Pumpkin Pie That’ll Actually Make You Love Pumpkin Pie
If there were a universal “meh” list, pumpkin pie would probably be at the very top. How many people are passionate about that odd combination of orange gunk, eggs, pumpkin pie spices (perhaps the most famous thing about it), in a pale, pallid crust? Not many! And yet, year after year, we make pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving and pretend to like it.
But for those intrepid bakers among you, I have a time-consuming recipe that’ll drain you and make you angry at the world but it’ll produce the best slice of pumpkin pie that you’ve ever tasted. Is it any surprise that the recipe comes from Nancy Silverton, the most brilliant, finicky, perfectionist baker in America?
As all great pumpkin pie bakers know, the best pumpkin pies don’t have pumpkin: they have squash. The squash you see above is a Black Futsu squash that came in my CSA and looks a lot like a pumpkin. No matter which you have — honeynut (which is what Nancy Silverton calls for), butternut, Kabocha — you’ll want to roast it the same way: cut in half, flesh-side down, in a 425 oven until golden brown.
From there, it’s a quick trip to the food processor, where you blitz the flesh, press it through a sieve (told you this recipe was finicky), and weigh it out. You’ll want 510 grams, which this squash didn’t produce: so I supplemented with some leftover kabocha squash puree and (gasp!) Libby’s canned pumpkin (which, apparently, is also made with squash).
That’s right: you can use canned pumpkin in this recipe and it’ll still work out, though I’d say the whole point of this endeavor is to celebrate the pumpkin/squash itself. So if you use a funky squash, like my Black Futsu, it’ll make the pie that much more special.
As far as flavor enhancers, Nancy goes to town: there’s brown butter, créme fraiche, sweetened condensed milk, artisinal maple syrup, whiskey…
…and vanilla bean paste.
Some recipes might have you whisk all that together with eggs and you’d be done. Not this one! In this one you put two extra-large egg yolks and one extra-large egg in a KitchenAid mixer and beat it with brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, ground ginger, nutmeg, and cloves until light and thick. Oh, and did I mention that Nancy calls for “freshly ground” spices? When was the last time you freshly ground cinnamon? I had to draw the line there.
Lest you think this was all a piece of cake (or pie) for me, I will confess that my pie crust had some issues. I used pie weights like I was supposed to:
Yet, something clearly went wrong. I tried to do some surgery, unsuccessfully. Where’s Noah Wyle when you need him?
I show you this so you don’t lose heart: once you add the pumpkin mixture and dust with the “spice topping” of sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, it looks promising.
And when it comes out of the oven 45 minutes later, it’ll look perfectly imperfect… that’s how you know it’s homemade.
Okay, it’s wonky, there’s no denying that.
But did I title this post “The Prettiest Pumpkin Pie You’ve Ever Seen”? No, I titled it “Pumpkin Pie That’ll Actually Make You Love Pumpkin Pie.” And once you cut a slice and top it with whipped cream?
It’s undeniable: all of that work pays off and the layers of flavor — from the good squash you roasted, from the sour cream (my sub for creme fraiche), the brown butter, and all of those not-freshly-ground spices — come bursting through and the texture isn’t homogenous and sterile, it’s rich and complex. This pumpkin pie did, in fact, make me love pumpkin pie… Nancy Silverton’s pumpkin pie. It’s ruined me for all others.
Pumpkin Pie That’ll Actually Make You Love Pumpkin Pie
Adapted from The Cookie That Changed My Life by Nancy Silverton
Makes one 9 1/2-inch pie
Ingredients:
For the crust:
45 grams (1 1/2 tablespoons) ice-cold water
30 grams (1/8 cup) heavy cream
280 grams (2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 tablespoon + 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
227 grams (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cubed
For the filling:
3 pounds honeynut or butternut squash (I used a combo of Black Futsu and Kabocha)
Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
113 grams (1 stick) unsalted butter, cubed
116 grams (1/2 cup) créme fraiche
96.5 grams (1/4 cup) sweetened condensed milk
56 grams (3 tablespoons) artisinal maple syrup
2 tablespoons brandy or whiskey
1 tablespoon pure vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
2 extra-large egg yolks
1 extra-large eg
37.5 grams (3 tablespoons) dark brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground cloves
For the spice toppping
25 grams (2 tablespoons) granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
For the Whipped Cream:
360 grams (1 1/2 cups heavy cream)
116 grams (1/2 cup) créme fraiche or 122 grams 1/2 cup sour cream
Instructions:
For the crust: whisk the water and cream in a small bowl.
Combine the flour and salt in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle and mix on low speed for a few seconds to distribute the salt. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the flour and butter look like wet sand. Add the cream/water mixture and mix on low speed until the dough just comes together.
Lightly dust a work surface with flour and transfer the dough to the floured surface. Pat it into a one-inch thick disk, wrap in plastic, and place in the refrigerate to chill until it’s firm, at least two hours.
Coat a 9-inch glass or metal pie plate with cooking spray.
