By In The Kitchen With Stefano Faita
INGREDIENTS
All-Purpose Pastry
or 2 store-bought pie shells
Pumpkin Pie Filling
4 eggs
1 (28-ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup liquid honey
2 tsp. vanilla
Pinch salt
1 to 2 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
Pinch cayenne, or to taste
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
Garnishing
1 cup whipping cream, whipped and sweetened with icing sugar
3/4 cups pecans, toasted and roughly chopped (optional)
PREPARATION
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
If using the All-Purpose Pastry: Lightly flour your work surface. Roll each disc of pastry to fit 9-inch pie pan, about 1/4-inch thickness. Transfer each round to pie plate and trim off the excess around the edges. Press edges with tines of fork or flute edges, as desired.
To blind bake the pie shells: With a fork, prick the bottom of each pie shell all over. Line each shell with foil or parchment paper. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove foil and weights. Continue to bake pastry shells until cooked through and lightly golden and crisp, about 5 to 10 minutes more. Cool completely.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
For the pumpkin pie filling: Beat eggs lightly in a bowl. Add pumpkin puree, brown sugar, honey, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg. Stir or whisk until combined. Add cream and stir to combine.
Pour filling evenly into 2 blind-baked pie shells.
Bake pies until filling is mostly set but centre of pie still jiggles a little, about 35 to 40 minutes.
Cool pies completely before serving.
Garnish each pie with whipped cream and handful of chopped pecans. Alternatively, just serve pie with whipped cream.
Yield: 2 (9-inch) pies.