Perfect Pumpkin Pie
What makes this pie the perfect pumpkin pie you ask? Well, when it comes to what is essentially a simple dessert, it's really all about richness, balance, and texture. And this version gets all three of these elements just right. It began as an adaptation of a recipe titled "the ultimate pumpkin pie" (an undeniably promising beginning), which appeared in Bon Appétit magazine circa 1993. I've made just a few minor alterations over the years, but they've proven to be popular. This recipe for perfect pumpkin pie has now become one of the most frequently requested recipes in my kitchen. Enjoy!
Servings 8 servings
Equipment
- food processor
- Rolling Pin
- 9 inch pie plate (a deep one)
- wire rack
Ingredients
Crust
- 1¼ cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ cup salted butter, cut into small pieces chilled
- 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
Filling
- ¾ cup baker's sugar
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream room temperature
- ½ cup sour cream room temperature
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten room temperature
Instructions
Prepare the Crust
- Heat the oven to 350℉.
- Blend the flour, powdered sugar, and chilled butter in a food processor fitted with a metal blade until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- With the machine running, add the 3 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream and process briefly, just until large clumps form. Then gather the dough into a ball, flatten to a disk, and wrap in plastic. Chill for 30 minutes.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to a 14 inch round, and then transfer to a 9 inch pie plate. Fold the edges under and crimp.
- Place the dough lined pie plate in the freezer and chill for 15 minutes.
- Line the crust with foil, pressing firmly. Then bake until the sides of the crust are set, about 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake about 5 minutes more.
Prepare the Filling and Bake the Pie
- Reduce the oven temperature to 325℉.
- In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. (If there are any stubborn sugar lumps, just use your fingers to break them up.)
- Add the pumpkin, heavy whipping cream, sour cream, and eggs. Then whisk everything together until the mixture is smooth.
- Pour the filling into the crust. Bake until the filling puffs around the edges and no longer looks wobbly in the center, about 60 to 70 minutes, using a pie shield if the crust begins getting too brown toward the end of the baking time. (Gently nudge the dish from side to side to make sure that the center is almost set before removing the pie from the oven.)
- Cool the pie completely on a wire rack. Then slice and serve with generous dollops of whipped cream.