How to Make the Ultimate Pumpkin Pie

The smell of cinnamon and pumpkin filled the air as Shawn Bailey gets a lesson from pastry chef and owner of Janelle’s Pastries, on how to make the Ultimate Pumpkin Pie.

Ingredients

FOR THE PIE DOUGH

• 2 ½ cup flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 stick unsalted butter (very cold)
• 6–8 tablespoons ice water

FOR PUMPKIN PIE FILLING

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• Pinch of nutmeg
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 15 oz. (2 cups) pumpkin puree made from pie pumpkins
• 1 can (12 fl. oz.) evaporated milk

WHIPPED CREAM INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Instructions

HOW TO MAKE PIE DOUGH

• Put flour, sugar, and salt into the bowl of a food processor and pulse a couple times to mix.
• Cut the butter into small pieces and add half of it to the food processor and pulse several times. Then add the rest of the butter and pulse 6 to 8 times until the largest pieces of butter are about the size of large peas.
• Add 4 tablespoons of ice water (make sure there are no ice cubes in the water!) and pulse again.
• Then add more ice water, a tablespoon at a time, pulsing once or twice after each addition until the dough just barely begins to hold together.
• You know that the mixture is ready if when you pinch some of the dough together with your fingers and it holds together. Check dough after each addition of water. Too much water will cause a tough crust.
• Empty the dough mixture from the food processor and divide and form the dough mixture into two even-sized mounds. Use your hands to form each one into a disk.
• Refrigerate for a minimum one hour or up to 2 days.
• Remove dough from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 5–10 minutes in order to soften to make rolling out a bit easier.
• Roll out with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to a 10-inch circle (about 1/8 of an inch thick).
• Carefully place onto an 8-inch pie plate. Crimp edge decoratively and prick bottom all over. Chill 30 minutes. Chill in the freezer for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375° F. Line pie shell with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake in middle of oven 10 minutes. Remove weights and foil and bake shell until pale golden, about 10 minutes more.
• Fit a piece of aluminum foil to cover the inside of the shell completely. Fill the shell with pie weights or dried beans (about 2 pounds) and place it in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, remove the foil and pie weights and bake for another 10 minutes or until the crust is dried out and beginning to color.

HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN PIE FILLING

• Preheat the oven to 350° F.
• Slice the stem off of pumpkin then slice in half.
• Scoop out seeds with a spoon then place face down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Roast for about 45–50 minutes. The exact time will vary depending on the size of the pumpkin so you may need more time. The skin will be slightly darker and you should be able to poke a fork quite easily through.
  Let the pumpkin cool slightly before handling. Peel or cut away the pumpkin skin.
• Place the pumpkin flesh into the blender and blend away until super smooth.
• Preheat oven to 425° F.
• Mix sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture into eggs and gradually stir in evaporated milk.
• Pour into pie shell par-baked pie shell.
• Bake in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate.
• For whipped cream, add the powdered sugar to the heavy cream and whip until mixed well.
• Top with whipped cream before serving.

Originally published at www.foodchannel.com.