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Extra-silky pumpkin pie

Halloween might be over, but we're not quitting pumpkin just yet...

Brought to you by Dominique Ansel

Thanksgiving is fast approaching, and with that, we're thinking a whole lot about pumpkin pie. We've got a treat for you, in the form of the silkiest pumpkin pie recipe you'll find from the award-winning Pastry Chef, Dominique Ansel. Chef Ansel is responsible for the birth of the Cronut®, Blossoming Hot Chocolate and the Frozen S’more, and has been hailed as “the Willy Wonka of New York”. Below, you’ll find one of his delicious pie recipes to try at home. Our delicately spiced pie is triple-strained, resulting in an extra smooth pumpkin custard. With a hand-crimped gingersnap crust, it’s the most elegant pumpkin pie for celebrating Thanksgiving.

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Ingredients

For the gingerbread pie crust:

125 g light brown sugar
220 g AP flour
1 stick butter
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 1/4 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp milk
1 tsp ground ginger
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 vanilla bean (seeds scraped)
2 tbsp fresh ginger (finely grated)
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 pinch Maldon sea salt

For the pumpkin custard:

380 g pumpkin puree
380 g cream
121 g egg yolks
114 g granulated sugar
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

To make the gingerbread pie crust:

In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, cream together butter and sugar on medium-low speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. While continuing to mix, stream in lemon juice, followed by milk and vanilla, until evenly combined. 

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg, grated ginger, cornstarch and salt until combined. With the mixer on medium-low speed, add in one-third of the dry ingredient mixture until combined. Repeat with the next third, then the final third.

Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and transfer dough onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Form the dough into a rectangle no more than ½ inch thick, wrap in the plastic and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours.

Remove dough from the fridge. Divide in half (this recipe yields two pie crusts, so you can keep one half wrapped in plastic in the fridge). On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a 14-inch round. Transfer to a pie tin, gently pressing down into the corners and up the sides. Trim away excess dough using a paring knife, leaving a 1-inch overhang around the edge. Fold the edges under, then form a fluted edge around the rim with your fingers. Lightly dock the bottom surface of the dough with a fork. Chill or freeze the pie shell in the pie pan until ready to bake. 

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). 

Line the pie shell with a coffee filter and fill with rice or dried beans to blind bake the crust. Bake in the oven for 14-16 minutes, until the bottom of the pie crust is just lightly baked. Remove from oven and discard the coffee filter and rice/beans. Return the crust to the oven and bake until golden brown, approximately 4 more minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

To make the pumpkin custard:

Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C).

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Blend with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy. (Tip: You’re looking for an even, smooth custard-like filling without any lumps.)

To assemble and bake:

Pour the custard into the already-baked and cooled pie crust until just below the top.

Bake for 20-35 minutes (check doneness after 20 minutes; the pie is done baking when a paring knife inserted into the center of the pie comes out clean).

Let cool on the counter, then chill in the fridge until ready to serve.

Serve with a dollop of fresh whipped cream on top.