Lightly dust a work surface with flour. Remove the dough from the refrigerator, unwrap, and place on the floured surface. Pound the dough with a rolling pin to soften it until it is malleable and as flat as possible. Dust the dough dough and rolling pin lightly with flour and, applying firm, steady pressure, roll the dough into a 1/8-inch-thick round, dusting with flour as needed.
Place the pie pan upside down on the dough and use a paring knife or kitchen shears to cut a round of dough that is at least 3 inches larger all around than the pan.
Loosely wrap the dough around the rolling pin and lower it over the prepared pan, centering it so that the dough overhangs evenly around the edge. Lift the edges of the dough and let it drop into the pan; dip the knuckle of your index finger in flour and use it to gently press the dough into the creases of the pan. Don’t stretch the dough to fit or it will shrink when it is baked. Using kitchen shears, trim the dough so there are 1 1/2 inches of dough overhanging all around.
Roll the edge of the dough under itself to create a thick lip of dough that rests on the rim of the pie pan. Press the thumb of one hand on the lip to create an indentation in the dough and press the thumb and forefinger of the other hand on either side of the first thumb, creating a U-shaped indentation. Continue around the perimeter of the crust, creating a crimped, scalloped edge. Dot the bottom of the pie shell all over with the tines of a fork and place the pie shell in the refrigerator to chill until the dough is firm, at least 1 hour.
Adjust an oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 350°F.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Remove the pie shell from the refrigerator, coat a piece of parchment on one side with cooking spray, and gently press the paper sprayed-side down into the shell to cover the dough. Fill the shell with pie weights (or dried beans), pressing them into the creases of the pie shell. Place the pie shell on the baking sheet.
Bake the pie shell on the center rack of the oven until the edges of the crust are light golden, 30 to 40 minutes, lifting the parchment to peek under it and gauge the color. Remove the shell from the oven and lift out the weights and parchment paper. (Set the weights aside to cool to room temperature, then put them away to use again for the same purpose. Discard the parchment paper.) Return the shell to the oven, rotating it front to back, and bake until it is evenly golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the shell from the oven and set aside to cool to room temperature.
Leave the oven on but increase the temperature to 425°F.
To prepare the filling, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Using a large knife, cut the squash in half lengthwise and use a spoon to scoop out and discard the seeds. Place the squash cut-sides up on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of the salt, and massage to coat the squash evenly with the oil and salt. Turn the squash cut-side down on the baking sheet and place it in the oven to roast until it is tender when pierced with a fork, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the squash from the oven and set aside until it is cool enough to touch.
Leave the oven on.
Place the butter in a small saucepan or skillet with a light-colored bottom to make golden butter. Warm the butter over medium heat until it melts and begins to bubble, swirling the pan occasionally. Cook the butter, swirling often so it cooks evenly, until it is golden and the milk solids are caramel colored, 3 to 6 minutes. Remove from the heat. Working quickly so the butter doesn't continue to cook, weigh out 54 grams (or measure ¼ cup) of butter, making sure to include the milk solids and transfer it to a large bowl.
Scoop the squash out of its skin and discard the skin. Put the squash in a food processor fitted with a metal blade and puree it. Pass the pureed squash through a fine-mesh sieve, pushing it through the holes with a rubber spatula. Weigh out 510 grams (or measure 2 cups) of the squash puree and put it in a large bowl. (Reserve any remaining squash for another use.) While the squash is still warm, add the warm golden butter and stir with a whisk until it is thoroughly combined. Add the crème fraiche, sweetened condensed milk, maple syrup, brandy, and vanilla and stir them in with the whisk just until they are combined. Do not overmix.
Combine the egg yolks, whole egg, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk. Beat on medium-high speed until the eggs have lightened in color and thickened slightly, about 3 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the squash mixture and beat on low speed for about 30 seconds to combine. Stop the mixer and remove the whisk and bowl from the stand and scrape the bowl from the bottom up to release any ingredients that may be stuck there.
To make the spice topping, stir the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a small bowl. Set aside.
Place the prepared pie shell on a baking sheet, pour the filling into the shell, and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Sprinkle the sugar and spice topping evenly over the surface.
Place the baking sheet with the pie in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
Rotate the baking sheet front to back and reduce the oven temperature to 350°F. Bake the pie until it is evenly colored, puffs up around the edges, and sets up slightly, 25 to 35 minutes longer. The center will still jiggle when you gently shake the pan, but it won't be liquid. Remove the pie from the oven and set aside to cool to room temperature. Place the pie in the refrigerator to chill overnight.
To make the whipped cream, pour the heavy cream into a stand mixer fitted with the whisk and whip the cream on low speed for about 1 minute until it thickens enough not to spatter. Increase the speed to medium-high and whip until soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the crème fraiche and whip on medium-low speed until medium peaks form, about 1 minute.
Serve the pie chilled, with the whipped cream on the side.
Note: I used my own favorite pie crust (see here) but probably should’ve used Nancy’s — I bet the cream and 2 sticks of butter would’ve made it more stable and prevented shrinkage.