Great Pumpkin Pie

From the book The Basic Gourmet Entertains by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, and Kathleen Taggart

Introduction

The traditional foods of Thanksgiving are fairly sacred to most Americans. One of them is pumpkin pie. There are many versions and variations out there. We offer what we think is a classic. The custard filling is not too heavy and not too light, and has just the right amount of spices. We freeze the pie shells while making the custard to retard shrinkage. Can you wait a whole year to make this pie again?

Ingredients

Filling

Topping

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll out the 2 pieces of pie dough to fit two 9- or 10-inch pie pans. (See directions in Dan’s Apple Pie). Place pie crusts in freezer while making custard filling.
2. To make filling, place all ingredients, including rum if using, in a very large mixing bowl. Mix very well, preferably with an electric mixer, or by hand with a large whisk, until no white streaks are visible, about 5 minutes. Divide filling between 2 pie shells. Bake until edges of pies are just beginning to puff and center no longer jiggles like liquid when pies are shaken gently, 45 to 55 minutes. Cool completely.
3. To make topping, just before serving pies, whip cream with powdered sugar and rum, if using. (We prefer our cream lightly whipped so it spoons softly over pie slices.) Slice pies into wedges, top with whipped cream, and serve.

This content is from the book The Basic Gourmet Entertains by Diane Morgan, Dan Taggart, and Kathleen Taggart.