaining ingredients except for syrup and nuts.
• Spoon carefully over cream cheese mixture.
• Bake 65-70 minutes -- when cool, brush with maple syrup and decorate with walnuts or pecans.

GREAT PUMPKIN PIE

Steps:

• Make the dough:
• Using a floured pastry cloth and rolling pin sleeve, or two sheets of lightly floured plastic wrap, roll the pastry 1/8 inch thick or less and large enough to cut a 13-inch circle. Use an expandable flan ring or a cardboard template and a sharp knife as a guide to cut out the circle. Transfer it to the pie pan and tuck the overhanging pastry under itself. If desired, reroll the scraps, chill, and cut out decorative designs such as leaves. (Bake them separately on a small baking sheet at 400°F for 6 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to a rack to cool.)
• Cut the border into a checkerboard design or use a fork or spoon to make a flat but decorative border. Do not make a high raised border or extend it over the sides of the pan, as it will not hold up baked so close to the heat source. Refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap, for at least 1 and up to 24 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F at least 20 minutes before baking. Plan to bake directly on the floor of the oven, or set an oven shelf at the lowest level and place a baking stone or cookie sheet on it before preheating.
• Process the gingersnaps and pecans until finely ground. Sprinkle them over the bottom of the pie crust and, using your fingers and the back of a spoon, press them into the dough to coat the entire bottom, going about 1/2 inch up the sides.
• Make the pumpkin filling:
• In a small heavy saucepan, stir together the pumpkin, brown sugar, spices, and salt. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a sputtering simmer, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 to 5 minutes or until thick and shiny.
• Scrape the mixture into a food processor and process for 1 minute. With the motor on, add the milk and cream, processing until incorporated. Scrape the sides of the work bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, processing just to incorporate, about 5 seconds after each addition; add the vanilla along with the last egg.
• Pour the mixture into the pie shell and set it directly on the floor of the oven (or on the baking stone). Bake the pie for 50 to 60 minutes or just until a knife inserted between the sides and center comes out almost clean. The filling will have puffed and the surface dulled, except for the center. (The filling will shake like jelly when moved. This will happen before it has finished baking, so it cannot be used as a firm indication of doneness; conversely, if it does not have this jelly-like consistency, you can be sure that it is not baked adequately). If the crust appears to be darkening too much on the bottom, raise the pie to the next rack. After 30 minutes, protect the edges with a foil ring.
• Place the baked pie on a rack to cool. When cool, the surface will be flat. If you have made decorative designs, place them on it now.
• Variation:
• Mini pumpkin pielets- This filling is enough to make four 4 1/4 inch pielets. There will be about 6 tablespoons left over, which can be baked in a small custard cup in a water bath for the same time as the pielets. You will need 8 1/2 ounces of dough. Divide the dough into quarters, roll each piece of dough 1/16 inch thick and large enough to cut a 7 1/2 inch circle, and proceed as above.
• Bake the pielets, preferably directly on the bottom of the oven, or on a baking stone set on the lowest shelf, in a preheated 375°F oven for 35 minutes or until they test done as above.
• Store:
• Room temperature, up to 3 days.
• Understanding:
• Canned pumpkin purée is more consistent in flavor and texture than homemade.
• The crust border should not be too raised or extend past the pie plate because when baked so close to the heat source, and at the lower temperature required for the custard filling, a raised border would not set quickly enough and would droop over the edge and break off. Since the border does not extend past the edge, it is not necessary to shield the edges until after 30 minutes, instead of the usual 15 minutes for a one-crust pie.
• Characteristic star-burst cracking is the result of overbaking. If desired, cover any crack(s), should they develop, with baked pastry cutouts.

DOUBLE-LAYER PUMPKIN PIE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, sugar and milk. Fold in 1-1/2 cups whipped topping. Spoon into crust., In a large bowl, whisk cold milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Stir in the pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. , Spread over cream cheese layer. Spread with remaining whipped topping. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before cutting.