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Pumpkin Pie with Pepper

Servings 1 pie

Equipment

  • Baking sheet
  • Food processor
  • 9-inch Pyrex pie pan
  • Stand mixer with paddle attachment
  • 1 cup dry bean, such as black or pinto beans, as pastry weights

Ingredients

  • 1 pie pumpkin (can use 2 cups canned pumpkin)
  • 1 recipe Pie Crust for One-Crust Pie
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ¾ cup whole milk
  • 3 large eggs
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup brown sugar, packed
  • ½ teaspoon fine salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon mace
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Instructions

Prepare pumpkin puree (can be done done ahead of time)

  • Preheat oven to 350° F.
  • Cut pumpkin in half and remove seeds.
  • Place pumpkin halves face down on baking sheet.
  • Bake pumpin in oven until halves cave in and pumpkin pulp is completely soft when pierced with a fork.
  • Let pumpkin cool.
  • Scoop pumpkin pulp out of skins and put in food processor equipped with standard blade.
  • Process pulp until smooth.
  • Pulp can be refrigerated (or frozen) until need for filling.

Prebake pastry

  • Preheat oven to 425° F.
  • Roll out pie crust pastry and place in pie pan, making extra-high, fluted rim.
  • Lightly prick bottom of crust.
  • Line crust with parchment paper.
  • Weigh with dry beans (or other pastry weights)
  • Bake 13 minutes.
  • Reduce heat to 400° F.
  • Remove pie crust from oven, remove weights and parchment paper from pie pan, and return crust to oven.
  • Bake 7 minutes longer.
  • Remove crust from oven.
  • Increase oven temperature to 450° F.

Prepare filling

  • Place cream and milk in small saucepan.
  • Heat cream and milk over moderate heat until little bubbles form around the edges.
  • Remove cream and milk from heat and set aside.
  • Crack eggs into bowl of mixer fitted with paddle attachment.
  • Beat eggs lightly.
  • Add vanilla, sugar, salt, pepper, ginger, mace, and nutmeg to eggs.
  • Beat briefly to combine ingredients.
  • Add 2 cups pumpkin puree.
  • Mix well.
  • Gradually beat in hot cream.
  • Pour mixture into prebaked pie crust.

Bake pie

  • Place pie in oven and bake 10 minutes.
  • Reduce heat to 350° F.
  • Bake approx. 40 minutes longer, untili center no longer seems liquid when pie is shaken gently.
  • Remove from oven and serve warm or room temperature.

Notes

Adapted from Pumpkin Pie with Pepper by Florence Fabricant, The New York Times, adapted from Maida Heatter’s New Book of Great Desserts.