Mile High Pumpkin Pie Food

MILE-HIGH PUMPKIN-PECAN PIE

Steps:

• Make the crust: In a food processor, pulse flour, granulated sugar, and salt until combined. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining. Add 1/4 cup ice water in a steady stream, pulsing until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed (if necessary, add up to 1/4 cup more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time). Form dough into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, 1 hour (or up to 2 days).
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough just over 1/8 inch thick. Transfer to a 9-inch springform pan, adjusting dough as needed to fit flat against bottom and sides. Trim dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch overhang (reserve scraps); freeze 15 minutes. Line dough with a double layer of parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake on a rimmed baking sheet 30 minutes. Carefully remove parchment and weights; use reserved scraps to patch any holes in crust. Bake until deep golden, 30 minutes; cover edge with foil if overbrowning.
• Meanwhile, make filling: In a large bowl, whisk together brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk in eggs, then pumpkin, until smooth. Slowly whisk in milk, cream, and vanilla. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. With edge covered with foil, pour all but 1 cup filling into crust, return to oven, and carefully add remaining cup filling; bake 1 hour. Remove pie from oven and top with pecans. Bake until filling is just set but slightly wobbly in center, 20 to 25 minutes more. Let cool completely on a wire rack, about 3 hours. With a serrated knife, cut off overhang and unmold.

DEEP-DISH PUMPKIN-MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Make the crust: On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to an 1/8-inch thickness. Fit dough into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Trim edges, leaving a 1-inch overhang; fold edges under and crimp as desired. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Line crust with parchment, and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until edges just start to turn golden, about 15 minutes. Remove pie weights and parchment. Bake until crust is golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes more. Let cool on a wire rack.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Whisk together eggs, pumpkin, evaporated milk, brown sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the nutmeg in a large bowl.
• Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Pour filling into cooled crust. Bake until center is set but still slightly wobbly, 50 to 55 minutes. Let cool in pie plate set on a wire rack. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 6 hours (preferably overnight).
• Just before serving, make the meringue: Combine granulated sugar and egg whites in the heatproof bowl of a mixer set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk until sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Transfer bowl to mixer, and whisk on medium speed for 3 minutes. Raise speed to high, and whisk until stiff glossy peaks form, about 6 minutes more. Dollop meringue onto pie, and spread using a swirling motion.
• Hold a small handheld kitchen torch at a 90-degree angle 3 to 4 inches from surface of meringue. Move flame back and forth until meringue starts to brown.

MILE-HIGH LEMON MERINGUE PIE

Steps:

• Make the crust: Pulse the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor. Add the shortening and pulse a few times until combined. Add the butter and pulse just until coarse crumbs form. Add the vinegar and 3 tablespoons ice water; pulse until the dough comes together but is slightly crumbly. Pinch the dough - if it's too crumbly, pulse in more ice water 1 teaspoon at a time. Turn out the dough onto a large sheet of plastic wrap. Wrap the dough, then flatten into a disk. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or overnight.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a 13-inch round. Ease into a 9-inch pie plate. Fold the overhanging dough under itself, then crimp the edges. Refrigerate the crust until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork, line with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Place the crust on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until golden brown around the edges, about 15 minutes. Remove the parchment and weights and continue baking until the crust is a deep golden brown on the bottom, 20 to 30 more minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool while preparing the filling but leave the oven on.
• Make the filling: Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl until smooth; set aside. Whisk the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium saucepan to combine. Whisk in the water and lemon juice and turn the heat to medium. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook, whisking, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Slowly whisk about one-quarter of the sugar mixture into the egg yolks. Whisk in another one-quarter of the sugar mixture until smooth, then pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Continue cooking, whisking constantly to keep the egg yolks from scrambling, about 1 more minute. Stir in the butter and lemon zest until the butter melts; remove from the heat.
• Immediately make the meringue while the filling is still hot: Combine the egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl and beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes. Very slowly beat in the sugar; continue beating until firm glossy peaks form, about 4 minutes more (do not overbeat). Give the lemon filling a quick stir, then pour into the crust. Immediately spread the meringue on top of the hot filling, spreading it all the way to the crust; use the back of a spoon to make swoops and peaks. Bake until the meringue is golden brown in spots, 5 to 7 minutes; do not overbake to avoid weeping.
• Remove the pie to a rack and let cool 1 hour, then refrigerate until completely cooled before slicing, about 4 hours.

MILE HIGH PIE

Steps:

• Combine walnuts and biscuits. Add butter and mash thoroughly.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 10-inch diameter springform pan and press biscuit crust into base and 2-inches up side. Cover this crust with waxed paper, cut to fit bottom exactly. Fill pan with split peas, up to height of sides and bake "blind" for 1 hour. Let cool while still filled.
• When crust is cooled, removed pea weights and paper. Meanwhile, whip egg whites with cold water and salt until peaked. Fold in sugar a little at a time. Add vanilla and keep cool.
• Unmold ice cream from containers and cut horizontally through middle of each to yield 4 discs total. Place disks in pie crust, alternating strawberry and vanilla flavors. Top with meringue, letting it fall all around the ice cream. Set in freezer for 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Remove pie from freezer and place in oven to brown meringue tips. You may also use a blowtorch instead. Serve with chocolate sauce.

MILE-HIGH BOLOGNA PIE

Steps:

• Adjust an oven rack to the middle position.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Heat 1 Tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet until shimmering.
• Working in two batches, cook the bologna in a large skillet over medium heat until lightly browned on both sides, about 6 minutes.
• Transfer to a large plate.
• Heat the remaining 1 Tablespoon oil in the now-empty skillet until shimmering.
• Cook the onion until softened, about 3 minutes.
• Add the potatoes and carrots and cook, tossing occasionally, until just beginning to brown, about 8 minutes.
• Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Stir in the water, cover, and cook until the potatoes and carrots are just tender, about 15 minutes.
• Stir in the peas and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Let the vegetables cool until just warm, about 30 minutes.
• Spoon the vegetables into the pie shell.
• Arrange the bologna over the top of the vegetables.
• Top with the remaining chilled circle of dough and crimp the edges as desired.
• Cut four 2-inch slits in the top of the dough; brush top with beaten egg.
• Bake until the crust is golden brown, about 30 minutes.
• Let cool for 5 minutes.
• Serve, drizzling ketchup over the top.

MILE HIGH PUMPKIN MARINGUE PIE

Steps:

• CRUST:.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Combine ginger snap crumbs and melted butter in a bowl. Stir to Blend. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a deep dish 9-in (23cm) pie plate. Bake in the centre of the oven for 15 minutes, or until crisp and golden around the sides. Move to a rack to cool.
• FILLING:.
• Sprinkle gelatin over brandy in a small bowl. Let stand until softened.
• Scrape brandy mixture into a saucepan along with sugar, spices, pumpkin, milk, egg YOLKS, and orange zest. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture "mounds when dropped from a spoon".
• Transfer filling to a metal bowl and set in a larger bowl of ice and cold water. Cool, stirring Constantly.
• Beat egg whites and sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold into pumpkin mixture with sour cream until no streaks remain.
• Spoon filling into cooled crust and chill until set, preferably overnight. (You can cook from this point and skip the meringue if you don't like it. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes or until the filling looks cooked. Refrigerate until served).
• MERINGUE:.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Whip egg whites and cream of tartar with an electric mixer at medium speed until foamy.
• Continue whipping at medium-high speed, gradually adding sugar until fully incorporated. Continue to whip until whites hold a stiff peak.
• Dollop over chilled pie. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until meringue is golden.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Sprinkle with ground ginger snaps if you wish.