Perfect Pumpkin Pie Recipe

My daughter has been hounding me for weeks to make a pumpkin pie. I had intended to make the pumpkin cheesecake I have made the last three Christmases, but alas, the recipe has disappeared. :( However, I knew I could find a decent pumpkin pie recipe within my growing collection of cookbooks. Sure, I could make the recipe on the back of the Libby's can, but what fun is that?? I've already made that before! LOL

So I scoured my cookbooks and decided on one called Perfect Pumpkin Pie from The Complete Book of Pies: 200 Recipes from Sweet to Savory by Julie Hasson. I think what caught my eye on this particular recipe is that it used heavy whipping cream in the filling. I'm not one for a standard pumpkin pie, though my daughter loves them. I didn't want her to "suffer" through eating the whole pie herself, and I knew the addition of the cream would make it a bit less dense and more custard-like, making it more palatable for me. ;)

My other issue is that I'm still trying to conquer pie crusts. I can make the dough and even roll it out, but never seems to get flaky and baked properly. This time I used a pie crust recipe from Erin's fabulous blog, Prudence Pennywise. This was a very easy crust, but I still think I hosed it up. :-/ While it looked great, and it looked par-baked enough on the bottom, it still seemed underbaked on the bottom after the pie was done. Erin suggested that it's simply because of the filling, and that's very possible. At any rate, I loved Erin's tutorial and it was the easiest crust I have ever made. :)

The verdict? Fabulous! I am not a pumpkin pie fan, but I definitely ate my fair share of this little marvel. It's daughter approved too, and the hubby and one of the boys thought it was great as well (still can't get the other two boys to try pumpkin pie.. gimme time!). This recipe is a definite keeper!

So, on to the pie...

First, if you would like the pie crust recipe, go to Erin's post here or use your favorite crust, a store bought refrigerator crust will work as well (I recommend Pillsbury pie crusts, they just seem to work the best, in my opinion... just sayin').


Perfect Pumpkin Pie
adapted from The Complete Book of Pies

[printable version]

2 cups pumpkin puree (I used the puree I made and froze in late October)
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
3 eggs
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream (recipe calls for 35% whipping cream)
2 tbsp pure maple syrup

Parbake your crust in a 9" deep dish pie plate. Let cool for ten minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Use a food processor to combine the pumpkin, brown sugar, and all four spices until smooth. Next add the eggs, one at a time, pulsing briefly after each addition. Add the cream and syrup and pulse just until smooth.

Pour filling into crust and bake 60-65 minutes or until puffed around the edge and firm in the center.

Let pie cool completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate for about an hour after cooled.

Top with whipped cream (I just sweeten heavy cream with a bit of powdered sugar and beat until firm peaks form) and sprinkle with a little cinnamon sugar for garnish.

Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Wanna bite??