silky smooth pumpkin pie
Is pumpkin pie as we know it broken? This is what I was asking myself at 10 p.m. last night as I had words I will only express in asterisks going through my head as I was in my twentieth minute of trying to push a pumpkin pie filling through a very fine mesh strainer.
The source of the recipe, as some of you may have guessed by now, was the November 2008 issue of Cook’s Illustrated, wherein seeking to make a more complex and less grainy pie, those clever people up in Vermont came to a few conclusions. Swapping out some pumpkin puree with canned yams resulted in a better pumpkin flavor, as did concentrating the flavor by cooking the filling on the stove top before filling the crust. They also found that a mix of a higher and lower baking temperature kept the pie’s custard from curdling (making the filling a bit coarse). And then they found that passing the filling through a fine mesh strainer resulted in a less grainy filling.
Which pretty much brings us up to 10 p.m. Now, I should have known better than to start a recipe that late (after the gym, after dinner and after a long work day) and I have no doubt whatsoever that this was in part what wore down my patience. Also? I hate passing things through strainers. I must have the “finest” strainer known to man, because I swear, a cup of flour can take five minutes to sift in that thing. It is enough to make you strain your own sanity and question that of the bow-tied man. (In the end, I switched to a medium-mesh strainer and might have saved myself a few gray hairs. I can only hope.)
But when I tried the pie today, all of my frustration and asterisked words dissipated. This is some good pie. It is silky and not so heavy, it is smooth and a bit velvety, it is softly spiced and very pumpkin-y and I don’t mean to tattle or anything, but Alex has already had two slices. Of pie that did not involve chocolate.
I rest my case.
One year ago: Black Bean Pumpkin Soup
Two years ago: Chocolate Stout Cake
Silky Smooth Pumpkin Pie
Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated, November & December 2008
A half-recipe of your favorite pie crust, chilled (I like this one and that one, yes, you can replace the shortening for butter)
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk (I used 2 cups of half and half instead of one cup each of cream and milk)
3 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 cup drained candied yams from 15-ounce can (regular canned yams can be substituted)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger (I used 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground because I’m not a huge fan of fresh ginger)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon table salt
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Roll out dough on generously floured (up to 1/4 cup) work surface to make 12-inch circle about 1/8-inch thick. Roll dough loosely around rolling pin and unroll into pie plate, leaving at least 1-inch overhang all around pie plate.
Working around circumference, ease dough into plate by gently lifting edge of dough with one hand while pressing into plate bottom with other hand. Refrigerate 15 minutes. Trim overhang to 1/2 inch beyond lip of pie plate. Fold overhang under itself; edge should be flush with edge of pie plate. Using thumb and forefinger, flute edge of dough. Refrigerate dough-lined plate until firm, about 15 minutes.
Remove pan from refrigerator, line crust with foil and fill with pie weights or pennies. Bake on rimmed baking sheet 15 minutes. Remove foil and weights, rotate plate. Bake 5 to 10 more minutes until crust is golden brown and crisp. Remove plate and baking sheet from oven.
Make the filling: While pie shell is baking, whisk cream, milk, eggs, yolks and vanilla together in medium bowl. Combine pumpkin puree, yams, sugar, maple syrup, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in large heavy-bottomed saucepan; bring to sputtering simmer over medium heat, 5 to 7 minutes. Continue to simmer pumpkin mixture, stirring constantly and mashing yams against sides of pot, until thick and shiny, 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove pan from heat. Whisk in cream mixture until fully incorporated. Strain mixture through fine-mesh strainer set over medium bowl, using back of ladle or spatula to press solids through strainer. Re-whisk mixture and transfer to warm pre-baked pie shell. Return pie plate with baking sheet to oven and bake pie for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 300 degrees. Continue baking until edges are set (instant-read thermometer inserted in center registers 175 degrees), 20 to 35 minutes longer. Transfer pie to wire rack and cool to room temperature, 2 to 3 hours. (The pie finishes cooking with resident heat; to ensure the filling sets, cool it at room temperature and not in the refrigerator.)
Finally, someone else who shares a not-so-fondness for fresh ginger. I thought it was taboo to admit as such in foodcentric circles.
I’ll be trying this for sure, because I need to produce a pie that 1) doesn’t get a “meh, might as well buy one” reaction; and b) doesn’t contain any frippery like espresso or cheesecake or other non-pumpkin-pie-ness.
