Pumpkin Pie
As long as I can remember Pumpkin Pie has been at our Thanksgiving meal every year without fail. That’s a lot of pumpkin pies for me and I wouldn’t have it any other way. My mom rarely baked but every year she made two pumpkin pies. And it was always pumpkin pie. Never apple, never chocolate, always pumpkin but we absolutely loved it! It’s was a family tradition and every Thanksgiving when I get to cut into a homemade pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving it takes me back home and reminds me of all those delicious Thanksgiving meals and that special pie my mom made once a year. And now to keep that going I’ve taking my mom’s classic pumpkin pie and just added all my favorite little details.
Pumpkin Pie Tips
Over the years I’ve learned lots of little tips and tricks to getting the best pumpkin pie. Don’t get my wrong my mom’s pie was wonderful but she didn’t care for details, she just used the recipe from the back of the pumpkin can – which is delicious but I love being picky about food :). Here’s my thoughts and tips on pumpkin pie:
Partially blind baking the crust first so you don’t end up with a soggy crust in the end. Use a lot of butter in that pie crust and don’t over-work it. Add a hint of sour cream or very well softened cream cheese (which I usually blend into the sugar if I go that route) to give it a little dimension. Go for cream instead of evaporated milk. I mean if you were to take of sip of each one side by side which one will taste better? The cream obviously not the canned milk, and either works in pumpkin pie so cream in the pie it is.
More Pumpkin Pie Tips
Don’t over-bake your pie or you’ll end up with large unwanted cracks. Also, skip that traditional 425 f. high temperature to start out with, a custard based pie does better off with relatively lower temperatures. Go for a higher ratio of brown sugar, it adds more flavor – hints of those caramel-like notes. Tent all of the crust edges with foil while baking so they don’t burn (skip the pie shield as you could cut into the pumpkin pie filling as it rises a little). Making the foil ring can be annoying but it’s worth it. And use good quality spices (that haven’t gone stale), and use plenty of them. When I say “good quality” spices I’m referring to McCormick spices. They have such a pure flavor and it’s a brand I fully trust in helping achieving the best pumpkin pie!
You can use the McCormick Pumpkin Pie spice here, but I prefer to create my own blend because that way I end with just the amount I want of each spice.
Ingredients for the Filling
Brown sugar and granulated sugar Cornstarch Salt Spices including cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves Eggs and egg yolks Canned pumpkin (not pie filling! It’s already sweetened and spiced) Vanilla extract Heavy cream Milk (anything but skim) Sour cream
Ingredients for the Pie Crust
Flour Butter Salt Sugar Egg white Ice water
How to Make Pumpkin Pie
First prepare the pie crust dough and chill. Then roll and blind bake the crust. Next prepare the simple pumpkin pie filling. To cook, pour the filling into the partially baked pie crust and bake. Let cool to set. Slice and serve with whipped cream.
Scroll below for full printable recipe.
The Best Homemade Recipe
This isn’t your buy a pre-formed pie crust and dump in a basic filling pie, but rather it’s a made from scratch Pumpkin Pie that would have made your grandmother proud. It’s sure to please down to the last creamy, flaky, irresistibly pumpkin flavored bite! Note that this pie will hold just fine if you want to make it a day in advance so you can get one thing out of the way the day before Thanksgiving. Just store it in the refrigerator (after it’s cooled completely). Hidden in the refrigerator that is :). Otherwise people won’t be able to resist and wait until the following day if they were to see it sitting there in plain site, and you may just open up your fridge to a half eaten pie. It is truly irresistible!
This post was sponsored by McCormick, all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.
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