Baking Bird Test Kitchen: Pumpkin Pie Oh My!

This pumpkin pie may look like every pumpkin pie you've seen, but the wonderful soft custard simply melts in your mouth. It's hard to believe that anything so delicate-tasting is so easy to make.

The common criticism of pumpkin pies is that is can have a soggy bottom crust, but it need not be that way. Pre-baking (or "blind baking" in kitchen speak) the crust is key. It's an extra step but worth the payoff.

If you have time make the dough a day ahead. It needs to chill in the fridge at least an hour before you roll it out anyway, in order to give it time to relax (that way it will shrink less after being rolled out.) If the dough has been chilled overnight, let it soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out, or it will crack.

Make some time, take the day off work before The Big Day...a
it takes about 5 hrs from start to finish, so worth it!

TOOLS

Large mixing bowl

Measuring spoons and cups

Pastry blender

Cheese grater

Rolling pin

Pie weights

Fork

Turkey or your favorite Autumn themed cookie cutter

9” pie dish

Foil

Plastic wrap

Baking sheet
Cooling rack

Standing mixer with paddle stick and whisk

Rubber spatula

Parchment paper

PASTY DOUGH INGREDIENTS

Makes enough dough for a 9” pie plate.

3/4 stick cold or frozen unsalted butter

1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 tbsp very cold vegetable shortening

1/4 tsp salt

2-4 tbsp cold ice water

PASTRY DOUGH DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.

With the cheese grater, grate the frozen butter and chilled shortening. Blend together flour, butter, shortening and salt in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender until most of mixture resembles coarse meal, small (roughly pea-size) lumps. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of ice water evenly over and gently stir with a fork until incorporated.

To test the mixture gently squeeze a small amount in your hand. It should come together without crumbling apart. If it doesn’t, add more ice water, 1 tbsp at a time. If you overwork the dough or add too much water, pastry will be tough.
To form the dough, turn out onto a floured work surface and gently gather the dough together and form it, rotating it on the work surface, into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill until firm. At least 1 hour. Note: Dough can be chilled up to 1 day.

Roll out dough into a 14-inch round on a lightly floured surface and fit into a 9” pie plate. (4 cup capacity). Crimp edge decoratively and prick bottom all over with the fork. Chill for 30 minutes.

With the remaining scraps roll out the dough again and press your cookie cutter, this will be the decoration on top.

Line pie shell with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake in middle of oven for 20 minutes. Remove pie weights and foil and bake shell until pale golden, 6-10 minutes more. Cool in pan on a rack. In a baking sheet place the cookie cut out decoration and bake for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside.

PUMPKIN PIE FILLING INGREDIENTS
15oz. canned solid-pack pumpkin (2 cups)
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
2 eggs
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt

PUMPKIN PIE FILLING DIRECTIONS
Whisk together pumpkin, cream, milk, eggs, brown sugar, spices and salt, then pour into shell. Place pie on baking sheet and bake pie in the middle of oven 40-50 minutes, or until filling is set but center still trembles slightly. Filling will continue to set as pie cools. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely. Once cooled place your cookie decoration in the center of pie.

Note:
To prevent over baking you should start checking the pie's doneness at 45 minutes, as ovens vary. Pie may be made 1 day ahead and chilled covered, however crust will not be as crisp as made the day of serving.