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Caramel Pumpkin Pie

Source of Recipe

Fine Cooking Issue 88


Recipe Introduction

"The homemade caramel for this pumpkin pie provides a subtle, almost butterscotch-like backdrop to the rich taste of pumpkin."

Recipe Link: https://tinyurl.com/27vt5r4w

List of Ingredients

◦ � cup granulated sugar
◦ ⅔ cup heavy cream
◦ 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
◦ ⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar
◦ One 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
◦ � teaspoon pure vanilla extract
◦ � teaspoon table salt
◦ � teaspoon ground cinnamon
◦ � teaspoon ground ginger
◦ ⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
◦ 3 large eggs, at room temperature
◦ 1 blind-baked Basic Pie Pastry shell (recipe follows)



Recipe

Position a rack in the center of the oven, set a rimmed baking sheet on the rack, and heat the oven to 425� F.

Pour the granulated sugar into a 3-quart, heavy-duty saucepan set over medium heat and sprinkle 2 tablespoons water over the sugar. Stir occasionally or swirl the pan to encourage the sugar to melt. When the sugar has melted, increase the heat to medium high. Watch the bubbling sugar syrup carefully and as the edges turn golden, gently swirl the pan (but do not stir the syrup directly) for even cooking. Continue to let the syrup cook until it is a nice, rich caramel color (a pale gold syrup will not make a flavorful sauce base). The total cooking time is about 5 minutes. Off the heat, carefully add the cream and butter to the pan�it will foam dramatically. Add the brown sugar and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth.

Whisk in the pumpkin, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg until smooth. One at a time, whisk in the eggs. Pour the filling into the pie shell, smooth the top, and put the pie on the hot baking sheet in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes and then reduce the oven temperature to 350� F. Bake until the center of the pie no longer wobbles when the pan is nudged (a slight jiggle is okay), 25 to 30 minutes more. Transfer the pie to a rack and let it cool completely before serving.
Serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream.

Makes 8 to 10 servings






❧ Basic Pie Pastry

◦ 6 � ounces (1 � cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
◦ 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
◦ � teaspoon table salt
◦ 2 � ounces (5 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into 10 chunks
◦ 2 � ounces (6 tablespoons) cold vegetable shortening


Mix and roll the dough:
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, and salt. Using a pastry blender or two knives, begin to cut the butter into the flour. While the butter is still in large pieces, add the shortening to the bowl and continue to cut the fat into the flour until most pieces are the size of large peas.

With a big fork or rubber spatula, stir in 5 to 6 tablespoons ice water, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, until the mixture is moist enough to hold together when pressed�it�ll still look shaggy at this point.

Gently gather and press the dough together and then form it into a disk with well-floured hands, handling it only enough that the edge of the disk is reasonably together and smooth. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill for at least 60 minutes before rolling, preferably 2 to 4 hours.

Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface (parchment on a counter also works great) into a 13-inch circle. The dough will be about ⅛ inch thick. Gently transfer the dough to a 9-inch metal, glass, or ceramic pie plate (I like to fold the dough in half, and unfold it into the pan). Do not stretch the dough as you line the pan, or it will spring back when baked. Trim the overhanging dough to 1 inch from the edge of the pan. Roll the overhanging dough over itself into a cylinder that rests on the edge of the pie pan. Crimp the edge of the dough and prick the sides and bottom of the crust all over with a fork. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. This will relax the dough and help prevent the edge from caving in.

Blind-bake the crust:
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 425� F. Line the chilled pie shell with foil and fill it with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes; remove the foil and pie weights. Reduce the oven temperature to 375� F. Bake until the bottom looks dry but is not quite done and the edges are light golden, 5 to 7 minutes more.

Makes one 9-inch pie shell