It’s that time of year and my thoughts turn to pie making . . . pumpkin pie making. My favorite is from Richard Sax’s Classic Home Desserts. Sax sadly died in 1995 at only 46. He believed that elegant cooking could be prepared in the average home kitchen, and his straightforward and delicious recipes were certainly proof of that belief.
As a Tennessee girl, I particularly love this recipe because it gives me the opportunity to add a touch of bourbon, or better yet, some sour mash whiskey from my home state.
Here it is.
Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients:
Dough (I cheat and buy some form of prepared crust!)
Filling:
2 cups pumpkin puree not pie filling
2/3 cup packed dark or light brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fresh-grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
pinch freshly ground pepper
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons rum or bourbon or JACK DANIELS
1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Directions:
Prepare your pie crust.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Meanwhile, whisk together the pumpkin puree, brown and white sugars, flour, salt, spices, pepper, cream, milk, eggs, spirits (JACK DANIELS!) and vanilla in a large bowl. Taste and correct the seasonings. Pour the mixture into the pie shell.
Bake until the filling is set but still slightly wobbly in the center, usually about 45 minutes.
Cool the pie on a wire rack and then enjoy!