A friend made pumpkin pie cobbler the other day and my God, was it fabulous. I think it’s forever usurped pumpkin pie for me. I’m working frantically on a recipe to put on my site.
What? no ground cloves in the recipe? I love that part!
I like the idea of the yams and pumpkin. I’ve never cared for sweet pot pie because it was too pasty and dense..this sounds like a perfect combo. I also like the idea of the fresh milk or half&half..canned milk has a off taste that comes through..at least I think it does. I’ve never found my pumpkin pie lumpy or grainy..ever! But..it’s never been silky either. That’s what has me interested. Thanks for checking this out for us, Deb. I’ll give it a pre-TG trial.
Your pictures are stunning as always. I come here for inspiration- for cooking, taking pictures and writing. Thank you!
Oh…that’s a GREAT tip using pennies to weight and blind bake the crust. You clever woman you!
One of the other things the CI cooks were trying to adjust in their old pumpkin pie recipe was that they felt it was too heavily spiced, and that the cloves were a big part of this. I paused myself when I saw that there was only half a teaspoon of cinnamon but the pie is a delight. Delicately spiced and very pumpkin-y. Of course, you can always use these techniques and your own spice preferences, but I am glad I tried this new way out.
I will have to give this a try. Last year I made pumpkin and sweet potato pie. Now I’d only have to make one!! yeah!! I’ve never had a grainy pumpkin pie. I use the Libby recipe and it is always smooth or maybe I don’t know what smooth is?
I live the idea of mixing pumpkin and yams and your pie does indeed look velvety smooth and wonderful. Mmm. Nice. Thank you for sharing!
amazing photos - and a fabulous pie! thanks! i too like the pies medium-spiced so the taste of the pumpkin comes through…
CI is freaking amazing. I use their pumpkin pie recipe from “The New Best Recipe,” which does not involve yams or mesh strainers, but does involve pureeing the filling in a food processor and cooking it on the stovetop. It really does make a difference!
Thanks for providing their thoughts on their spice issue. I’ll take your word for the spice adjustment. After all, I’m doing a trial run and can adjust the spices for the big show if concensus dictates
Deb,
I detest pumpkin pie :-( In all honesty I have tried very hard to like it and tried all my friends’ grandma’s and ma’s pumpkin pies and tried making my own. Alas, I disliked each and every one of them. In my 7 yrs in the U.S. I have attended 7 Thanksgiving feasts and on each one of them I sadly watched everyone devour their slice of the pie while I mourned. I thought to myself, “pumpkin and I can never ever be friends.” :-(
Then everything changed last Christmas! A friend brought me a pumpkin bread and I LOVED it. Then I decided that the next time I go to anyone’s Thanksgiving feast I will take along a pumpkin bread - for myself primarily. Now Thanksgiving is near and I don’t have a recipe. Since you are the queen of desserts, may I please request you for a recipe of PuB? I know that there are a lot of recipes out there but, your recipes are always a class apart. So, if you have time, please post a recipe for PuB.
This is exactly what I needed as I am in charge of pies for Thanksgiving. Do you think Pie making is something that requires a dry run? And thus me eating at least one entire pie prior to Thanksgiving. I’m thinking yes. More because I want pie then I am afraid of screwing it up.
Deb, you have gotten me even more addicted to cooking than I already was with all your fabulous recipes and stunning photos. One of my old roommates used to bake his pumpkin pie with a thin layer of lightly sweetened cream cheese spread about 1/8″ to 1/4″ on the bottom and the pumpkin pie on top. I thought it was a little strange at first, but by golly, it was the most decadent pie I’ve ever tasted!
Deb, I *just* (meaning yesterday!) searched your site for a good pumpkin pie recipe & was super surprised to find there wasn’t one to be found - - until now - - this pie looks scrumptious!
I have been looking for a recipe to replace the one on the back of the Libby’s can. Maybe this one this year!
I’ve tried CI’s old pumpkin pie recipe, and yes - way too heavily spiced. I was not a fan. I haven’t tried this one, but I’m glad to read your review. I’ll be sure to use a medium-mesh strainer if I ever make it.
