Golden Pumpkin Pie Food

THE GREAT PUMPKIN PIE RECIPE

Steps:

• Place cranberries in a large bowl; set aside. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 cup of sugar and the water to a boil and whisk until the sugar has dissolved. Remove pan from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Pour sugar syrup over the cranberries and stir. Let the cranberries sit at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight (ideal). You'll notice the sugar syrup is quite thick after this amount of time. Drain the cranberries from the syrup and pour 1 cup of sugar on top. Toss the cranberries, coating them all the way around. Pour the sugared cranberries on a parchment paper or silicone baking mat-lined baking sheet and let them dry for at least 2 hours at room temperature or in the refrigerator. You'll have extra, but they're great for eating or as garnish on other dishes. Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• Make the pie crust through step 5 according to my directions, tips, and pictures in my pie crust recipe. Or use store-bought.
• Whisk the pumpkin, 3 eggs, and brown sugar together until combined. Add the cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, pepper, cream, and milk. Vigorously whisk until everything is combined.
• Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
• Remove 1 disc of pie dough from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out into a 12-inch circle. Make sure to turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls. Carefully place the dough into a 9-inch deep dish pie dish. Tuck it in with your fingers, making sure it is smooth. With a small and sharp knife, trim the extra overhang of crust and discard. Crimp the edges with a fork or flute the edges with your fingers, if desired. Brush edges lightly with egg wash mixture. Line the pie crust with parchment paper. Crunching up the parchment paper is helpful so that you can easily shape it into the crust. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. (Note that you will need at least 2 standard sets of pie weights to fit.) Make sure the weights/beans are evenly distributed around the pie dish. Par-bake the crust for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment paper/pie weights.
• Pour pumpkin pie filling into the warm pre-baked crust. Only fill the crust about 3/4 of the way up. (If using a deep dish pie dish as instructed, you should only have a little filling leftover. Use extra to make mini pies with leftover pie dough scraps if you'd like.) Bake the pie until the center is almost set, about 55-60 minutes give or take. A small part of the center will be wobbly - that's ok. After 25 minutes of baking, be sure to cover the edges of the crust with aluminum foil or use a pie crust shield to prevent the edges from getting too brown. Check for doneness at minute 50, and then 55, and then 60, etc.
• Once done, transfer the pie to a wire rack and allow to cool completely for at least 3 hours. Decorate with sugared cranberries and pie crust leaves (see note). You'll definitely have leftover cranberries - they're tasty for snacking. Serve pie with whipped cream if desired. Cover leftovers tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

GOLDEN PUMPKIN CUSTARD PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Beat eggs, then add sugar and flour.
• Add pumpkin, butter, salt and milk.
• Pour into a 9-inch unbaked pie crust.
• Bake for 35 to 40 minutes.

PUMPKIN PIE

Steps:

• Make the dough by hand. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Using your fingers, work the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles yellow corn meal mixed with bean-sized bits of butter. (If the flour/butter mixture gets warm, refrigerate it for 10 minutes before proceeding.) Add the egg and stir the dough together with a fork or by hand in the bowl. If the dough is dry, sprinkle up to a tablespoon more of cold water over the mixture.
• Alternatively, make the dough in a food processor. With the machine fitted with the metal blade, pulse the flour, sugar, and salt until combined. Add the butter and pulse until it resembles yellow corn meal mixed with bean-sized bits of butter, about 10 times. Add the egg and pulse 1 to 2 times; don't let the dough form into a ball in the machine. (If the dough is very dry add up to a tablespoon more of cold water.) Remove the bowl from the machine, remove the blade, and bring the dough together by hand.
• Form the dough into a disk, wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 1 hour.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough with a rolling pin into a 12-inch circle about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie pan and trim the edges, leaving about an extra inch hanging over the edge. Tuck the overhanging dough underneath itself to form a thick edge that is even with the rim. Flute the edge as desired. Freeze the pie shell for 30 minutes.
• Set separate racks in the center and lower third of oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Put a piece of parchment paper or foil over the pie shell and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake on a baking sheet on the center rack until the dough is set, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and lift sides of the parchment paper to remove the beans. Continue baking until the pie shell is lightly golden brown, about 10 more minutes. Cool on a rack.
• Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
• While the pie shell is cooling make the filling. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, brown sugar, eggs, half-and-half, spices, and salt until smooth. Return the pie shell to the baking sheet and pour in the filling.
• Bake on the lower oven rack until the edges of the filling are set but the center is still slightly loose, about 50 to 60 minutes. (If the edges get very dark, cover them with aluminum foil.) Cool on a rack. Serve room temperature or slightly warm.

