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According to a pericope, This Pie in History from Barbara Fairchild’s new cookbook, Bon Appetit Desserts, the Pilgrims didn’t have pumpkin pie at their first Thanksgiving feast. I don’t think Libby’s was around then either. The fact is, Pumpkin pie didn’t make its debut until the second Thanksgiving, in 1623. I’m sure many would agree: Better late than never! Thanks to Bon Appetit, I am proud to present Barbara Fairchild’s Classic Pumpkin Pie Recipe to help ensure your Thanksgiving feast is not deprived of this holiday dessert favorite.
Ingredients for Classic Pumpkin Pie:
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons (packed) dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon (generous) salt
1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
3/4 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
3 large eggs, beaten to blend
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup apricot preserves
1 Recipe Flaky Pie Crust (recipe follows)
NOTES: A bit of sour cream gives the filling of this special pie a subtle tang and a little extra richness. If you’d like to decorate the pie with pastry leaves, prepare and roll out a second pie-crust dough disk; sprinkle the leaf-shaped cutouts with sugar before baking. Serve the pie with whipped cream, if desired. Makes 8 servings.
DIRECTIONS:
Roll out dough disk on lightly floured surface to 13-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Trim dough overhang to 1/2 inch. Fold overhang under and shape edge to form high-standing rim. Make cut in crust edge at 1/2 inch intervals. Bend alternate edge pieces inward. Freeze crust 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line crust with foil and beans or pie weights. Place crust on large rimmed baking sheet. Bake crust until sides are set and dry, about 15 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Continue to bake crust until cooked through and pale golden, piercing with fork if crust bubbles, 13 to 15 minutes longer. Cool crust on sheet 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
Whisk both sugars, cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger, and salt in medium bowl until no lumps remain. Whisk in pumpkin, whipping cream, eggs, and sour cream. Gently spread apricot preserves evenly over inside of crust to coat. Pour filling into crust.
Bake pie on sheet until filling puffs at edges and center is almost set, 1 hour to 1 hour 5 minutes. Cool pie completely on rack. Cover and chill until cold. Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.
Ingredients for Flaky Pie Crust:
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1/3 cup cake flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons chilled non-hydrogenated solid vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2 -inch pieces
3 tablespoons (or more) ice water
NOTES: All purpose flour and cake flour combine to make a tender crust, while the mixture of butter and shortening lends flavor and a flaky texture. If you don’t own a food processor, simply use your fingertips or a pastry blender to combine the butter and shortening with the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Makes 1 dough disk (enough for one 9-inch or 10-inch crust).
DIRECTIONS:
Mix both flours, sugar, and salt in processor. Add butter and shortening; using on/off turns, process until mixture resembles very coarse meal. Add 3 tablespoons ice water and process until large moist clumps form, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and chill until cold and firm, at least 1 hour. Can be made 1 day ahead. Let soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.
ABOUT THE COOKBOOK:
Bits of history, pragmatic tips, easy-to-follow recipes and of course, mouth-watering desserts ooze from the pages of Bon Appetit Desserts.
And this recipe for Classic Pumpkin Pie is no different. The pumpkin filling is as easy as opening a can, and there’s plenty of advice on making a flakier, lighter crust (I learned a thing or two!). If you love making desserts, you’ll love them even more with the knowledge that Barabara Fairchild imparts in Bon Appetit Desserts.
Photos and Recipes From Bon Appétit Desserts by Barbara Fairchild/Andrews McMeel Publishing. Watch the Video Trailer for Bon Appétit Desserts.
I read the title too quickly and thought it said, “Morgan Fairchild.” I thought, “Wow, Average Betty has connections!”
LOL! It’s also funny to think about what Morgan Fairchild’s Pumpkin Pie Recipe might be. I’ll go with Barbara :)
Oh my goodness, I did the same thing as Ben! And I know who Barbara Fairchild is, I just immediately started thinking of Morgan and was hoping there would be a picture of her and maybe a reference to Flamingo Road. I wonder if Morgan Fairchild has any recipes?
LOL! I wonder… Is it true what they say… never trust a skinny chef? It must hold doubly true for a pastry chef!