For about 4 years in college I had this ’signature’ pumpkin pie that I brought proudly to every autumn party I was invited to. It was horribly overspiced, grainy, too sweet and otherwise bad. I always wondered why there was so much leftovers. Haven’t attempted pumpkin pie since my realization that my pie sucked…. But I have a good strainer and I think I’ll give this a go. Thanks for the motivation.
WOW great recipe.. I will definitely try this one ..thanks for posting
zesty
I like the idea of a less grainy texture. And your crust looks almost too perfect.
Oh yeah, and high five for NaBloPoMo!
Yum! Worth the effort! I hear you on the mashing through a sieve woes, having spent an inordinate amount of time forcing raspberry or strawberry pulp through a chinois to make ice cream. The results are great, but boy is it tedious.
Love pumpkin pie. Definitely will try this.
This looks great! My secret ingredient for pumpkin pie is to sprinkle gingersnap crumbs over your pie crust before pouring in the filling. It’s such a great flavor!
Will try this recipe for Thanksgiving. I try a new pumpkin pie recipe every year. May I also comment on your chocolate chip cookies. The chocolate discs were beautiful. Have you ever tried milk chocolate in your cookies instead of bittersweet? If not, it is a whole different animal, er cookie.
Oy, would I ever love to make this! Unfortunately, the UK has a distinct lack of canned yams, candied or otherwise. Boo.
If you are going to go to the trouble to sieve canned pumpkin why not just roast your own? For my going away Thanksgiving dinner (missed it in America from the transatlantic move) I roasted (no water, salt or oil) Buttercup & Butternut squashes and then whirred the scraped squash in a food processor. No passing through any sieve needed. Smooth as silk and light, fresh pumpkin scent.
AMAZING PIE!! But I too can’t seem to find canned yams here… and I’m in the States!!
You can used fresh yams instead of canned - sweet potatoes is what we call them in Canada but I think the orange ones are actually yams…. Poke and microwave until done. Squash, like butternut, also makes a great pumpkin pie.
I have to try this pie!
I am usually in the ‘more is better’ spice camp (I often don’t measure spices and just sprinkle them on to my glory), but I will have to try a pie with less spice and see how I like it. Maybe less is more? :)
Looks great. I can’t wait to get my CI 2008 Annual.
this looks amazing! It’s also the second time in two days that I’ve read about pie weights but I’ve never used them - where can you get them? can’t wait to try this one, maybe now my husband will finally try a pumpkin pie!!
I’m really enjoying NaBloPoMo over here - thanks!
My treasured Thanksgiving traditions include getting together with my sister the day before to make the pies. We like to have one pie per guest, so while several guests bring dessert as well, we feel it incumbent upon us to put out, so to speak.
Whatever fun, new pie recipe we come up with, we always have to have the standards - Cook’s Illustrated Pumpkin and Pecan pies. We use the Best Recipe or the Baking cookbook (they’re a little different in each), and curse as we dig out the candy thermometer for the pecan pie, and the Very Old Beans for the pie weights, but the results are always worth the efforts. I haven’t strained the pumpkin before, but it does go through the food processor at some point. We now have an immersion blender, which should make this part easier.
This year my family will be at my grandmothers, and my sister will stay home, so I will miss our late night Get Out the Pie session.
Just after Halloween is a great time to get pumpkins cheaply. Look for small but “heavy for its size” ones. Canned pumpkin is bland in comparison.
Cut your pumpkin into long strips as you would a cantaloupe, then use your serrated knife to remove seeds and strings. Cook pumpkin (Check net for the many ways) I use a pressure cooker and cook for 12 minutes at 15lbs.
Put into a strainer and when cool remove the shell. You can freeze the pumpkin in zip bags and use in many recipes. Pumpkin soup rocks!
Use 3 cups pumpkin for a deep dish pie. 1 cup sugar, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp ground cloves, 1 tsp ground allspice, and 1/2 tsp ground ginger, and 1/2 tsp salt. 18 oz canned evaporated milk, 4 eggs. Beat on med high till smooth. If some small fibers collects on your beaters discard the fibers. Pout into your pie shell and bake at 425 for 20 minutes then reduce heat to 350 for 45 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.
If you have leftover pumpkin mix just bake it in an oven proof buttered bowl.
No, your pie won’t be silky smooth but this is a pie guys like me really love.
