Servings: 8
Prep time: 30 minutes
Total time: 4 hours
Ingredients
for the all-butter crust:
1 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 ½ teaspoons granulated sugar
¼ pound|4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
½ cup|120 ml cold water
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
½ cup icefor the brown butter pumpkin pie:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
½ cup|120 ml heavy cream
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 ⅔ cups pumpkin puree
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
pinch ground cloves
1 teaspoon molasses
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
⅔ cup|158 ml whole milk
⅓ cup|79 ml carrot juice
Directions
Chef's Tip: If you want to use your own fresh pumpkin or squash, ask at your farmers' market for a suggestion of which variety to use. Roast it in the oven until fork tender, scrape the flesh from the skin, and purée in food processor or blender. Use the same amount of fresh puree as the recipe calls for canned. In the pie shop we are often asked if we roast our own pumpkins for our pies. Many bakers do, but we've found that the consistency and texture of good canned pumpkin is far superior, not to mention the shortcut on labor. This is one instance where we will gladly open a can to make a pie filling. Since it's technically a custard, a smooth and creamy consistency is the goal, and processing the pumpkin helps break up any fibers for a smoother filling.- For the all-butter crust, stir the flour, salt, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add the butter pieces. With a bench scraper or spatula, coat butter pieces with the flour mixture. With a pastry blender, cut the butter into the flour mixture, working quickly until mostly pea-size pieces of butter remain (a few larger pieces are okay; be careful not to over-blend).
- Combine the water, cider vinegar, and ice in a large measuring cup or bowl. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the ice water mixture over the flour mixture, and mix and cut it in with a bench scraper or spatula until it is fully incorporated. Add more of the ice water mixture, 1 to 2 tablespoons at a time, using the bench scraper or your hands to mix until the dough comes together in a ball, with some dry bits remaining. Squeeze and pinch with your fingertips to bring all the dough together. Shape the dough into a flat disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight, to give the crust time to mellow. (Wrapped tightly, the dough can be refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for 1 month. Pre-bake before preparing pie.)
- For the pie, in a heavy-bottomed skillet, melt the butter over medium-low. Continue to cook; the butter will foam and then begin to turn golden, then nut brown; whisk occasionally. When the butter is nut brown, immediately add the brown sugar, whisk, and then carefully add the water to loosen.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and continue simmering until a candy thermometer reads 225°F. (If you don't have a candy thermometer, cook until the mixture smells caramelized and starts to darken.) Slowly add the heavy cream (the mixture will bubble rapidly) and whisk until smooth. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Meanwhile, position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Place the pre-baked pie shell on a rimmed baking sheet. In a separate bowl, lightly whisk the eggs and yolks together with the salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, blend the pumpkin puree with the allspice, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, molasses, and lemon juice until smooth. With the machine running on low, stream the brown-butter butterscotch through the food processor's feed tube and process until combined. Stream in the egg mixture, followed by the milk and carrot juice; blend until smooth, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides with a rubber scraper.
- Strain the filling through a fine-mesh sieve into a separate bowl, pressing through with a rubber scraper. Pour into the pre-baked shell. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 45 to 55 minutes, rotating 180 degrees when the edges start to set 30 to 35 minutes through baking. The pie is finished when the edges are set and puffed slightly and the center is no longer liquid but still quite wobbly. Be careful not to overbake or the custard can separate; the filling will continue to cook and set after the pie is removed from the oven.
- Allow to cool completely on a wire rack, 2 to 3 hours. Serve slightly warm, at room temperature, or cool. The pie will keep refrigerated for 2 days or at room temperature.
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FAQs
During my testing of pumpkin pies, I tried lots of different milk options – heavy whipping cream, regular milk (I used 2% in my testing), sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk. Ultimately, I found heavy whipping cream to be the best. It produced the creamiest pie in my opinion.
Can I use milk instead of evaporated milk in pumpkin pie? ›
While many recipes call for it, you can absolutely make an outstanding pumpkin pie without evaporated milk. If your recipe calls for one can of evaporated milk (as most do), you can substitute 1 ½ cups of cream or half and half, or a combination of the two. You can also use milk (any kind from whole to skim).
What if I put too much evaporated milk in my pumpkin pie? ›
Pies with too much evaporated milk formed blisters on top.
Though the interior of the filling had a great, creamy texture. The flavor was ever-so-slightly muted and had a hint of milkiness to it.
