Pumpkin Pie - Better Flavor and Texture

Pumpkin pie is a classic fall favorite and a tradition for the American Thanksgiving feast.  This recipe steps up your game and is a great option if you are tasked with bringing the pies for the feast.

It uses canned pumpkin but enhances the flavor with the inclusion of candied yams, which no one will know are there, but will intensify the pumpkin flavor. The recipe was originally developed by America's Test Kitchen and I've made it several times and modified the recipe slightly to make it more accurate. The original recipe had short baking times which most every posted comment noted were insufficient. The recipe also yields more pumpkin custard than needed for a standard 9-inch pie, so you may want to consider either a deep dish and/or ramekins to cook the extra batter. 

I say this is a great recipe if you are asked to bring it to a Thanksgiving dinner, because it will be all that you are making for the holiday. It's worth the time and effort to do this. But if you are making the full feast yourself, know that this recipe is more time-consuming than the Libby's recipe on the can. That recipe typically provides a rather gritty result, with a moderate pumpkin flavor, but it's what most people are accustomed to so they won't notice or complain. But if you want a truly better pumpkin pie, this is the recipe to follow using canned pumpkin. Just know it will take you nearly 2-3 hours to make. 

If you are looking for a recipe for pie made with fresh cooking pumpkins, check out my FRESH pumpkin pie recipe instead. The recipe below calls for a pie pastry crust, and you can get my favorite recipe for pie pastry here. As noted in that link, you can also use a store-bought pie crust. Pie plate selection is also an important consideration and you should read my post on that topic as well before proceeding. 

Ingredients

1 prepared pie pastry crust (unbaked)

1 cup heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
3 large eggs plus 2 large yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 cup drained candied yams from 15-ounce can (see note)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon table salt

Prepare the Crust: Make the pie dough. Adjust oven rack to lowest position, place rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 400F degrees. Place prepared pie pastry dough into plate pressing into plate bottom and up the sides of the pan. Fold overhanging pastry under itself around the edge, insuring it is flush with edge of pie plate. Using thumb and forefinger, flute edge of dough. Refrigerate dough-lined plate until firm, about 20 minutes or freeze for 10 minutes. 

Mise en Place: It's important to have all of your ingredients out and measured at this stage. Crack and separate the eggs, open the cans and measure spices and other ingredients, grate the ginger, etc. Get your mixing bowls, dish and strainer (see below) ready. Do not skip this, as timing is important in the below instructions and you will not be able to prepare quickly enough if you skip this step. 

Bake the Crust:  Remove pie pan from refrigerator, line crust with foil, and fill with pie weights. Bake on the warmed rimmed baking sheet 15 minutes if using a glass or ceramic pie plate. Bake for 8 minutes if using a metal pie plate. Remove foil and weights, rotate plate, and bake 5 to 10 additional minutes until crust is golden brown and crisp, being careful to remove it before the bottom of the crust gets too brown. Remove pie plate and baking sheet from oven.

Make the Filling: While pie shell is baking, whisk cream, milk, eggs, yolks, and vanilla together in medium bowl. Combine pumpkin puree, yams, sugar, maple syrup, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in large heavy-bottomed saucepan; bring to sputtering simmer over medium heat, 5 to 7 minutes. Continue to simmer pumpkin mixture, stirring constantly and mashing yams against sides of pot, until thick and shiny, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove pan from heat and whisk in cream mixture until fully incorporated. Strain mixture through fine-mesh strainer set over medium bowl, using back of ladle or spatula to press solids through strainer. Alternatively use a food mill if it has a very fine plate, similar in size to a mesh strainer. The food mill will be faster, but if the plate is not fine enough, the custard will not be as smooth. 

Bake the Pie: Whisk mixture and transfer to the warm prebaked pie shell. Place extra filling in ramekins. Return pie plate on the baking sheet along with ramekins to oven and bake pie for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 300F degrees and continue baking until edges of pie are set, 40-50 minutes longer and the center is set but still jiggly. An instant-read thermometer inserted in center should register 175F degrees. Ramekins of extra custard will cook more quickly. Remove those when they reach 175F degrees. Transfer pie to wire rack and cool to room temperature, 2 to 3 hours.

Do not refrigerate and serve at room temperature. Store leftovers at room temperature on the counter using a piece of plastic wrap to cover only the cut and exposed sides of the custard, not the top or the crust, so the crust will not become soggy. You can refrigerate ramekins of custard if you made them. They will hold and can be enjoyed for up to a week refrigerated.