This sounds utterly fabulous, and my pumpkin-pie-loving associates agree. However I *know* I will skip the step that involves straining the filling and get a less silky texture as a result. You know what? I don’t care! I’m not sure it would seem like a proper pumpkin pie without a slight graininess. Of course, my fellow cook might disagree.
This may be wrong, but I cannot get behind a pumpkin pie that doesn’t contain molasses. It’s just not right.
Yumminess. Pumpkin pie is probably my favorite part of Thanksgiving. After mashed potatoes and gravy. I, too, am one of the Spice Queens. I always add a tiny bit of cloves (and mace, which takes it up a notch). For some reason it’s not the same without the spices for me– it’s like that combination of spices is the taste of pumpkin pie. Instead of canned milk/any other kind of milk, I always use egg nog, too. I don’t think I could handle a lightly spiced pie, but the cooking and yams could be the ticket. I think I’ll try the cooking part, too (but no strainer as I don’t have the patience, maybe the food processor will help?).
*sheepish*
What our family does for pumpkin pie is use a pie crust recipe from Fanny Farmer and then make the filling according to the directions on Libby’s Pumpkin Puree. We’ve never needed anything else, it tastes delicious and is very easy! :-) Your version sounds time consuming and hard! We serve a pumpkin pie every Thanksgiving and Christmas and at any excuse between those times.
@ Tabitha - Most cookware stores carry pie weights; otherwise you can use any kind of dried beans or even rice. I myself would hesitate to use pennies because they seem so dirty (yes I know they don’t touch the pie).
@Nancy - They are all sweet potatoes. Real yams are pale and starchy and don’t grow in the New World. The orange ones began to be called “yams” as a marketing tool.
I’m so glad it’s fall - I love pumpkins and winter squashes and sweet potatoes!
Bless your dear, dear heart, Deb. Is that pie really HOURS better than the 15-minute recipe on the can? Which I enjoy immensely but then again, I like cheap wine as well. You were so cute on Martha Stewart, btw!
I don’t have an issue with pumpkin pie. I am not going to mess with mine especially not at the behest of Cooks Illustrated = don’t get me started on them! But, as usual, I salute you for doing due diligence on our collective behalf! Best, be well, Tha Hostess
My family loves pumpkin pie. We prefer the pie I make because it doesn’t have any spices except cinnamon. (The kids can’t stand the typical pumpkin pie spices like ginger, cloves, and nutmeg.) I always make my own crust. When I have time, my family prefers I make the filling from scratch too - not from a can. It’s a lot of extra work to cut, cook, and mash the pumpkin, but it tastes so much better. It’s kind of like the difference between instant mashed potatoes and real mashed potatoes.
Well, I tried something new last month. Instead of regular pumpkin pie, I made a pumpkin ice cream pie. Turned out pretty good if you ask me. You can try it if you like: http://www.ice-cream-freaks.com/ice-cream-pie-pumpkin.html
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHH i have to try this along with your bourbon pumpkin cheesecake this year! It looks so yummy, I may just have to make it early. Oh did you know you can get the canned pumpkin year round?
I’ve just been told that my incredibly picky brother-in-law (who I love) gets really sad when there’s no traditional, plain-old pumpkin pie on the table at thanksgiving. Since they’re coming here, I’m SO glad you posted this recipe! This is the pie I will make. Thank you!
(and, it seems, I’ve just recently come out from under my rock to find your amazing blog. I’ve made a number of your recipes in the past few weeks and they’ve all been completely fabulous! Thank you, again!)
Why do you want it silky smooth ?
A good pumpkin (or sweet potatoe) pie should have a firm, fibrous texture. It’s pie, not babyfood.
People divide into two equally sound preferences. Some like the firm bodied fibrous texture and others prefer their custards to be silky smooth. I am definitely in the silky category myself and I have great success achieving that with pumpkin or sweet potato pie by pureeing in a food processor for a couple of minutes instead of straining.
Looks so silky & good. I love pumpkin pie so much but don’t make it because nobody will want to eat it in the house. They prefer sugar pies.
…I have this thing where I try not to eat anything with pumpking in it until the pumpkin pie at TG. I know..it sounds silly, but I need to build up anticipation for pumpkin pie, or nobody will eat any of it on the big day. I think it started when we got sick of it after having it in so many treats before the holiday..and then everyone wasn’t interested in pumpkin anything by TG. So..to test this, I’ll just give everyone a bite..and send the rest away.