Why is it important to let the filling sit overnight before baking pumpkin pie? ›
For better pumpkin pie, refrigerate the filling overnight
To that end, we've found that refrigerating pumpkin pie filling overnight before using it not only enhances the spices' flavors, but also mellows them. Any “sharp edges” disappear, and you're left with a smooth meld of complementary flavors.
Why use evaporated milk instead of heavy cream? ›
Evaporated milk is a canned, shelf-stable milk product with less water than regular milk. Thus, it's thicker and creamier than milk and can be an easy lower-calorie alternative to heavy cream in some recipes. It may also be fortified with vitamin D and other nutrients.
Which is richer evaporated milk or heavy cream? ›
The only downside is that heavy cream can also leave you feeling excessively full – very quickly, and there are two good reasons for that as you can see in the nutrition label comparison below. The bottom line is that heavy cream has more than twice the calories and five times the fat content of evaporated milk.
What happens if you use evaporated milk instead of milk? ›
For a creamy taste without the cream, try evaporated (canned) milk! Evaporated milk is made by removing water from fresh milk and then heating it. Heating the milk gives it the creamy, slightly cooked taste and darker colour. When mixed with an equal amount of water, it can be substituted for fresh milk in recipes.
What is a substitute for heavy cream in pumpkin pie? ›
Half-and-half + butter
Because heavy cream is so high in fat, you can often create a substitute with other high-fat ingredients. In terms of taste and consistency, a combination of half-and-half and butter is one of the best substitutes for heavy whipping cream—it tastes just like the real thing.
What does evaporated milk do in baking? ›
Bakers often use it as a substitute for cream to help reduce fat content. To substitute for a cup of regular milk, add in one part evaporated milk and one part water. For a more fresh-milk taste, add half the called for milk with evaporated milk, and the rest with water.
Why is my pumpkin pie not creamy? ›
The filling for pumpkin pie is technically a custard, a liquid thickened with eggs. For a custard to thicken, it must reach a temperature of at least 160°F. At this temperature the structure of the proteins change, allowing them to hold onto liquids and create the creamy but clean-slicing pumpkin filling.
The oven rack may be too close to the top heating element in the oven. This can cause filling to 'skin' and crack as it bakes and to settle slightly when cooling and pull away from the crust. Another possible reason is over-baking. Try reducing cooking time by 5 to 10 minutes.
How liquidy should pumpkin pie filling be? ›
The Jiggle Test
The best way is to gently shake it: When the pie is done, it will jiggle just slightly in the center; however, your pie should not be liquidy in any way. This test is the best test to use if you want to avoid cracking the filling.
Should pie crust be prebaked for pumpkin pie? ›
Blind bake the crust.
To help avoid this, partially bake the crust before adding the filling (i.e., “blind bake” the crust). If you've never done this before, don't worry — it's easy. Just roll out the crust and fit it into the pan.
Why do you bake pumpkin pie at two different temperatures? ›
But pie fillings for pies like pumpkin and pecan are delicate and can be toughened or dried out by initial high temperatures. America's Test Kitchen recommends cooking the filled pie at an initial 400°F (204°C) for 10 minutes, then lowering the heat to 300°F (149°C) for the remainder of the cook.
Can I leave pumpkin pie on the counter overnight to cool? ›
How Long Can Pumpkin Pie Be Left at Room Temperature? Your pumpkin pie can safely sit out on the kitchen counter for up to 2 hours, says the FDA. After that, you run the risk of bacterial growth.
Why is evaporated milk better for baking? ›
Bakers often use it as a substitute for cream to help reduce fat content. To substitute for a cup of regular milk, add in one part evaporated milk and one part water. For a more fresh-milk taste, add half the called for milk with evaporated milk, and the rest with water.
What is the best ingredient to use in thickening the filling of cream pies? ›
Very often flour or cornstarch is used, but in certain instances tapioca, arrowroot and potato starch can also help achieve the desired consistency. Tapioca starch is preferable for products that will be frozen because it will not break down when thawed.
What's the difference between heavy cream and sweetened condensed milk? ›
Table cream contains 18-30% milk fat and no added sugar, while sweetened condensed milk contains no less than 8% by weight of milk fat, and no less than 28% by weight of total milk solids.
Can I use heavy whipping cream instead of heavy cream for pie? ›
Yes! Since they are the same product, you can use heavy whipping cream and heavy cream interchangeably. Both are a versatile, all-purpose product for adding thick, creamy elements to sauces to soups to desserts, so it's worth keeping one on hand in your fridge.
