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Pumpkin Pie Ideas Needed

I have a bunch of small sugar pumpkins - straight out of my garden - and I'd love to make a good pumpkin pie. Anyone have a really good recipe? I'd love to hear about it.

19 Comments:

I always use regular milk not the sweetened condensed stuff. Otherwise, most recipes are pretty much the same unless you start making something like pumpkin cheesecake. My favorites is from the Joy of Cooking, which the recipe is available online. I have also heard of people sprinkling brown sugar on the pie crust before putting in the pumpkin filling (for a regular pumpkin pie).

I adore pumpkin pie and use the classic recipe with sweetened condensed milk (found here: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/perfect-pumpkin-pie/detail.aspx) - it's delicious and adored by the family, and I think if I changed it up in any way, there might be a revolt (I do double the spices called for, as I like a little more spice). In my search recently on epicurious.com for a new dessert to try for Thanksgiving, I came across several well-reviewed recipes for variations on the classic pumpkin pie, including some with streusel toppings and others with different flavorings added, like maple. There was even a pumpkin pecan pie, combining two of the great Thanksgiving classic desserts (sounded wonderful!). I suggest going to the Epicurious web site and doing a search for pumpkin pie, then taking a look at the ones with the most positive reviews. There were so many creative ideas there that you're sure to find something that appeals to you!

I use heavy cream and either rum (original recipe), brandy, cognac, or bourbon depending on my mood. The original recipe, from Williams Sonoma Pies and tarts, called for finely ground pecans but I prefer the smoother texture without them. One thing I always do now is prebake the crust before adding the filling.

Last year I made the Two-fer pumpkin pecan pie from Saveur and it was pretty good. I really like pumpkin pie though, so the plain is still my favorite.

1 lb pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup rum
4 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup rum
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cloves

My goodness, the sweetened condensed stuff? Regular condensed milk, yes; it's what many of us grew up with. But one of my favorite tweaks is this crust, and a killer ginger-butterscotch sauce that is to die for. I blogged about it a couple of years ago: http://stlouiseats.typepad.com/st_louis_eats_and_drinks_/2006/11/tweaking_the_pu.html

Take a look, especially if you're not wild about making pie crust.

Caribbean Pumpkin Pie
8 servings Prep plus cooking time: 1–1/2 hrs. Cooling time: 2+ hrs.

1 pie crust
1–15 oz. can Libby's® pumpkin filling
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup light cream
7 oz. granulated sugar (7/8 cup)
1/2 tsp. table salt
2 tsp. finely grated fresh ginger root
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
4 tbsp. Myer's® dark rum

Equipment
pie weights or 1 lb. dried beans
10” pie plate
10” pie edge shield

Position oven rack in middle position and preheat to 375°F.
Roll out the dough to 12” round. Line the pie plate with the pastry round, flute the edge with your fingers. Line the pastry with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Blind bake the crust for 8 min. Remove weights and foil, pierce the bottom of the crust several times with a fork, and continue baking 5 min. or until pastry is set and dry. Cool on a wire rack.
Mix remaining ingredients to make filling. Place pastry–lined pie plate on oven rack. Carefully pour filling into crust. Cover edge of pastry with pie shield. Bake @ 375°F. for 50 min., or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool pie on a wire rack for 2 hours before serving.
To serve, garnish with whipped cream.
Cover and refrigerate leftovers. Will keep 2–3 days in the refrigerator.

In defense of sweetened condensed milk, it's what *I* grew up with, so it's what I am familiar with and what I like (I'm from the South... we like things sweet, LOL!). That being said, I'm definitely open to variations - I adore pumpkin in most any form! I went back to the Epicurious web site to bookmark some of the recipes for myself; here are the ones I found most intriguing:

Pumpkin Pie with Brown Sugar-Walnut Topping: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pumpkin-Pie-with-Brown-Sugar-Walnut-Topping-355849

Pumpkin Pie Brulee: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pumpkin-Pie-Brulee-105850

Maple Pumpkin Pie: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Maple-Pumpkin-Pie-104200

Pumpkin Pecan Pie with Whiskey Butter Sauce: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Pumpkin-Pecan-Pie-with-Whiskey-Butter-Sauce-104141

I make the Cooks Illustrated pumpkin pie. It's sooo good, especially warm with whipped cream melting on it!

