Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Pie


Crust
1 1/4 cup flour
2 tsp. sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold butter, diced
1 Large egg, lightly beaten
flour for rolling dough

Make the dough by hand in a medium bowl. Whisk the four, sugar, and salt. Using your fingers, work the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles yellow corn meal mixed w/ bean sized bits of butter. (If  the mixture gets warm, put it in the fridge for 10 minutes before continuing) 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 of cold water over the mixture.

Alternatively, you can make the dough in a food processor with the machine fitted with the metal blade, pulse the flour, sugar and salt until combined. Add butter and pulse until it resembles a yellow corn meal mixed with bean sized bits of butter (about 10 times). Add egg, pulse 1-2 times, don't let the dough form into a ball in the machine. (If the dough is dry, you can put up to a TBSP of cold water). Remove the blade from the machine and bring the dough together by hand.

Form the dough into a disk, wrap with plastic wrap and refridgerate until throughly 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 inch hanging over the side. Tuck the overhanging dough underneath itself to forma thick edge that is even with the rim of the pie pan. Flute the edge as desired. Freeze the pie shell for 30 minutes.

Set seperate racks in the center and lower third of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Put a piece of foil or parchement ove the pie shell and fill with dried beans or pie weights (this prevents the crust from bubbling up) Bake on a baking sheet on the center reack until the dough is set, about 20 minutes. Take the foil/ parchment filled with beans out of the pie and continue baking until the edges are browned.

Cool the pie shell on a rack and lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees

While the pie shell is cooling, make the filling.

Filling
1 - 15 ounce can unsweetend pure pumpkin puree (2 cups)
3/4 cups pack light brown sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/4 cup half and half
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground all spice
1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

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.

Cover edges of pie with foil to prevent the crust from burning. Bake on the lower oven rack until the edges of the filling are set, but the center is still slightly loose, about 50 - 60 minutes. Cool on rack and serve at room temperature.