Bourbon Pumpkin Pie Food

VANILLA-BOURBON PUMPKIN PIE

Steps:

• Make the crust: Pulse the flour, granulated sugar and salt in a food processor to combine. Add about one-third of the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like cornmeal. Add the remaining butter and pulse until it is in pea-size pieces. Add the vanilla seeds, bourbon and 2 to 3 tablespoons ice water; pulse until the dough just comes together. Turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap; shape into a disk and wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or overnight.
• Put a baking sheet on the middle oven rack and preheat to 425 degrees F for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, roll out the dough into a 12-inch round on a lightly floured surface. Ease into a 9-inch pie plate. Fold the overhanging dough under itself and crimp with your fingers or a fork. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Combine the heavy cream, bourbon and cinnamon stick in a small saucepan over medium-low heat; bring to a simmer. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and let cool slightly. Whisk in the pumpkin, eggs, granulated sugar, brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.
• Line the crust with foil, then fill with pie weights or dried beans. Transfer to the hot baking sheet in the oven and bake until lightly golden around the edge, about 15 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and continue baking until the crust is dry and golden all over, about 5 more minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely; leave the baking sheet in the oven. Reduce the temperature to 375 degrees F.
• Discard the cinnamon stick from the filling; pour into the cooled crust and return the pie to the hot baking sheet. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling is set, 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes. (Tent the crust with foil if it browns too quickly.) Transfer to a rack and let cool completely.

BOURBON PUMPKIN PIE

Steps:

• Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 12-inch round and fit into pie plate. Trim edge, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang. Fold overhang under and lightly press against rim of pie plate, then crimp decoratively. Lightly prick bottom all over with a fork. Chill until firm, at least 30 minutes (or freeze 10 minutes).
• Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle.
• Line shell with foil and fill with pie weights. Bake until side is set and edge is golden, about 20 minutes. Carefully remove weights and foil and bake shell until golden all over, 10 to 15 minutes more. Cool completely.
• Whisk together remaining ingredients and pour into cooled shell.
• Bake until edge of filling is set but center trembles slightly, about 45 minutes (filling will continue to set as it cools). Cool completely.

BOURBON PUMPKIN PIE

Steps:

• Roll out 3/4 of the dough 1/8 of an inch thick on a lightly floured surface; fit it into a 10-inch (6 cup) pie plate, and trim the edge, leaving a 1/2-inch overhang.
• Fold the overhang under the dough flush with the edge of the pie plate and with a sharp knife, make 1/2-inch-long cuts at 3/4-inch intervals all the way around the edge of the shell.
• Turn every other section of the dough in toward the center of the shell to form a decorative edge and chill the shell for 30 minutes.
• Roll out the remaining dough 1/8-inch thick on a lightly floured surface and with a 3-inch leaf-shaped cutter, cut out 3 leaves.
• Transfer the pastry leaves to a baking sheet, score them lightly with the back of a knife to form veins, and chill them for 15 minutes, or until they are firm.
• Brush the leaves lightly with some of the egg wash and bake them in the middle of a preheated 375°F oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until they are golden.
• Transfer the leaves to a rack and let them cool completely.
• In a bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, the brown sugar, the spices, the salt, the heavy cream, the milk, the eggs, and the bourbon until the filling is smooth and pour the filling into the shell.
• Brush the edge of the shell lightly with some of the remaining egg wash if desired and bake the pie in the middle of a preheated 375°F oven for 1 hour, or until the filling is set but the center still shakes slightly.
• The filling will continue to set as the pie cools.
• Transfer the pie to a rack and let it cool completely.
• Garnish with the pastry leaves just before serving, and serve with whipped cream.

PUMPKIN PIE WITH BOURBON-MAPLE WHIPPED CREAM AND CINNAMON CRUNCH

Steps:

• Make the cinnamon crunch: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the flour, oats, light muscovado sugar and cinnamon in a food processor and process a few times to combine. Add the butter and pulse until combined. Pat the mixture evenly into a 4-inch square on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until golden brown and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool. Transfer to a cutting board and chop into small pieces. Keep the oven on.
• Make the crust: Combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and cinnamon in a bowl and mix until combined. Press evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 10-inch pie plate. Brush with the beaten egg. Bake until golden brown and firm, about 12 minutes. Let cool on a rack.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F. Make the filling: Whisk the eggs, egg yolks, dark muscovado sugar, granulated sugar and molasses in a medium bowl. Whisk in the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Whisk in the heavy cream, milk and vanilla seeds or extract. Strain the mixture through a coarse strainer into a bowl. Whisk in the melted butter.
• Place the pie plate on a baking sheet, pour the pumpkin filling into the crust and sprinkle additional cinnamon over the top. Bake until the filling is set around the edges but the center still jiggles slightly when shaken, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.
• Make the whipped cream: Combine the heavy cream, vanilla seeds, maple syrup and bourbon, to taste, in a large chilled bowl and whip until soft peaks form. Top the pie with the whipped cream and cinnamon crunch.
• Top off your feast with one (or more!) of these tasty pies.

BOURBON PUMPKIN PIE WITH PECAN STRUESEL

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°. In a medium bowl, combine 4 tablespoons of the butter and 1/4 cup of the brown sugar with the flour and pinch into moist crumbs. Stir in the pecans.
• In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the remaining stick of butter and 3/4 cup of brown sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Beat in the pumpkin puree, egg yolks, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt, then beat in the milk and bourbon.
• In a stainless steel bowl, using clean beaters, beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry, then fold into the pumpkin mixture until no white streaks remain.
• Pour the custard into the baked pie crust (pre-bake according to package directions). Sprinkle the pecan streusel on top. Bake the pie in the middle of the oven for 1 hour, or until risen and golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached. Let cool and serve.
• The pie can be refrigerated overnight. Serve with sweetened whipped cream.