Perfect Pumpkin Pie (King Arthur Flour)

By Foodiewife

This recipe comes from my trusted friends at King Arthur Flour. I've always made Libby's Famous Pumpkin Pie recipe, but I wanted to try this recipe because of its unusual secret ingredient-- black pepper. I took KAF's advice and made the filling a day ahead of time, so that the spices would have a chance to really do it';s magic. This pumpkin pie filling (with their "Traditional American Pie Crust Recipe" was creamy, with the perfect balance of spice. You could not taste the black pepper, but I think it helped to really bring out the perfect spice blend. This will be my new "go to" pumpkin pie filling recipe-- and I think you will agree.

Ingredients

• FILLING:
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (optional)
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 2 cups (or one 15-ounce can) pumpkin
• 1 1/4 cups light cream or evaporated milk
• CRUST:
• 1/2 batch Piecrust (I recommend the "Traditional American Pie Crust" recipe)

Details

Servings 1
Preparation time 15mins
Cooking time 70mins
Adapted from foodiewife-kitchen.blogspot.com

Preparation

Step 1

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugars, flour, salt, and spices.

In a large measuring cup, beat together the eggs, pumpkin, and cream or evaporated milk. Whisk into the dry ingredients. For best flavor, cover and refrigerate the filling overnight before baking.

Lightly grease a 9" pie pan thats at least 1 1/2" deep. Roll the pie dough out to a 13" circle, and transfer to the pan. Crimp the edges above the rim; this will give you a little extra headroom to hold the filling when it expands in the oven. Refrigerate the crust while the oven preheats to 400°F.

When the oven is hot, place the pie pan on a baking sheet to catch any drips. Pour the filling into the unbaked pie shell.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the filling is set 2" in from the edge. The center should still be wobbly. Remove the pie from the oven and cool on a rack; the center will finish cooking through as the pie sits.

Baker's Tips:
This recipe makes enough filling to generously fill a 9" pan that's at least 1 1/2" deep. If your pan isn't quite that big, you can bake any leftover filling in custard cups; it will take 25 to 30 minutes to cook.

Pumpkin pie filling is basically a custard; the eggs in the filling will continue cooking as the heat from the edge of the pie moves toward the center, which is why it's important to remove the pie from the oven before the center is completely set. Leaving it in the oven too long will cause the eggs to overcook, tightening the proteins and causing the pie to crack in the center.

Mixing the filling a day in advance (refrigerate until using) will improve the flavor of this pie by giving the spices' flavors a chance to blend.