Thanksgiving Classic… Pumpkin Pie!

HOWDY!!!!!!

OH MY GOSH I HAVE MISSED THIS SO MUCH!!! As some of you know, I’ve been training for the Nike Women’s Marathon in San Francisco in October, and between that, work, and having a (very small) social life, I have just been CONSUMED and not had the time to blog. Or bake much for that matter. 😦 Sad day. And while the race was almost a month ago (yes, I survived the marathon) I have still been in training for the Houston Marathon in January, hence the continued neglect. However, I have decided that the blog may no longer be neglected– it, too, is important, and necessary to my life! So with a VERY HAPPY HEART, I want to thank you for not getting annoyed with me for being absent (or at least not verbalizing it to me). BUT I AM BACK! I will try to post at least once a week… I can’t promise anything but I will do my best! Besides, it’s the holiday season, I HAVE TO BAKE! So here we go!

One of my best friends, Kelly, is having a Thanksgiving potluck at work tomorrow, and she signed up to bring pumpkin pie. Because I am SUCH a good friend (just kidding… but seriously haha) I promised her I’d make it for her! So when I got home from work today, I dusted of Stella the Mixer, and we got to work on the pie! And because I have to try everything I bake, I of course, made TWO pies so I could have one… I promise I shared with my family 🙂

So let’s get started friends!

You’ll need…

Pumpkin Pie Ingredients *Cinnamon not pictured

You’ll need to…

Preheat your oven to 350°. Unroll pie dough, and press into a 9-inch pie pan. Crimp the edges to make the pattern you like. Cover the pie dough completely (inside and the edges) with aluminum foil, and fill the pie pan with pie weights, uncooked rice, or uncooked beans***. Place in the freezer for at least 15 minutes. Remove from the freezer and bake for 10 minutes.

***Filling the pie pan with the weights/rice/beans keeps the crust from bubbling up when you bake it! And the reason you have to bake the crust before you put the filling in is to keep the crust crisp. If you don’t do this, the crust with come out mushy… yeah yuckers. So don’t skip this step! I promise you won’t regret it!

Remove foil, and bake the crust for about ten more minutes, or until the crust is beginning to color. In the bowl of your stand mixer (or a large bowl), beat the cream cheese until smooth.

Add in the pumpkin, and beat until completely combined. You don’t want lumps of cream cheese floating around in your batter, so scrape the bowl and make sure it’s completely incorporated!!! Es muy importante kiddos. (I really did learn something in spanish in high school…)

Add the sugar and salt, and beat until combined. Add the eggs and yolks, half & half, and butter, and beat until combined.

Add the vanilla, and all of your spices, and mix until fully incorporated (the batter should look speckled).

Pour the batter into your baked pie crusts, and bake for 50 minutes, or until the pie is set. You can use a knife in the center if you are unsure.

Cool pie completely on a wire cooling rack before serving. If you try to cut it before it’s completely cool, it won’t set properly… or look as pretty! Patience is a virtue peeps.

OH MY GOSH. SO GOOD!!! I am so glad I made an extra for pie for myself, because this pie is FANTASTIC! Seriously… I love it so much. I am entrusted with the pumpkin pie every year at Thanksgiving, so if there is one thing I know, it is good pumpkin pie. And THIS fits the bill. Yep. I wish I could eat the whole thing and not get fat… I guess one slice will do! The crust is nice and flaky, the pie is yummy and well spiced… it really is just delish!

So now that you’ve learned how to make it, you should go do just that! Make it for your family, your friends, WHOEVER you’re spending Thanksgiving with… they will love you so much (more than they already do)!!!

Thanks so much for reading, and feel free to leave comments/questions/suggestions! I am off to run off the sugar high I’m currently on… (I might have had more than one slice, oopsies!)

Love,

Katie

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Here’s the full recipe…

Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:

1 piece pie dough

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, room temperature

2 cups canned pumpkin

1 cup granulated sugar

¼ tsp salt

1 egg + 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten

1 cup half & half

¼ cup unsalted butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla

¾ tsp cinnamon

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

¾ tsp nutmeg

You’ll need to…

1. Preheat your oven to 350°. Unroll pie dough, and press into a 9-inch pie pan. Crimp the edges to make the pattern you like.
2. Cover the pie dough completely (inside and the edges) with aluminum foil, and fill the pie pan with pie weights, uncooked rice, or uncooked beans. Place in the freezer for at least 15 minutes. Remove from the freezer and bake for 10 minutes. Remove foil, and bake the crust for ten more minutes, or until the crust is beginning to color.
3. In the bowl of your stand mixer (or a large bowl), beat the cream cheese until smooth.
4. Add in the pumpkin, and beat until combined.
5. Add the sugar and salt, and beat until combined.
6. Add the eggs and yolks, half & half, and butter, and beat until combined.
7. Add the vanilla, and all of your spices, and mix until fully incorporated (batter should look speckled).
8. Pour the batter into your baked pie crusts, and bake for 50 minutes, or until the pie is set.
9. Cool pie completely on a wire cooling rack before serving.

Adapted from Paula Deen.

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