Thanksgiving - Pumpkin Pie

I know, I know, pumpkin month is over but Thanksgiving is right around the corner. I am having Thanksgiving at my house this year so I'm thinking about pie. Of course, you say?! Why are you thinking about pie? You have a whole dinner to worry about. Well, my family is very helpful.

My sister is making the turkey. She is very particular about how the turkey is cooked, so she is bringing it. That's fine with me. Whatever works.

My mother is bringing sweet potatoes and artichokes and maybe if I beg her she'll bring her famous string bean salad. That leaves very little for me to make. We'll most definitely buy an apple pie and maybe some other type of pie but I really like to cook as you already know. That leaves me with the chore of figuring out what I can make. I usually make stuffing because no one else in this family really eats and/or likes stuffing but the husbands. My husband and son love cranberry sauce but not the home made kind. They always prefer the store bought "jellied" kind. Since I don't eat cranberry sauce, I figure they can have whatever kind they want. So sue me!

I'm thinking about making a savory pumpkin soup. The recipe I posted last month with the pumpkin Parmesan soup sounded pretty good to me. So there you have it, I am having around 16 people for Thanksgiving dinner and all I am making is soup, stuffing, a dessert of some sort and mashed potatoes. Why am I making mashed potatoes, because I really like them. That's why! Maybe I'll go crazy and even make some dinner rolls.

I should make November "Pie" month. I'm going to start off with a traditional pumpkin pie recipe for you. This recipe is from the Martha Stewart Living website. Enjoy!

Fluted Traditional Pumpkin Pie
from www.marthastewart.com

Serves 12

Ingredients:

• All-purpose flour, for surface
• Pate Brisee for Traditional Pumpkin Pie (pie dough)
• 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
• 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
• Ground cloves
• Whipped cream, for serving (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll pate brisee disk 1/8 inch thick, then cut into a 16-inch circle. Fit circle into a 9-inch deep-dish pie dish, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Fold edges under.

2. Shape large, loose half circles at edge of dough, then fold into a wavelike pattern to create a fluted edge. Prick bottom of dough all over with a fork. Freeze for 15 minutes.

3. Cut a circle of parchment, at least 16 inches wide, and fit into pie shell. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until edges of crust begin to turn gold, about 15 minutes. Remove pie weights and parchment. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool.

4. Meanwhile, whisk pumpkin, sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, vanilla, eggs, milk, and a pinch of cloves in a large bowl.

5. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Transfer pie dish to a rimmed baking sheet, and pour pumpkin mixture into cooled crust. Bake until center is set but still a bit wobbly, 50 to 55 minutes. (If crust browns too quickly, tent edges with a strip of foil folded in half lengthwise.) Let cool in pie dish on a wire rack. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 6 hours (preferably overnight).

Serve chilled with whipped cream, if desired.

Pate Brisee (Pie Dough)

Pate brisee is the French version of classic pie or tart pastry. Pressing the dough into a disc rather than shaping it into a ball allows it to chill faster. This will also make the dough easier to roll out, and if you freeze it, it will thaw more quickly.


Ingredients:
Makes 1 double-crust or 2 single-crust 9- to 10-inch pies.

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Directions:

In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter, and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds.

With machine running, add ice water in a slow, steady stream through feed tube. Pulse until dough holds together without being wet or sticky; be careful not to process more than 30 seconds. To test, squeeze a small amount together: If it is crumbly, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Divide dough into two equal balls. Flatten each ball into a disc and wrap in plastic. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill at least 1 hour. Dough may be stored, frozen, up to 1 month.




The Creative Cook