Wincie Hughes Arkansas Pumpkin Pie Food

CLASSIC PUMPKIN PIE

Steps:

• Make the crust: Pulse the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor. Add the shortening and 3 tablespoons butter and pulse into pebble-size pieces. Add the remaining butter and pulse until pea-size pieces form. Add the ice water; pulse a few times to combine. If the dough doesn't hold together when you squeeze it, add more ice water, 1/2 tablespoon at a time. Turn out the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap and form into a disk; wrap tightly. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or overnight.
• Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch round. Ease into a 9-inch pie plate. Tuck the overhanging dough under itself; crimp the edges with a fork. Chill until very firm, 20 minutes in the freezer or 1 hour in the refrigerator.
• Preheat the oven to 350˚. Line the pie crust with parchment paper or foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the crust is light brown around the edges, about 25 minutes. Remove the parchment and weights and continue baking until the crust is light brown all over, 10 to 15 more minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Break the cinnamon sticks in half and put in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Toast, stirring, about 5 minutes. Add the evaporated milk, ginger, nutmeg and cloves and cook, whisking, until the milk comes to a simmer, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let steep, 15 minutes. Discard the cinnamon sticks and add the pumpkin, sugar and salt; whisk until smooth. Whisk in the eggs until just combined.
• Pour the filling into the cooled pie crust and bake until set and no longer wet and jiggly in the center, 50 to 60 minutes. (If the crust is getting too dark, cover loosely with foil.) Transfer the pie to a rack to cool completely.

WINCIE HUGHES' ARKANSAS PUMPKIN PIE

Steps:

• Prepare favorite pie dough for a single crust, and line pie plate; flute edge; do not prick bottom.
• Preeat oven to 350 degrees F, with shelf in lowest position.
• TO MAKE THE FILLING:.
• Combine pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl.
• Stir until smooth. Pour into unbaked pie crust.
• TO MAKE THE STREUSEL TOPPING:.
• Combine flour, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon and salt. Mix with a fork or cut together with a wire pastry blender until coarse crumbs form.
• Stir in chopped pecans. Sprinkle over filling, leaving a bare patch of pumpkin filling in the center.
• Bake pie at 350 degrees F for 45 to 55 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.
• Cool to room temperature before serving. Garnish with a circle of whipped cream, studded with pecan halves.

CLASSIC PUMPKIN PIE

Steps:

• Crust: Into a food processor, add the flour, sugar, and salt; pulse to combine. Add the sliced butter; pulse until the mixture forms pea-sized clumps. Add the ice water and pulse 10 times. The dough should be loose but hold together when squeezed. If dough is too crumbly, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing several times after each addition, until it reaches the proper consistency.
• Lightly dust a clean work surface with flour. Turn the dough out and use your hands to quickly bring it together; then use a bench scraper to divide it in half. Shape each half into a disk, then wrap each one tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. (Note: You'll be using only one disk for this recipe. The other disk can be stored in the freezer, wrapped in plastic, for up to 1 month. Defrost before using.)
• Remove dough disk from the refrigerator and let stand for 5 minutes. Unwrap the disk, and place on a clean work surface lightly dusted with flour. Use a rolling pin to shape the dough into a flat circle: roll, rotate the disk a quarter-turn clockwise, and roll again. Repeat until the dough is of an even thickness and 12 inches in diameter. (Dust the dough and work surface with flour as needed to prevent sticking.)
• To transfer dough to the pie dish, wrap the dough around the rolling pin, then unroll it directly onto the pie dish. Gently press the dough into the dish, focusing on the walls of the dish and making sure you leave no gaps. Use kitchen scissors to trim the edges, leaving a ½-inch overhang all the way around. Fold the excess dough under so the crust is flush with the rim of the pie dish. Then use your index fingers and thumbs to crimp a decorative edge all the way around. Chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 F.
• Blind bake, part 1: Use a fork to prick the bottom of the crust a few times to allow steam to escape as it bakes. Line the crust with parchment paper; then add pie weights, uncooked rice, or dried beans to cover the bottom and weigh down the parchment. Bake, 20-25 minutes. Meanwhile, make the filling.
• Filling: In a bowl, add the brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg; whisk to combine. Add the milk, cream, and pumpkin purée. Crack eggs into a separate bowl (to catch stray shell pieces); add them to the pie mixture and whisk to combine. Set aside.
• Blind bake, part 2: After 20-25 minutes, the crust should be sturdy and light brown. Remove rice and parchment paper, then place crust back in the oven to bake until firm and golden brown, an additional 5-15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool, 20 minutes.
• Assembly: Pour the filling into the pre-baked pie crust and bake until the center is set, a total of 50-60 minutes. Check on the pie after 30-40 minutes: if the edges of the crust are browning too quickly, cover them with aluminum foil. When the center of the pie is set, transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Serve with vanilla ice cream (optional).

PUMPKIN PIE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the crust: Combine the gingersnaps, brown sugar, and ginger in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the cookies are fine crumbs. Drizzle the butter into the crumb mixture. Pulse 8 to 10 times to combine.
• Press the gingersnap mixture into the bottom, up the sides, and just over the lip of a 9-inch glass pie dish. Place on a half sheet pan and bake the crust for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool crust at least 10 minutes before filling.
• For the filling: Bring the pumpkin puree to a simmer over medium heat in a 2-quart saucepan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the half-and-half, nutmeg, and salt. Stir and return the mixture to a simmer. Remove the pumpkin mixture from the heat and cool for 10 minutes.
• Whisk the brown sugar, eggs, and yolk until smooth in a large bowl. Add the pumpkin mixture and whisk until thoroughly combined. Pour the prepared filling into the warm pie crust and bake on the same half sheet pan until the center jiggles slightly but the sides of the filling are set, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool on a cooling rack for at least 2 to 3 hours before slicing. Pie can be made and refrigerated up to 2 days in advance. Pie is best the day after it is made.
• For mini-pies: Evenly divide the crust mixture between 5 (5-inch) pie tins and bake on a half sheet pan for 5 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before evenly dividing the filling between the pans. Bake until the center juggles slightly but the sides of the filling are set, 25 minutes. Cool on a cooling rack for 2 hours. Spread 1 teaspoon of light brown sugar on the top of each pie. Melt the sugar using a torch to form a crispy top. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.
• Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Slice a small piece of skin off the one side of the pumpkin so when laid on its side, the pumpkin will lay flat without rolling. Remove the stem and split the pumpkin in half from top to bottom, using a large cleaver and a mallet. Scoop out the seeds and fiber with a large metal spoon or ice cream scoop. Cut the fibers with kitchen shears if necessary. Reserve seeds for another use.
• Sprinkle the flesh with kosher salt and lay the halves, flesh side down, on a parchment paper-lined half sheet pan. Roast until a paring knife can be easily inserted and removed from the pumpkin, 30 to 45 minutes. Test in several places to ensure doneness.
• Remove the half sheet pan to a cooling rack and cool the pumpkin for 1 hour. Using a large spoon, remove the roasted flesh of the pumpkin from the skin to the bowl of a food processor. Process until the flesh is smooth, 3 to 4 minutes. Store in the fridge for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.