Classic Pumpkin Pie

Classic Pumpkin Pie

Jenny Kaing, Hour 4

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

3/4 teaspoon table salt

6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, small dice

1/4 cup shortening

7 to 8 tablespoons ice water

Filling:

1 disk pie dough

All-purpose flour, for dusting

1 15 -ounce can pure pumpkin

1 1/4 cups heavy cream

2/3 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

Coarse sugar, for sprinkling (optional)

Directions:

Crust:

In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, and sugar until well combined. Using clean hands, add butter and toss until just coated. Rub butter between thumb and forefingers to incorporate into flour mixture until butter is in lima bean-sized pieces and comes together in quarter-sized clumps when squeezed in palm, about 2 minutes. Add shortening, toss until just coated in flour, then rub into flour mixture until mixture forms pea-size pieces (some big chunks should remain) and comes together in fist-sized clumps when squeezed, about 1 minute. Drizzle in half ice water and rake through mixture with fingers until just moistened. Drizzle in remaining water 1 tablespoon at a time and comb through mixture with fingers to moisten. It will go from being a shaggy mess to coming together. Dough is moist enough when it is moistened through but is not wet when pressed. (Do not overwork the dough or it will become tough.)
While rotating the bowl with 1 hand, push dough between other palm and side of bowl to gather into a ball. Turn dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, press it into a flat disk, then close in wrap. Place in coldest part of refrigerator (usually back bottom shelf) at least 30 minutes before rolling out and forming into a crust.

Filling:

Roll out the dough into a 12-inch round on a lightly floured surface. Ease into a 9-inch pie plate. Fold the overhanging dough under itself and crimp the edges with your fingers. Pierce the bottom and sides all over with a fork. Chill at least 1 hour or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the chilled dough with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Transfer to the oven and bake until the edges are golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and continue baking until the crust is golden all over, 10 to 15 more minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely.
Make the filling: Gently whisk the pumpkin, cream, granulated sugar, 2 eggs, the cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and salt (do not over mix). Beat the remaining egg and brush on the crust edge; sprinkle with coarse sugar. Pour the filling into the crust and bake until set around the edges, 50 minutes to 1 hour (the middle will still jiggle slightly). Transfer to a rack; let cool completely.

Analysis:

           For this recipe, I didn't change much. The only things I changed was that I used a pastry cutter and didn't use the freshly grated nutmeg. I used a pastry cutter, because I remembered that if you use your hands to cut in the butter, it can cause the butter too melt and make the crust less flaky. I didn't use the freshly ground nutmeg, because I couldn't find any, so I just used regular ground nutmeg. For the crust, I used the biscuit method. I know it was the biscuit method, because I had to cut in really cold fat to make sure my crust was flaky at the end. The fat needed to be really cold, so it wouldn't melt before it baked, and when it was baked, the fat would then make it flaky by separating it into layers. This recipe was similar to the mini pies, shortcakes and scones that we made in class, because they all required ice cold fat to be cut into the dry ingredients, then adding ice  cold water in increments, so you wouldn't add too much. Adding too much would've made the end products tougher. I think my technique gave me a pretty pumpkin pie at the end, with a really flaky crust. I don't think there's anything about the recipe that I'd change or do differently, since I think the end product turned out pretty well and everyone liked it on Thanksgiving
         I think my pumpkin pie turned out pretty well. I took the pie out of the oven when the middle was still slightly jiggly and when a knife came out clean. When I cut into the pie the next day on Thanksgiving, the pie had set nicely, and the texture was really smooth and creamy. It seemed custard-like, which is probably what it should've ben like. The color seemed a bit lighter than usual, but there wasn't a picture with the recipe, so it could've been the way it should've looked. If it was lighter, it might've been because I added a bit too much cream. The crust was very flaky and had a nice buttery, salty taste, which I like in my pie crusts. The texture was most likely due to me cutting the cold fat into the dry ingredients, keeping the fat cold, so it would separate the crust into the flaky layers.
        In my free time, I think I'll definitely make this pie again. It had a great texture, both the crust and filling.  It was really easy to make, although it was time consuming. By making this pie, I learned  to plan my time more effectively, since it took me a lot longer than I thought it would. Everyone who tried the pie said it tasted really good, so I probably will make it again. Plus, I still have another can of pumpkin laying around, so I do have an excuse to make another one.