Q1: Why do you cook the pumpkin purée on the stovetop first?

This is a professional pastry chef's secret to the most intensely flavorful and perfectly textured pumpkin pie! Cooking the purée with the sugar does two crucial things: it caramelizes the natural sugars in the pumpkin, which deepens its flavor, and it evaporates excess water . Removing that water is the key to a dense, silky, non-weepy filling that slices beautifully.

Q2: What is the purpose of using three different kinds of dairy?

Each dairy product plays a specific role in creating the ultimate texture. The heavy cream provides pure, luxurious richness and fat. The sweetened condensed milk adds a unique, velvety smoothness and a subtle, cooked-milk, caramel-like sweetness. The evaporated milk provides a concentrated milk flavor without adding extra water, which helps to ensure a perfectly firm set.

Q3: What is a pâte sucrée and how is it different from a regular pie crust?

A pâte sucrée is a classic French or Italian sweet shortcrust pastry. Unlike a standard American pie crust, which is prized for being flaky, a pâte sucrée like this one is enriched with egg yolks and sugar . This creates a crust that is much more tender, rich, and cookie-like , which is the perfect, sturdy, and delicious base for a rich custard pie.

Q4: Do I have to blind-bake the crust?

Yes, for this style of pie, it is absolutely essential. A wet custard filling, like this one, will turn an unbaked pie crust into a pale, gummy, and soggy mess. By fully pre-baking the crust until it is a deep golden brown and completely crisp, you are creating a sealed, sturdy vessel that will stay perfectly crisp even after it is filled and baked again.

Q5: How do I keep my pie crust from shrinking when I blind-bake it?

The two most important secrets are to rest your dough and to use pie weights . Chilling the dough after you have made it, and then chilling the formed pie shell again before baking, allows the gluten to relax, which is the number one thing that prevents shrinking. Using pie weights (or dried beans) to hold the dough in place during the first part of the bake also physically prevents it from slumping down the sides of the pan.

The Ultimate Gourmet Pumpkin Pie Recipe

The Ultimate Gourmet Pumpkin Pie (Pastry Chef Secrets!)

A from-scratch recipe for a classic pumpkin pie with a homemade all-butter crust and a rich, concentrated filling. The recipe includes instructions for a tender pie dough made in a stand mixer, which is then fully blind-baked to ensure a crisp crust. The pumpkin custard filling is unique in that the pumpkin puree is first cooked down with sugar on the stovetop to deepen its flavor. This is then combined with a trio of dairy—heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, and evaporated milk—along with eggs and warm spices, and baked until set.

Author: Evelyn
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 7 hours (includes chilling and cooling time)
Yield: 8 servings 1x
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking, Simmering
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale

For the Pie Dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into cubes
2 egg yolks
3 tablespoons milk
For the Filling:
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup heavy cream
7 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
6 1/2 tablespoons evaporated milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch of ground clove
Pinch of salt
2 eggs
1 egg yolk

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Instructions

Make the Pie Dough: In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the butter and mix until there are pecan-sized lumps of butter visible.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and milk. Add this to the flour mixture and mix until a dough forms.
Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for several hours.
Prepare and Blind-bake the Crust: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Roll out half of the dough into an 11 to 12-inch circle. Line a pie pan with the dough and crimp the edges. Chill the pie shell for about 30 minutes.
Line the chilled pie shell with aluminum foil and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake for 45 minutes, until golden brown. Remove the foil and beans.
Make the Filling and Bake: Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
In a medium saucepan, mix together the pumpkin puree and brown sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 15 to 20 minutes, until the mixture has reduced and thickened.
Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the heavy cream, condensed milk, evaporated milk, vanilla, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and salt.
Whisk in the 2 whole eggs and 1 egg yolk.
Pour the filling into the pre-baked pie shell.
Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the filling is set.
Let the pie cool completely on a wire rack before serving.

Notes

The pie dough recipe makes enough for two crusts; one half can be frozen for another use.
A long chilling time of ‘several hours’ is required for the pie dough.
Pre-cooking the pumpkin puree on the stovetop is a key step that removes excess water and concentrates the pumpkin flavor, resulting in a richer, less watery pie.
The crust is fully blind-baked before the filling is added, which prevents a soggy bottom.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 slice (1/8 of pie)
Calories: 550-650
Sugar: 45-55 g
Sodium: 250-350 mg
Fat: 30-40 g
Saturated Fat: 20-28 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 55-65 g
Fiber: 3-5 g
Protein: 8-10 g
Cholesterol: 200-250 mg

Find it online: https://cookupjoy.com/pumpkin-pie-recipe/