the real deal

pumpkin pie is the best pie. no contest.

very very excitedly, trav and i have been talking about how we wanted to make some legit homemade pumpkin pie, real pumpkin puree and all. guess what we did last weekend?

disclaimer: i’m not much of a baker since i’m more of a savory type of gal so i honestly had no idea what i was doing even though i had directions to follow. i was sure i made so many mistakes and ruined the pie, but the pie came out divine. moral of the story: don’t be intimidated! you can totally do it!

Recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart hahahaha

Pumpkin Puree:

Ingredients: Makes 1 1/3 cups

1 sugar pumpkin (about 1 1/2 pounds)

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using a sharp paring knife, cut several slits in pumpkin, piercing skin all the way through (this will let steam escape). Place in a baking dish; pour about 1 inch water in bottom of dish. Bake until skin is easily pierced and inside is very soft, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.

2) Cut off top of pumpkin, and scoop out seeds; discard both. Peel, and discard skin. Place pumpkin in the bowl of a food processor; puree until smooth. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up o 2 days or in the freezer up to 1 month.

Pie Dough: Makes 1 double-crust or 2 single-crust 9- to 10-inch pies

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

1) In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds.

2) With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; be careful not to process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

3) Divide dough into two equal balls. Flatten each ball into a disc and wrap in plastic. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill at least 1 hour. Dough may be stored, frozen, up to 1 month.

Pumpkin Pie: Makes one 9-inch pie

Ingredients:

1 cup packed light-brown sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1 1/2 cups fresh pumpkin puree

3 large eggs, lightly beaten, plus 1 egg for glaze

1 1/2 cups evaporated milk

pie dough

1 tablespoon heavy cream

1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. In a large bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, pumpkin puree, and 3 eggs. Beat well. Add evaporated milk, and combine. Set aside.

2) Between two pieces of plastic wrap, roll pate brisee into a 12-inch circle. Fit pastry into a 9-inch glass pie plate; trim dough evenly along edge, leaving about a 1/2-inch overhang. Pinch to form a decorative edge. If the dough begins to soften, chill for 15 minutes.

3) Make the glaze: Beat the remaining egg, and combine with heavy cream. Brush glaze very lightly on edges of pie shell. Fill pie shell with pumpkin mixture. Transfer to prepared baking sheet.

4) Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for 30 minutes more. Cool on a wire rack. – (I’m convinced Martha lied here. We had to leave the pie in for another 30 minutes at 350. The way to tell it’s done, the center should be soft still and jiggle. That’s ok. about an inch or an inch 1/2 in from the crust stick a knife in and if it comes out clean it’s done even if the center is jiggly. it cooks while it cools still.)