Genius Recipes's Notes:
Expand1 3/4 cups canned or fresh cooked pumpkin puree Ask a question about this ingredient
3/4 cup sugar Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 teaspoon salt Ask a question about this ingredient
1 teaspoon cinnamon Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 teaspoon ginger Ask a question about this ingredient
2 eggs Ask a question about this ingredient
1 cup cream Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 cup milk Ask a question about this ingredient
Unbaked, unpricked, chilled 9-inch pie shell (we like lapadia's simple Himalayan Blackberry Pie crust, also on FOOD52) Ask a question about this ingredient
Turn pumpkin into saucepan and stir over direct heat for 10 minutes until somewhat dry and slightly caramelized, stirring frequently. Remove from heat but keep hot.
Ask a question about this stepMix thoroughly together the sugar, salt, and spices, and stir into hot pumpkin.
Ask a question about this stepBeat eggs, add cream and milk, and beat into pumpkin mixture until smooth.
Ask a question about this stepPour immediately into unpricked pastry-lined pie pan and bake in a moderately hot oven (400° F) for 25 to 30 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and only an inch circle in the center of the filling remains liquid. Cool thoroughly on cake rack before cutting.
Ask a question about this stepNote: Perfectly baked pumpkin pie has no cracks on its surface. Baking hot filling in a chilled crust at 400° F for 25 to 30 minutes produces a smooth, shiny good textured custard and a well-baked crust free from soaking. But if your crust is rolled especially thick, or your pie dish is thicker glass instead of tin, or you loathe underdone bottom crust, you might still want to blind bake it a little. Here's what we'd recommend: Blind bake at 350 for 7 minutes with baking beans/weights, then 5 minutes without, then cool thoroughly. Then just watch the pie closely as it bakes -- it might be done early, since the cold raw crust isn't there to protect it. And if the edges are starting to look wrinkled while the middle is very jiggly, turn the heat down to 350.
Ask a question about this stepThis pie turned out just as good as mine but I don't see the value of cooking the pumpkin. It turns out this recipe is almost exactly like mine. The only difference is mine doesn't require cooking the pumpkin and uses brown sugar. I also found that the cooking time for blind baking was too short and I also had to cook the pie another 10 minutes for the filling to set. Although both recipes call for 3/4 cups of sugar, I always use a little less
This pie has a lovely texture. I found the baking time far too short; I baked mine for 50 minutes. Maybe it needed more time on the stovetop? I also found it too sweet and will cut back on the sugar next time. Because I like the texture so much I'll definitely be trying this again, with a couple of tweaks.
My comment was not to point out the shortcomings of the recipe--I've baked many a pie and I know my oven (slow) and my preferences (crisp crust all over please). There are many variables with this recipe, ie: no crust recipe (I used my mainstay), and how thick is too thick for the crust? I think the genius lies in the use of real cream and milk instead of evaporated milk; the drying of the puree; the high temperature (there is usually much babying of custards at low temperatures); and the proportion of spices.
I know that blind baking for only 12 minutes wasn't going to cut it for me and my oven--bottom crusts are rarely done enough for me. I just tailored this to my own taste and then compensated by cooking at a lower temp at the end. I still think that the pie this method makes is far superior to any other pumpkin pie I've made. Pie making is a long process of tweaking according to one's tastes, equipment, and technique level; every recipe I try teaches me something new about pie--it's not a science that can be encapsulated in one recipe. My recipe for crust works for many people, but not for all--I make a small adjustment in it to suit my taste, but does it mean that the recipe is a failure and not worth trying? No, not by a long shot.
I generally love the genius recipes here, but so many of the comments indicate it does not turn out as described if you follow the directions, and nobody who tweaked the timing or the pre-baking of the crust sounds really satisfied with any of the tweaks they tried. I'm afraid even to try this until I see that the issues are resolved.
I blind baked my crust for 30 minutes because I am that person who hates underdone crust--I put aluminum foil on all the sides so they wouldn't get too brown but didn't use pie weights (I just tapped down the crust every so often). I also pricked the crust--I knew all those little holes would fill in during baking--even though I'd be flirting with the custard leaking out and gluing the crust to my (metal) pan.
Results? The crust on the underside was still slightly underdone, but better, and I turned down the heat to 325 when the sides of the crusts were browning faster than the custard was setting. I baked the pie for 15 more minutes and it was perfect. I am not a huge fan of pumpkin pie--I don't like the aggressive spicing--but this pie has a really lovely, not-too-eggy/sweet/spicy taste that lets the squash shine.
I used a glass pie dish...that's all I have. Blind baking using the instructions in this recipe resulted in an underdone crust. Also, I had to bake the pie longer than 30 minutes (about 10 minutes longer) to get the filling to set. I didn't want to bake it longer to get the crust done for fear of overcooking the filling.
The recipe also says not to prick the crust, but isn't that what is needed when you blind bake a crust?
This is definitely a keeper!! It was so good...my oven temp was off by 25 degrees after I confirmed w/a thermometer so I ended up cooking it longer. A lovely custard consistency and so easy. I'm making it again this weekend to see how it goes now that I know to set the oven higher and verify the temp first. Didn't blind bake the crust and it was fine!!
