Pretty Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Pie just screams cozy fall baking! Plus no thanksgiving table is complete without it. I love the contrast of the crisp flaky pastry and silky smooth pumpkin filling.

I made the short crust pastry from scratch. You can buy store bought, but I find making this oddly therapeutic and rewarding. It also makes me nostalgic because my mama taught me how to make this when I was a little girl. We will Par bake the pastry, which is the secret to avoiding that dreaded soggy bottom!

The presentation of this Pie is just gorgeous. I made it in a square pan with a removable bottom. Half of it was naked and exposed for everyone to see the deep orange goodness it has to offer and the other half was hiding behind a pretty cover of pastry flowers and butterflies. A sweet silky surprise waiting to be discovered.

Total Time:

• Prep time 40 mins

• Baking time 50 mins

• Total time 1hr 30 mins

Equipment:

• 9 inch square pan with removable bottom

• Or 9 inch deep round pie dish

• Pastry blender (optional)

• Ceramic Pie weights or rice

• Parchment Paper

• Flower/butterfly cookie cutters

Ingredients:

Short crust pastry

• 14 oz. all purpose flour

• 8 oz. cold unsalted cold butter

• Pinch of salt

• Ice water

Filling

• 2 eggs

• ½ cup light brown sugar

• ¼ cup sugar

• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

• ½ tsp ground ginger

• ¼ tsp ground cloves

• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

• Pinch of salt

• 15 oz. can of pumpkin puree

• 12 oz. half and half

Egg Wash

1 Egg beaten

1 Tbsp water

METHOD:

• Preheat oven to 400 F

• Make pastry. Add the cubed butter to the flour and rub in with fingers or a pastry blender, till it resembles coarse breadcrumbs

• Gradually add chilled water, 1 Tablespoon at a time till the dough comes together

• Form 2 discs, wrap with cling wrap and refrigerate for 30 mins

• Roll out half the dough and line the pan with pastry, cut off excess pastry with a knife. Dot it with a fork, chill for about 10 mins in the fridge.

• Put parchment paper in the center and fill with pie weights. Bake for 15 mins. Take weights out, apply egg wash and bake again for 5 to 7 mins

• Preheat oven to 425 F

• Make pumpkin filling, whisk eggs, add pumpkin puree, then the sugars and spices and gradually add the half and half till combined. Set aside

• Roll out the other half of dough into a square, slit it in the center and cut a triangle out

• Pour filling into pastry lined dish

• Gently Place the pastry triangle on top of the filling, brush with some egg wash

• Cut flowers, leaves, butterflies out of the rest of the dough, and place them on the triangle. Brush some egg wash on them.

• Put the apples in your dish first, spoon the crumble on top

• Bake for 15 mins at 425 F lower the oven to 350 and bake for another 30 -40 mins till pastry is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out fairly clean

• Once cooled, you can lightly dust the pastry flowers with some luster dust to enhance the color a bit

Enjoy!

Some helpful tips:

• Your butter should be cold when you rub it in with your fingers for the pastry

• In the last 15 mins of baking you can tent the edges with some foil to avoid excessive browning of the crust