My favorite is Julia Childs' Aunt Helens' Rum Pumpkin Pie.
Most fantastic pie I have ever had. The regular stuff does not even tempt me anymore compared to this one.
Delicious.

You might want to try a pumpkin cheesecake. I made one last year for Thanksgiving and it was great. I bet it would taste even better with those sugar pumpkins. I am not posting a recipe as there are so many different ones. The one I used had a gingersnap crust and it did complement the pumpkin wonderfully.

I also favor the Cook's Illustrated recipe, although my mom makes a delicious pie from a Betty Crocker cookbook - however, if you are going to booze up your pie (and I recommend you to!), none of this bourbon ridiculousness. Kahlua. Really. The subtle, subtle coffee flavor with the pumpkin and spices is perfect.

If you have any gluten free friends, they'd love it if you baked a pie for them. Here's my favorite gluten free, dairy free pumpkin pie recipe - http://freerangecookies.wordpress.com/2009/10/19/gluten-free-pumpkin-pie-recipe/
I don't know why, but pumpkin pie has never appealed to me very much. I'm making pumpkin cookies and flourless pumpkin cake to bake around the pie issue.

Last year for Thanksgiving I made this pie from 101cookbooks link It has coconut milk in it instead of condensed milk. I was really hesitant at first but I am so glad I tried it. The coconut milk is very subtle and brings a wonderful flavor to the pie. It will have to be my go to pumpkin pie now too because my father in law has always hated pumpkin pie until he tried this one.

Several years ago, I found Cindy's Pumpkin Pie recipe that uses melted ice cream. I've made it almost every year since then and have enjoyed it every time.

The fact that the dairy component is ice cream is something that I would have never considered before, but it does help to yield a pie that isn't as dense as some other recipes.

I've been making Pam Anderson's recipe for silky pumpkin pie for about six years now. It's in her book CookSmart. There's no sugar added, but it uses both sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk. You heat a can of pumpkin puree with spices, and whisk in a can each of evaporated milk and condensed milk. You add the heated pumpkin milk mix to two eggs plus two egg yolks in a blender - tempering, of course - and blend until smooth. The first couple of times I made it, I ended up with more filling than crust, but not quite enough for two pies, and I filled ramekins with the excess and baked them along side the pie in a water bath. I liked the little ones so much that the past few years, I've left the crust out entirely and baked a full pie in a ceramic tart pan along side four ramekins in a water bath. It's more of a pumpkin custard - wonderfully creamy and light.

I have no problem admitting this...but I use the recipe on the back of the Libby's canned pumpkin.

Don't have a recipe for this but I seriously love pumpkin cheesecake -- it's a thick layer of pumpkin pie filling on top of a layer of NY style cheesecake. It's amazing!

An eggnog pumpkin pie is THE way to go. My husband is in the Coast Guard and one of the great cooks on base would make these each year to sell for the holidays. She's moved on to another station now, but thankfully I've got the recipe and it's my favorite! Thanks Stacey!! http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-live/staceys-i-dont-have-any-evaporated-milk-pumpkin-pie-recipe/index.html

It depends if I am making pumpkin pie or pumpkin custard pie. There is a difference. One is a baked mashed pumpkin and the other is a pumpkin custard which is the one I really love. I use a can of evaporated milk or regular whole milk in a pumpkin pie and milk, cream and additional eggs in pumpkin custard. I never use condensed milk in pumpkin pie.

My recipe for pumpkin pie is a riff on the back of the Libby's can, and it always gets raves.

Use 1/3 cup dark brown sugar & 2/3 cup white sugar instead of all white

Use 1-1/2 cups heavy cream instead of evaporated milk (half & half is OK)

Double the spices, and heap the spoons a bit & add a teaspoon of nutmeg

Use 3 eggs instead of two

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