Pumpkin Pie

     When you think of Thanksgiving, what is the first thing that pops into your head? Turkey? Probably. Pilgrims? Maybe. What I always think of is the pumpkin pie! 

    Pumpkin pie is the backbone to any Thanksgiving. Did you know that Americans (just Americans) eat about 50 million pumpkin pies on Thanksgiving? Thats a lot of pie! Now many of those people go to Costco and get one of those giant $5 pies, and that's not wrong, those pies are pretty good. However, nothing can beat a freshly homemade pie! Especially when the nearest Costco is over 2 hours away. 

    Every pie has some kind of crust so, of course, that's where I started. First, I cut 1 cup of cold butter into my food processor and added 2 1/4 cups of flour and 1 tsp of salt. Once that had a sand-like texture I slowly fed nine tablespoons of cold water into the food processor one at a time, pulsing the food processor between each one. If you make this stop adding water between eight to ten tablespoons, stopping when the dough forms large clumps. When I was satisfied with the texture, I dumped out my dough and kneaded it until it was one smooth ball. I then divided the ball into two and wrapped each in plastic wrap and let it chill in the refrigerator for about an hour. This recipe makes two crusts so it is great for apple pies also. It only lasts about a week in the refrigerator wrapped in plastic wrap so I usually just double my pumpkin pie recipe and use both crusts. 

    While my dough was chilling I made pumpkin puree by baking a halved and gutted pumpkin for 45 minutes at 375 degrees F, peeling off the skin, and blending it in a food processor. After I made the puree I made the rest of my pumpkin pie filling. I beat together the pumpkin, eggs, and brown sugar until smooth. I left my stand mixer running on low while I added the heavy cream, milk, salt, cornstarch, and pumpkin pie spice. 

    Once all that was done I rolled out my pie crust and placed in my pan, scalloping the edges. Before filling the crust I used a fork to poke a few holes in the bottom of the crust. I then filled my crust and baked my pie at 375 degrees for 55 minutes. You do not need to cover this crust or use an egg wash, but if you wanted to you can. Be careful not to overtake your pie. It will look like it is not done but as long as the edges are slightly browned and puffed up a little it is probably done. Let your pie cool before you cut into it so that it has time to set and doesn't turn to mush when you cut into it.

    I like to top my pumpkin pie with homemade whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon. I make my homemade whipped cream with 1 cup of heavy whipping cream and 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar. You can also top with cool whip or ice cream.

How did this recipe work for you? Leave a comment! What kind of pie should I make next?