When I saw 'Meta Given's', I just had to pull out my 2 volumn set of 'Meta Given's Modern Encyclopedia of Cooking' and see if this recipe was in it! The books are from 1955 ~ And yes, this recipe is in it. Copyright 1947, revised 1955. I use these old books quite often and I have yet to find a recipe that did not turn out. I have not tried this, but I can imagine it is very good!
I appreciated the simplicity of the recipe, but I had to bake the pie for at least an extra 10 minutes, and it was still a little too soft. Maybe I should have cooked the pumpkin longer?
Kristen, you are so right, this is a genius recipe. I did blind-bake the crust because I was using a ceramic pie plate that's rather thick. The pie took 40 minutes in my very temperamental oven. What I love about it is the very strong pumpkin flavor and the fact that it's not too sweet--am looking forward to a piece for breakfast this morning.
Made it for tonight and it was a HUGE hit! My mom is keeping my printout of the recipe for future family use. I did get a bit of bubbling in the bottom crust, though, I would definitely prick it jf I made it again.
I just made it this morning for the evening. It was awesome! The flavor was great, although I would definitely blind-bake next time. I also upped the ginger and added nutmeg. I like my pumpkin pie strong in spices. :) Will definitely make again!
Ok - mine just came out of the oven! People are helicoptering past it at regular intervals, eying the pie lustily. Will post a report when the meal is eaten and the coma has lifted!
Regarding the sugar, I never use traditional refined sugar in any recipe, since unbeknownst to most, it contains toxins from the refining process. I normally substitute either agave syrup (from the agave plant) found in most super markets, which is also wonderful on pancakes (it tastes similiar to maple syrup and actually comes in flavors like maple syrup) or stevia powder at 1/2 what a recipe calls for since it is alot sweeter than sugar without any calories and tastes great! What a healthier substitute for a great pie!
Um...isn't agave syrup horribly refined? Some brands also contain fructose ratios that are similar to HFCS. This link might help:
http://www.foodrenegade.com/agave-nectar-good-or-bad/
Great to have any real pumpkin recipes reach soo many.. Because of the milk and cream, for those who are lactose intolerant, I would subsitute vanilla almond milk which adds a wonderful creamy taste to any recipe. I use it all the time for cooking and cereal because it is so healthy and delicious regardless of health issues because of its great taste. Yum!
Its great to see a pumpkin pie that retains the fiber thats such a great part of eating real pumpkin. However, I would never use an aluminum pan for any cooking, since the aluminum leaches into the food. Aluminum is one of the top ingredients that creates alzheimers...So, I would use safer pans and pots (not with teflon that is very toxic) that are coated with a thin layer of aluminum on the bottom for even and hotter heating on the stove top.
Kitchen Arts & Letters is a culinary bookstore on Manhattan's Upper East Side.
photo 1 of 22
An underrated gem, if you ask us.
photo 2 of 22
First thing's first: whip up some pie crust (we like lapadia's simple Himalayan Blackberry Pie crust, also on FOOD52). We also like measuring flour with the old dip-and-sweep.
photo 3 of 22
Super cold cubes of butter, come on down!
photo 4 of 22
Pulse that food processor (or use a pastry cutter or your fingers) just until the butter and flour look like this.
photo 5 of 22
Then dribble in some ice water.
photo 6 of 22
Till it looks like this!
photo 7 of 22
Moosh that dough into a disk and let it sit in the fridge for 30 minutes. Go measure some spices or something.
photo 8 of 22
See the little flecks of butter? Those babies will steam up into pockets of flaky, airy pastry.
photo 9 of 22
Rolling between two floured sheets of plastic wrap is such a good short cut it should be illegal.
photo 10 of 22
Like a delicious blanket.
photo 11 of 22
Now trim your overreaching edges (bake those up on their own with a little sugar: pie cookies!).
photo 12 of 22
And if you don't feel like crimping, don't crimp! Just tuck the edges under. And stick it back in the fridge while you turn to filling.
photo 13 of 22
Regular pumpkin pie would have you bake with this pumpkin puree -- pretty, but sort of predictable, don't you think?
photo 14 of 22
We like to push our pumpkin to the limit -- by cooking it down and caramelizing it. Extreme pumpkin pie.
photo 15 of 22
A shower of sugar, spice (cinnamon + ginger), and everything nice.
photo 16 of 22
It looks like this (and smells out of this world).
photo 17 of 22
Eggs, milk, and cream, do your worst.
photo 18 of 22
Starting to look like pumpkin pie, right?
photo 19 of 22
Quick! To the oven! (No blind-baking required.)
photo 20 of 22
Just 25 minutes till pie.
photo 21 of 22
Going all the way to 400 degrees makes for a crispy golden crust and puffed middle.
photo 22 of 22
Happy Thanksgiving!
I haven't done this recipe yet but I'm gonna try it really soon. It seems delicious!!! Greatest website, congrats xoxo from Uruguay