My pumpkin pie solution? Let my mom make it. Such a cop out but definitely the preference. And I have the finest strainer known to man as well. Once I had to sift the seeds out of a raspberry puree, and after awhile I couldn’t tell if the red color was the fruit or the blood from my wrists.
Deb - I abandoned the pumpkin pie years ago. it never lived up to my ambitions. They just never turned out that great. I will try the CI’s version this year. You have given me hope.
P.S. How do you put your pictures in that cute 2×2 square arrangement?
JSM
Our family loves pumpkin pie too and this no-clove recipe looks fabulous! We NEVER use actual pumpkin for pie in our family. We like to use the big, ugly, gray-green Hubbard squash my dad grows. They are so big and tough that my husband uses an ax to cut it up. Then, I put the chunks, skin and all, in a 9×13 pan with a little water, cover with plastic wrap and microwave until tender. Process it in a food processor and you’ve got the most delightful “pumpkin” for pie ever. And, our favorite pie has no cloves either! Hooray for lightly spiced, custardy, velvety smooth “Pumpkin” pie!
This pie sounds wonderful. I’ve been devoted to a pumpkin pie recipe that I got from a November issue of Gourmet several years ago, but your post is tempting me to change that tradition.
Wow that pie looks so good :) Can you believe I’ve never had pumpkin pie? Shame on me. Must have some this Thanksgiving.
I live in Australia so I find it absolutely bizarre you can get cans of pumpkin pie filling and cherry pie filling that I’ve read about previousl in regular supermarkets! I guess we don’t have a pie culture, except for meat pies!
whoops, hit post too early. I’m pretty sure I wont be able to find canned pumpkin pie filling, so what could I use instead? real pumpkin? this looks too delicious to pass up just for the lack of one ingredient.
phew third comment! Just read the recipe again and realised i’d never heard of candied yams, so I guess this recipe is out :(
You guys have weird stuff canned :P Sweet potato is used here pretty much for savoury only. Roasted, etc.
Hey Deb, I just emailed this to my mom, who is a pumpkin pie fanatic. She’s a totally lazy baker so there is no way she would ever take it on, but I told her to make Ross do it for Thanksgiving. He loves labor-intensive recipes. As long as he gets to make a huge mess and have Dad clean up after him.
Have to 2nd Shuna (#26). My friend finds that butternut squash makes things more pumpkiny and smoother and it’s easy to roast your own. For me it’s the best pumpkin pie I’ve ever had and I didn’t have to make it. Best of both worlds.
Pie accomplished! I followed your recipe exactly — from the half and half to the 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground ginger. I was leery that the pie didn’t include cloves (and glad to hear that you were too!), but it IS spicy nonetheless. I attribute it to the cooking down of the pumpkin/yam/spice mixture. It’s smooth, thick, tall, and spicy. LOVE it. It’s now my go to pumpkin pie recipe. I used pennies as pie weights, and my own apple cider vinegar pie crust recipe. Delish!
PS — I wasn’t sure if my deep dish Emily Henry pie plate would be a good fit for the pie (the dish in the photos doesn’t look very deep), and baked with it anyway at my husband’s suggestion, it was a PERFECT fit. In fact, the pie would have runneth over had I used a shallower dish.
my housemate’s starting to freak out over not having an pumpkin pie for thanksgiving so i’ve been looking for a recipe! thanks for putting this up. it’ll be a challenge looking for pumpkin puree and candied yams in england though so wish me luck.
p/s the pie’s just beautiful!! x
OK, while I am sure this pie is fabulous, I must say that the thought of the canned pumpkin does make me wince. I never cared much for pumpkin pie and my hubby loves the stuff. Thus, two years ago, I decided to make one from scratch–not with the dreaded canned pumpkin stuff but by using a real (roasted) sugar pie pumpkin. All the while, dear hubby was giving me a hard time by saying that he’d “never be able to tell the difference” and “why was I going to such trouble?” I am proud to say that my husband swore he’d never eat a “regular” pumpkin pie again once he had the “real” deal and now anxiously awaits Thanksgiving to enjoy pumpkin pie. And happily I admit that now I, too, find it quite lovely.
