Melting in mouth flavor packed filling with the flaky crust, this Pumpkin Pie – the old fashion way, is the best Thanksgiving dessert. This recipe makes a small 8-inch Pumpkin Pie which is best for a small family, but then it won’t last long, especially if you top it with some pumpkin spiced whipped cream.
Good Old Fashion Pumpkin Pie
My husband is a big fan of pumpkin desserts, and Pumpkin pie tops the list. He couldn’t wait for Diwali to get over so I could start baking pies. And obviously had to start with Pumpkin Pie. A good Pumpkin Pie is the one that doesn’t weep, that cuts through neatly, leaving your pie dish clean. You know your recipe is solid when that happens. Your pumpkin pie filling is a custard base, which needs to be flavor packed and creamy. It should melt in your mouth without feeling grainy. But before you get there, you need a solid crust recipe too.
Start with the flaky pie crust
Prepare the pie crust before. You can store pie crust for 3 days in the refrigerator and 3 months in the freezer. The filling takes barely 10 minutes to get ready. It’s just about adding all the ingredients in a bowl and giving it a good whisk.
List of ingredients:
Canned Pumpkin Purée – You got to take shortcuts somewhere, and I prefer to use canned because it’s smooth, and the color comes out gorgeous. Eggs – This is a custard base filling, so you need egg. I use 3 whole eggs. Heavy Cream – This give the rich creamy texture. Brown Sugar – I used brown sugar, but you can go for white too. Salt – a must to bring all the flavors together Pumpkin Spice (or you could use cinnamon powder, ginger powder, all spice and nutmeg) – You can use store bought pumpkin pie spice mix or use the spices I mention to make your own pumpkin spice. Corn flour – This helps to eggs in the custard to avoid from getting overcooked or curdle as it bakes.
Steps to prepare
1- In a bowl add the pumpkin purée from the can, with the eggs and brown sugar. 2- Whisk to combine everything. 3- Add the heavy cream. 4- Add pumpkin spice powder, corn flour and salt. 5- Whisk everything to make sure there are no lumps, and it should be a creamy, smooth mixture. 6- For custard base pies, it is always recommended to blind bake the pie crust. This will partially cook the crust and avoid the bottom from getting soggy. Pour the prepared mixture on the blind baked pie crust. 7-Brush the edges with egg wash. 8- Bake until it’s slightly jiggly in the center. Let it cool down completely before you slice.
Few important points to keep in mind
Make sure the pumpkin pie filling doesn’t have any lump. It should be smooth and free flowing. After baking halfway through, keep an eye on the pie. It puffs on the side, and you will if my mistake overcooked, it will start cracking.
How to avoid Pumpkin Pie from cracks?
Over-baking Pumpkin Pie will create cracks. It’s the same concept as cheesecake. You have to keep an eye after halfway through done baking. The edges will puff as that area cooks faster than the center. You might even see tiny cracks on the sides, and if you see that, then it’s time to take it out. The center will wobble and that is perfect. The pie is continuing to bake even after you take it out of the oven. Give it ATLEAST 1 HOUR to cool down before you slice. The end result will be melting in the mouth perfectly baked Pumpkin Pie. The tiny cracks on the edges will settle down too.
How to get perfect Slices?
PROTIP: Dip your knife in super-hot water and then wipe it clean with a kitchen towel or cloth and then slice. Do this before every slice, and you will get perfect, neat slices of the pie.
Pumpkin Spice whipped cream
Instead of topping your pie with just whipped cream, add a little bit of pumpkin pie spice and sugar. The result will be flavor packed and will uplift the taste of the pie at every bite. If you follow all these tips then you will definitely get a perfectly baked without any cracks Pumpkin Pie on a flaky crust. Our 8-inch pie didn’t last too long and there were no crumbs left at the bottom.