PUMPKIN PIE

Steps:

• Place the pumpkin in a large saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Cover with a lid and simmer for 15 mins or until tender. Drain pumpkin; let cool.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and use it to line a 22cm loose-bottomed tart tin. Chill for 15 mins. Line the pastry with baking parchment and baking beans, then bake for 15 mins. Remove the beans and paper, and cook for a further 10 mins until the base is pale golden and biscuity. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
• Increase oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Push the cooled pumpkin through a sieve into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, salt, nutmeg and half the cinnamon. Mix in the beaten eggs, melted butter and milk, then add to the pumpkin purée and stir to combine. Pour into the tart shell and cook for 10 mins, then reduce the temperature to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Continue to bake for 35-40 mins until the filling has just set.
• Leave to cool, then remove the pie from the tin. Mix the remaining cinnamon with the icing sugar and dust over the pie. Serve chilled.

BEST EVER PUMPKIN PIE WITH STEM GINGER CREAM

Steps:

• Start by cooking the pumpkin or squash. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put the pumpkin in a large, deep roasting tin. Add a splash of water, no more than a few tbsps, then cover with foil. Make a small steam hole in the middle, put in the oven and cook for 45 mins or until very tender. While the pumpkin cooks, tip the seeds for the crust onto a baking tray and put in the oven on a lower shelf for 10 mins until toasted and starting to pop, then cool. Once cooked, tip the pumpkin into a sieve, drain and cool completely.
• Meanwhile, prepare the crust. Tip the toasted seeds and biscuits into a food processor and blitz to fine crumbs. Add the stem ginger and melted butter, and blitz again until the mixture is like wet sand. Tip into a 23cm fluted, loose- bottomed tart tin or a pie tin. Use the back of a spoon to spread the mixture evenly over the base and up the sides of the tin, pressing it firmly into place. Make sure there are no holes, so the filling can't escape. Put in the fridge and chill for 30 mins. Clean the food processor.
• Turn oven down to 160C/140C fan/ gas 3. When the pumpkin is cool and any excess liquid has drained away, tip into the food processor. Add the remaining ingredients for the filling and blend until smooth. Put the chilled crust on a baking tray in the middle of the oven. Pull out the shelf and carefully fill with the pumpkin mixture, pouring it right to the top. Close the oven and bake for 40 mins - the filling should be set but still have a wobble. Cool in the tin to room temperature, then chill for at least 1 hr.
• For the brittle, put the pumpkin seeds in a large heavy-based frying pan and toast for a few mins until golden and starting to pop. While they toast, line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Tip the seeds into a bowl and set aside, then wipe out the pan. Tip the sugar into the pan and set over a medium heat. To turn the sugar into caramel, heat until the sugar dissolves, but don't stir at any stage or it may crystallise - instead, swirl the pan every 10 secs or so. Increase the heat and bubble the liquid sugar until it reaches a deep caramel colour. Quickly add the seeds, swirl to incorporate, then tip out onto your lined tray. Leave to cool and set for 30 mins.
• Just before you're ready to serve, prepare the cream. Pour the cream and syrup into a large bowl, and whisk until softly whipped and billowy. Remove the pie from the fridge and from its case, and place on a pretty plate or cake stand, or serve straight from the tin. Pile the cream onto the centre of the pie and swirl towards the edges, leaving a border of pumpkin exposed around the edge. When the pumpkin caramel is set, break it into small pieces with a rolling pin and sprinkle over the top - if you have more than you need, store the remainder in a sealed container for up to 2 weeks to scatter over ice cream. Serve the pie in wedges. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

MAPLE PUMPKIN PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. pie plate. Trim crust to 1/2 in. beyond rim of plate; flute edge. Refrigerate while preparing filling., In a large bowl, combine the first 7 ingredients; beat until smooth. Pour into crust. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°. Bake 45-50 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown and top of pie is set (cover edges with foil during the last 15 minutes to prevent overbrowning if necessary). Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate overnight or until set., In a small bowl, beat the cream, confectioners' sugar, syrup and pumpkin pie spice until stiff peaks form. Pipe or dollop onto pie. Sprinkle with pecans if desired.