Do not be daunted by the lengthy directions. They will talk you through the logic of each step. Makes two 9- or 10-inch pies. By Kristen Browning-Blas.
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 12 tablespoons ( 3/4 cup, 1 1/2 sticks) butter
- 8 tablespoons ( 1/2 cup) Crisco, Spectrum Naturals or Earth Balance Natural Shortening
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (you can substitute 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour for 1 cup of the white flour)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- About 3/4 cup cold seltzer water
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- Ice cube
For the filling:
- 1 29-ounce can pumpkin puree (not “pie filling”)
- 1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
- 1 cup half-and-half or whipping cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 5 eggs, cracked into a bowl (so you can pick out shell, if any)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon each: ground allspice, ginger, nutmeg, cloves
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon bourbon (optional)
- Whipped cream (optional)
Directions
Preparing the fats: Butter adds flavor, and shortening makes the dough flaky and easy to work. Both need to be cold so that they don’t combine too easily with the flour. This makes dough tough. Cut butter into tablespoon-sized slices. Holding slices together in stick form, cut through lengthwise. Turn stick a quarter- turn and cut through lengthwise again. Place cubes in a bowl, above, and put in freezer.
Cut stick shortening in the same manner. If using bulk shortening, measure the 1/2 cup and place measuring cup in freezer for about 15 minutes, then cut into chunks and return to freezer. Work the fat into the flour: This keeps the gluten (protein) in the flour from developing and making the crust stretchy and tough. The bigger butter pieces will melt out, leaving flaky little pockets.
If using a food processor: Pulse flour and salt in food processor fitted with steel blade. Scatter cold shortening cubes over the top, and process until mixture looks like cornmeal, about 10 seconds. Scatter butter pieces over flour mixture, and pulse until it resembles coarse crumbs, above, about 10 pulses. Transfer mixture to a bowl and follow directions below for adding liquids.
If mixing by hand: In a large bowl, mix flour and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut shortening and butter into flour mixture, above. Incorporate fats with flour until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized butter chunks remaining.
Adding moisture: Water binds the flour/fat into a dough and vinegar tenderizes the proteins in the flour.
Measure water and add vinegar and ice cube to measuring cup. Add half of liquid to flour mixture and incorporate with a fork, using a light touch. (The key here is not to warm up the fats, so that they hold their shape until they hit the heat of the oven.)
Add the rest of the liquid and mix gently, pressing lightly with a spatula until it begins to hold together, above. (More liquid is better than not enough, as you can always add flour if the dough is sticky as you roll it out.)
Chilling the dough: Chilling before rolling allows the water to penetrate the flour particles and hardens the fat particles.
Gather dough into two discs, patting gently into shape. The disc shape, above, rather than a ball, requires less rolling to flatten it into a circle of dough. Wrap in plastic or wax paper and refrigerate. Remove about a half-hour before you plan to roll out dough.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Prepare the rolling surface and pie plate: Using parchment paper, wax paper or a Silpat mat on top of your counter makes it easier to lift the dough into the plate once it’s rolled out. Scatter a dusting of flour over the rolling surface and lightly coat the rolling pin with flour. Butter a 9- or 10-inch glass pie plate and have it ready next to your rolling surface. (Julia Child said it’s a poor crust that needs butter to keep from sticking, but I think of it as insurance. Plus, it makes the underside of the crust brown better.)
Rolling out the dough: Unwrap one dough disc and with the heel of your hand or a rolling pin, gently flatten disc, lifting and pressing your hand or the rolling pin to preserve the round shape. Once the disc is flattened, begin rolling, always starting from the center of the dough and moving outward like the hand of a clock, above, left. Do not roll back and forth, as this will toughen the dough. Lift the paper or Silpat and rotate it to keep the dough even and circle- shaped. Roll to a little less than 1/4-inch thick.
Lift the paper or Silpat and flip it, dough and all, above, into the buttered pie plate, centering it over the plate and letting it gently drop into the plate. Cut excess dough overhanging edge to about 1 1/2 inches all around.
Fold rim over, and with a pinching motion, gather the dough into a wavy edge that sticks up about 1/4- to 1/2-inch above the rim of the plate, above. Return prepared crust to fridge while you make the filling, so that the fats stay cold.
Make filling: With a whisk, hand or stand mixer, blend all filling ingredients.
Pour into uncooked pie crusts, above. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. (The high temp helps the crust brown better, so it won’t get soggy later.)
Lower heat to 350 degrees and continue baking 35-45 minutes, depending on your oven. To test for doneness, reach into oven with a baking mitt and gently shake pie. If an area smaller than the size of a CD jiggles in the center, it’s ready. It will set up as it cools. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack or broiler pan to cool to room temperature. Keep in refrigerator until ready to serve. (This sets the filling so it keeps its shape when you cut it. Reheat in a warm oven if you prefer to serve it warm.)
Slicing: Use a sharp, long knife to cut the pie into slices. Lift out with a pie server or a slender, slightly flexible spatula.
Top with whipped cream, if desired.
