PUMPKIN PIE IN THE SKY
It’s almost Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday! I look forward to Thanksgiving in part because it involves Pumpkin Pie. If I were to list my favorite types of pie, Pumpkin Pie would come in as a close second to my favorite, Coconut Cream Pie. Anyway, in my household it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without Pumpkin Pie. And I make a darn good one, if I do say so myself. I call it Pumpkin Pie in the Sky because mine is made up here at 5,000 feet above sea level in Lake Arrowhead.
My sister-in-law always claimed she made the best pumpkin pie so one year I challenged her to a Pumpkin Pie Throwdown. We served our Thanksgiving guests a thin slice of each in a blind tasting and asked them to select their favorite. Can you guess whose pie won the throwdown? Yours truly’s! Is “truly’s” a word?
In the case of my Pumpkin Pie, sometimes the pumpkins I use to make them are also grown in the sky, right here in my vegetable garden, 5,000 feet up in Lake Arrowhead.
Just like me they like living in Lake Arrowhead.
So, let me show you how to prepare Pumpkin Pie in the Sky.
Preheat your oven to 425°. Using your favorite pie crust recipe prepare 2 pie crusts. Stay tuned and in the near future I’ll be sharing my pie crust recipe. You can crimp the edges…
or get fancy and decorate the edges like this.
I bought these nifty Fall Leaf Piecrust Cutters and used them to doll up my Pumpkin Pie in the Sky. You can get some too by clicking here.
Using a fork, pierce the crust along the bottom and sides of the pie pan.
Next, line each crust with parchment paper and fill each pan with dried beans or pie weights. Pie weights are small ceramic or metal balls that you use when “par-baking” a pie crust. To par-bake a pie crust means you “partially” bake it without its filling. Pie weights prevent the crust from forming air pockets and bubbling up during the par-baking process. They also prevent the sides from shrinking. I par-bake most of my pie crusts to ensure a crisp bottom crust, not an undercooked soggy one.
If you wish to get a little fancier, you can purchase ceramic pie weights or chain weights like these.
Pop your pie crusts in the preheated oven and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes until you can see the edges turning slightly golden brown. Remove the crusts from the oven and lift out the parchment paper along with your pie weights.
Reduce the oven temperature to 350°.
I save my cooled beans in a ziplock bag and reuse them time and again to weigh down my pie crusts.
Now it’s time to make the pumpkin pie filling.
In a large mixing bowl combine:
- 1-1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 2 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
- 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cloves
- 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
Whisk the dry ingredients together until combined and set aside.
Now let’s prepare the wet ingredients.
Place the following ingredients in a large mixing bowl:
- 3 Egg Yolks, Beaten
- 2 Whole Eggs, Beaten
- 1 Can (29 oz) Pumpkin Puree
- 3 Cups Half & Half
Whisk the wet ingredients together until well combined.
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and whisk to combine.
Pour the Pumpkin Pie filling into the 2, par-baked crusts…
and cover the edges with pie crust shields. The pumpkin custard takes longer to bake than the exposed edge of the pie crust. To achieve a golden brown pie crust, place one of these nifty pie crust shields on your pie before placing the pie in the oven. This will prevent your pies from getting too browned while they bake. You can get pie crust shields like mine by clicking here.
Bake for about 50 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool pies on a wire rack for 2 hours.
Serve at room temperature or refrigerate until ready to serve.
My Pumpkin Pie in the Sky demands to be served with real, home-whipped, whipped cream. Whipped cream is quick and easy to prepare. Pour heavy whipping cream into your stand mixing bowl and whip. Just as it’s getting to the stiff stage throw in some powdered sugar to taste. Add a little pure vanilla extract for good measure. Blend it all up and you’ve got it! Do this. You’ll be glad you did.
ENJOY!
Here’s the handly printable recipe…
- 1-1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 2 Teaspoons Ground Cinnamon
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
- ¼ Teaspoon Ground Cloves
- ½ Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
- 3 Egg Yolks, Beaten
- 2 Eggs, Beaten
- 1 Can (29 oz) Pumpkin Puree
- 3 Cups Half & Half
- 2 9" Deep-Dish Pie Crusts
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Place a sheet of parchment paper into each unbaked pie shell and fill with dried beans or pie weights.
- Par-bake pie crusts in preheated oven for 15 or 20 minutes until they just begin to turn golden brown.
- Remove pie crusts from oven, discard the parchment paper and save the beans or pie weights for next time.
- Set the pie crusts aside.
- Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
- Combine sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg in a large mixing bowl.
- In a separate large mixing bowl beat the whole eggs and egg yolks together.
- Stir the pumpkin puree and the half & half.
- Add the sugar/spice mixture into the wet ingredients and mix to combine.
- Pour pumpkin mixture into the par-baked pie crusts.
- Add decorative pie crust cutouts to the top of the custard mixture if desired.
- Place pie crust shields on the edge of the pie crusts.
- Return pies to oven and bake for about 50 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
- Cool pies on a wire rack for 2 hours.
- Serve immediately at room temperature or refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Serve with dollops of freshly whipped heavy whipping cream.
- ENJOY!
Thanks so much for dropping in!
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All opinions expressed in this post are my own. All photos are the original property of Celia Becker @ www.AfterOrangeCounty.com and may not be reproduced without specific permission. This post contains affiliate links that help to make this blog possible.