Bianca, it doesn’t call for Canned Pumpkin Pie FILLING, just canned pumpkin puree. Totally different. (The filling has “stuff” in it. The puree is just pumpkin.)
If you can’t find it, you can just buy a small-ish pumpkin, quarter it, scrap the seeds and roast it in the oven. When it’s done, scrap out the “guts” and toss them in a food processor/blender.
:)
I have the some of the same issues with pumpkin pie. This year I was going to try using kabocha pumpkin (which has a much smoother texture).
The “straining” sounds like it could be accomplished more easily by using a food mill. Not an item found in every kitchen, and I don’t suggest you go buy one unless you’re planning on making a lot of baby food or applesauce. It takes up a lot of space. I inherited one from my grandmother who made wicked good applesauce.
So you’re telling me its worth it? I have a pumpkin pie recipe from the 2006 Bon Appetit November issue that I really like.
My trick to the best pumpkin pie is real pumpkin. Whenever I tell people that they look horrified and ask how I have the patience….it really only takes an additional 10-15 minutes of actual hands-on time, and the difference is huge. The flavour is more mellow and smooth. I also use some sweetened condensed milk in the filling. This was a huge hit at our Thanksgiving (Canadian Thanksgiving was at the beginning of October) meal this year.
This looks like it might be good, but I definitely prefer my pumpkin pie to have texture rather than be too smooth. Though, pureed-to-death pumpkin works great for pumpkin custard or pudding. I usually use a recipe from my grandmother’s 1930’s cookbook to make my pumpkin pies. I go way lighter on the ginger, though, since it can overwhelm the other spices - especially the organic stuff I got at Whole Foods. Oh, and pumpkin cooks up easily in the microwave. Just cut it up and nuke it, then scrape out the ‘meat’ of it. I mash it with a potato masher :-) I usually buy a pumpkin or two in the fall and then can some of it to use later in the year when you can’t buy fresh ones.
I hate to say it, but in my opinion this isn’t “hours better” than other pumpkin pie. I tried it last night, and true, it made a delightful breakfast this morning, but I’ve got to say that it seems like fixing something that wasn’t really broken. Or maybe my discriminating tastes (hah) just don’t extend to pumpkin pie. As long as the crust is good, that is.
On the other hand, as one who takes the more-must-be-better approach to spicing things, I thought the spicing here was really good (I also did pwdered ginger) — I didn’t even miss my beloved cloves.
Is there a typo in the final part of the baking instructions? I’m making this right now and it’s been in the oven at 300 degrees for almost 50 minutes - still fairly loose in center and only at 150 on instant-read. I’m just going to pull it soon as I need to get to sleep! But just wondering if anyone else had this problem. Next time I’ll do the second temp at 350.
ive heard that using butternut squash instead of pumkin entirely works well and has even better flavor.
i just made this pie tonight… my first solo pie attempt. a few things…
1. mesh strainer= second level of hell, i had to send my boyfriend out half way through to get me a bigger/less fine version.
2. i left the pie in for almost an hour too and the middle was still pretty loose whenever i moved it to check ( i don’t yet have a thermometer). finally i cranked up the heat to 400 for the last seven minutes. there were a few crispy corners of the crust but better safe than sorry.
*i’ll let you know tomorrow how it turns out.
I made this pie yesterday. You were right; this is some good pie! I made one slight change and that was to add 1/8 tsp of cloves and reduce the nutmeg to 1/8 tsp as well; the flavor was perfect for me. I did taste pumpkin predominately with hints of spice. The texture was soft and smooth as silk and creamy light. My husband was admonishing me for undercooking the pie as he was stuffing his 2nd perfectly set wedge in his ‘pie hole.’ He just didn’t get the concept, but he will as I intend to make this pie again.
I am glad that the internal temp reading was provided, or I’d have left that pie in the oven longer. As #70 Trisha Lynn noted, it took mine almost an hour to come to temp, but I figured that was because I used a deep dish pie plate and baked it on a cookie sheet. I didn’t have stainer problems (mine is a med mesh) but I used my flat masher to break up the sweet potatoes when I first put them in the pan.
thank you, thank you, thank you!
this recipe inspired me to make my first pie from scratch. it’s in the oven as we speak, the house smells delightful, and i’m giving myself a little pat on the back.
thanks for the back up susan 71. my pie also ended up setting perfectly- tasted uhmazing. this is now my ‘go-to’ holiday dish to bring. thanks to deb for the recipe and also all others for tips, hints, and backup. :)
oh dear god… please post a pecan pie recipe. or email me a tried and true one. i have to bake for my in laws for thanksgiving and i’m freaking out. texture and crust (i refuse, repeat REFUSE to go store bought, bah) and sweetness and, and… my head is spinning. halp!
