Classic pumpkin pie gets an update with a spiced pastry crust, a sprinkle of orange zest, and a dash of rum. Sometimes the slightest changes have great effect!
HOW TO AVOID BURNT PIE CRUST
I don’t know if you’re in this habit but tenting your crusts with tin foil for most of the bake drastically cuts down on singed edges. Just fold a long piece of foil in half lengthwise and gently wrap around the crust before baking. You can remove halfway through or so and allow the crust to get golden brown just as the center sets.
I Love pumpkin pie with a MASSIVE dollop of whipped cream, but for an all out stunner that’s really easy to make try topping your pie with a giant pile of meringue! If you want to know the secret to cutting this the key is buttering your knife. The fat cuts right through the meringue.
A FEW TIPS
- You can easily make the pie dough in a food processor with a few pulses but making it the old fashioned way is pretty fun, just a little more messy.
- Try warming the pie filling in a pot over medium low heat before adding to the pie shell. Make sure to stir constantly. Doing this will help the pie bake faster and more evenly.
- Feel free to adjust the spice profile and alcohol type/level to your liking.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Add in spices. Whisk together. Grate in chilled butter and drizzle in ice cold water. Mix using a fork. Knead 3-4 times and shape into a disk.
- Wrap in plastic and chill for about 30 minutes. Divide dough in half and roll out. One half is for the pie’s base and the other is for the decorative leaves. I used a stamping pastry cutter for my leaves but any method is fine.
- Place your circle of dough onto the pie plate, trim the edge, and brush it with a bit of egg wash and place the leaves. I like to save a few leaves to place in the center. They bake quite quickly so keep an eye on them.
- Cover dough with parchment paper and place pie wights on top.
- Since the pie will be baking a while and I don’t want there do be singed edges I tent the pie with aluminum foil before baking at 425F for about 10 minutes.
- Poke the bottom and sides with a fork, add the foil back on and return to oven for about 5 minutes.
- Combine all the filling ingredients in a large bowl.
- Whisk together and I recommend transferring the filling into a pot and warming over low heat, stirring constantly. Adding warm pie fillings into an oven will let your pie bake quicker and more evenly.
- Add the warmed pie filling to your blind-baked shell reduce to 350F and bake until set.