A Special Pumpkin Pie

A silky, pumpkin pie made with browned butter and steeped rosemary, a slightly savory rosemary all-butter crust with a bit of rye, served with a honey mascarpone whipped cream.

I don’t want to wish away the days, but I am so pumped for November. I’ve got recipes planned through the end of the year, a few that I’m really excited about and a couple that I know will push my current skills a bit.

Next week I’m sharing a bun recipe that, to my embarrassment, has changed flavor direction more than I care to admit. It’s not completely fall related, but I still wanted something interesting, yet inviting, not overly sweet. Seeing cardamom buns everywhere lately definitely sparked some ideas. It’s not a cardamom bun, but it has a similar vibe in my opinion. I also really wanted to try out this shaping technique, this twisting spiral that makes a beautiful pattern where the dough splits and the filling peaks through.

So the testing has consisted of different doughs, fillings, washes, and potential glazes all to get that perfect balance I’m looking for.

Also coming in November is a galette filled with fall produce that still leans as a sweet dish, but could also be served with your holiday dinner, a cake of sorts for all the celebrations the month brings, and something very fun and maybe a bit fancy to round off the month as we head into December and the rest of holiday season.

But first, a recipe I really think you should try. Pumpkin pie is extra special to me, as I would pick pie over cake any day. It may be a little bit early for a “thanksgiving dish”, but I could not wait to start working on the recipe or eating pie.

This is a custard pie. It takes a little extra work, but it makes the most dreamy texture. You’ll temper the eggs by slowly streaming a warm dairy mixture into them while whisking. There’s butter, heavy cream, milk, whole eggs and yolks to make a rich, silky, balanced pumpkin filling. The crust leans slightly savory, with the addition of rye and rosemary, but still has just enough sweetness to complement the filling. Using a quality butter, one with a higher butterfat percentage also makes this crust extra flaky and buttery. The flavors of the crust, the browned butter, spices, and the pumpkin pair wonderfully, and when topped with honey mascarpone whipped cream, it all feels so complete.

This recipe also taught me more than I expected about my pie dish preferences. I’ve sworn by glass or ceramic plates, until I finally tried a metal pie pan. I’d made this recipe three times, wondering why the filling kept looking a little too shallow in the crust, only to realize I had 9.5 inch glass pie plate and not the standard 9 inch. I couldn’t remember buying it so I had just assumed. So my options were to either scale the recipe up because I didn’t want a pie only half full, or buy a new pan, which led to a lot of research.

After reading and watching everything I could on pie dishes, I settled on a 9-inch metal pan, specifically Nordic Ware’s, which I love for most of my baking pans. And after baking, I don’t think I’ll be returning to glass or ceramic pans. The crust par-baked beautifully, the whole pie baked evenly, and an extra bonus, I didn’t have to worry about temperature shock when moving it straight from fridge to oven. I couldn’t see the bottom of the crust like I could with glass, but judging doneness by looking top-down was easy enough, and the bake time was even a bit shorter. So though ceramic and glass plates are very pretty, I think from now on I’ll be baking in metal.

Rant about pie dishes over, now for the recipe!

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The Pumpkin Pie

A silky, pumpkin pie made with browned butter and steeped rosemary, a slightly savory rosemary all-butter crust with a bit of rye, served with a honey mascarpone whipped cream.

9 inch pie, serves 8

Ingredients

Crust

162g all-purpose flour

40g rye flour

18g granulated sugar

1 tsp kosher salt

140g salted butter

80g ice water

1 tbsp finely chopped rosemary

Filling

2 whole sprigs of rosemary

120g heavy cream

40g whole milk

70g salted butter

30g raw honey

3 large eggs + 1 egg yolk

30g granulated sugar

45g light brown sugar

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp ground allspice

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/8 tsp ground cloves

15 oz can pumpkin puree

Whipped Cream

56g mascarpone

12g raw honey

120g heavy cream

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Baking

To start the crust, in a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients for the crust, including the chopped rosemary. Slice the butter into thin pats, and cut into the flour mixture using your fingers until the butter pieces are size of peas and there’s a variety of flat and round pieces.

Slowly drizzle in the cold water, mixing just until no dry flour remains and the dough begins to clump together. Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and use your hands, a rolling pin, and/or bench scraper to compact it into a rough rectangle. Cut the rectangle in half, stack one half on top of the other, and press it back down into another rectangle. Repeat this folding and pressing process two more times to build layers. Press the dough about 1 inch thick and shape it into a rough disk. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until ready to bake.

When ready to bake, roll out the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface until it’s about 10 inches in diameter. Roll the dough onto your rolling pin and unravel over a 9 inch pie plate. Let the dough fall naturally into the pan, not stretching it, so it settles into the corners. Gently press to make sure there’s no space between the dough and plate. Trim the excess dough, leaving about ½ inch of overhang all around. Fold the overhang under itself so the edge is flush with the rim of the plate, then crimp or shape the edge however you like. Place the shaped crust back in the fridge, or freezer, to firm up while the oven preheats to 400°F.

Once firm, take the crust out of the refrigerator and line with foil. Fill the foil with pie weights, dried beans, or rice. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the edges are just starting to brown. Take the crust out of the oven and carefully remove the foil with the weights. Return the empty crust to the oven and lower the oven temperature to 325°F. Bake for another 20-25 minutes, until the crust is completely golden and dry to the touch.

While the crust bakes, start the filling. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once it begins to bubble and foam, stir continuously so it doesn’t burn as it browns. When the milk solids turn a deep amber color and it smells nutty, remove from heat and let it cool slightly. Slowly stir in the heavy cream, whole milk, and honey, then return the saucepan to medium low heat. Throw in the whole sprigs of rosemary bring it just to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover the saucepan and steep for 10-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and egg yolks until smooth and cohesive. In a small container, whisk together the spices to have ready for later. Slowly stream the warm milk mixture into the eggs while whisking quickly and constantly. Once everything is combined, whisk in the spices, salt, and vanilla, then the pumpkin purée.

When the crust finishes baking, pour the filling directly into the warm crust and place it back in the oven. Bake for 30–40 minutes, or until the center is just slightly wobbly. Turn off the oven, crack the door open, and let the pie rest inside as it finishes setting. When the oven has cooled completely remove the pie and continue cooling to room temperature. Chill in the refrigerator at least 2 hours before serving.

In a large bowl, combine the mascarpone and honey. Whisk or beat with a hand mixer until smooth. Pour about a tablespoon of the heavy cream into the mascarpone and beat until the mixture is fully combined and free of lumps. Gradually add the remaining cream, continuing to whisk or beat until medium to stiff peaks form. Pipe or spoon the whipped cream onto the pie, or save to serve by the slice.

-KT

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