Thanks for the pie recipe! This was my first ever pumpkin pie and I found it wasn’t too hard to make at all. I used my food mill (hand crank food grinder (i.e. http://www.flickr.com/photos/teenytinyturkey/1469166265/ )- usually used to make baby food) instead of a strainer and that step was done in 30 seconds flat!
Response to #70 and #71 - I did my pie according the to instructions, and yes, the middle was totally not set by the end. I had the pie in for half an hour and then took it out and let it cool, and only 2-3 inches away from the crust had actually set. I’m making this again tomorrow for Thanksgiving, and I’ll definitely be leaving it in for longer! (50 minutes maybe?) Thanks for the help.
Made the pie this morning and pulled it out of the oven after 45 minutes (against my better judgment, because my thermometer hadn’t reached 175 degrees) and ended up with a pie that didn’t set completely.
Aesthetics aside, the texture was utterly amazing as was the balance of spices and sweetness! Now a little wiser, I will definitely make it again and adjust the time accordingly.
I made this pie for Thanksgiving and everyone loved it! I wasn’t too sure about the maple syrup flavor at first, but after a few bites, I was convinced. It was definitely worth the time and effort. Also, I used your all-butter pie crust recipe and instructions and it turned out perfectly! I’ve never been good at making pie crust and had previously resorted to using the store-bought kind (blech!), but I’ll never do that again.
Thanks for the great information and inspiration to create some wonderful food for my family this year!!
I made this as a test run for Thanksgiving, and my roommate and I adored it. I used Dorie’s pie crust and didn’t have trouble straining the filling through my medium mesh strainer. I too should have left it in the oven for longer (took it out after about 40 minutes), as it didn’t set up as firmly as I would have liked. I think my pie dish was also shallower than is normal, because I ended up only using about half of the filling! But it’s okay. I’m planning on baking up the leftover filling as a crustless custard-type thing to devour later with less guilt. :) We ate almost the whole pie by ourselves over the course of a week, and, sadly, I didn’t have time to make one for my family when T-Day came around! :( Thanks for the super recipe. This one’s a keeper.
Loved your recipe. Never considered using maple syrup. I think I’ll give this recipe a try at Christmas. I think we will do a taste test between yours with maple syrup and mine using your recipe with fresh pumpkin. I find that it has a unique taste when using fresh rather than processed pumpkin.
First post from long-time lurker–the pie was wonderful!! I’ve never liked pumpkin pie nor has my 85-yr. old mother, but decided to make this for our huge Thanksgiving gathering (45 people). I flew from CA into S.C. where my family now lives and my aunt, who sells her cakes and pies, my mother, and I all couldn’t believe how yummy this pie was. There was some extra filling so we each had a taste from a small ramekin full and loved it. Well, my pie was on the dessert table along with 3 other pumpkin pies and several other pies, cakes, brownies, etc. My pie was the only pumpkin pie totally demolished. I never got a taste, so I made another one a few days ago and my mother and I enjoyed it immensely.
I’ve almost posted a couple of times, but this pie finally drew me out. If the pumpkin-pie haters would give this a taste, I think they’d change their minds. I think the reason I have always disliked it is because it’s usually so heavily spiced. This one is definitely a winner!!
Thanks for all your recipes–I’ve tried several now and there’s only one that needed some tweaking IMHO. I also enjoy your humor, pics, and info about NY since I grew up on LI and moved to CA when I was 30 (23 years ago). Keep up the great work!
BTW, I also had to cook the pies for 50 min. @ 300 degrees after the 10 min. @ 400. I used an instant-read thermometer (purchased especially for this pie) and kept checking, but now I’m comfortable leaving it in for the extra time w/o constantly peeking.
Delicious pie! Mine took 45 min at 300. Straining wasn’t so bad because I used the hand mixer first. I like the addition of the yams. Thanks for another winner!