How to Make a Pumpkin Pie: Step-by-Step Recipe for Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin pie is a popular traditional cake in the United States, and as autumn approaches and Halloween approaches, it finds its way into numerous homes worldwide. Its success stems from mixing light and crunchy crust as its foundation with a sweet, velvety, and highly creamy pumpkin cream that is difficult to resist. It is wonderful as a dessert or snack with a warm drink, tea, coffee, or delicious chocolate. Following a pumpkin pie recipe is not difficult, and eating it will feed the body with the good nutrients of this vegetable that is now at its peak. Learn how to create a pumpkin pie by following the instructions in this article and personalizing it with some of our recommendations.

Ingredients:

For the dough (6 – 8 servings):

• 250 grams of flour (wheat, oats, spelled…)
• 150 grams of butter
• 25 grams of sugar
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 egg

For the filling:

• ½ kilo of pumpkin (already peeled)
• 2 eggs
• 100ml liquid cream
• 100 grams of sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch of nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger (optional)

Step-by-Step Recipe

Step 1:

To prepare this traditional pumpkin pie recipe, start by making the base by making a pie crust dough. To begin, sift the flour through a sieve into a large mixing bowl. Next, add the chilled butter straight from the refrigerator. Undo it with your fingers so that it mixes with the flour.

Step 2:

Crack the egg into the bowl, along with the sugar and a pinch of salt. Continue to combine all of the ingredients with your hands. Once combined, knead lightly with enveloping movements without removing the dough from the basin. If it appears to be very dry (it cracks), add a tablespoon of water.

Step 3:

Prepare the dough by shaping it into a disc about 1 cm thick, wrapping it in plastic wrap, and chilling it for at least 30-40 minutes.

Step 4:

While the dough rests, make the pumpkin puree for the pie filling. Remove the seeds from the pumpkin and slice it. Place it in a pot with a little water (to prevent sticking) over low heat.

Step 5:

Add the sugar and spices, including cinnamon, nutmeg, and, if desired, ginger. Allow the pumpkin to cook for about 10-15 minutes, or until it is soft. Stir seldom.

Step 6:

Transfer the pumpkin to the blender jar when it is mushy and begins to resemble puree. Combine the liquid cream and the two eggs in a mixing bowl. Next, beat on medium speed until you have a fine cream and set aside.

Step 7:

Remove the chilled small crust pastry dough from the fridge and roll it out on a work surface using a rolling pin.

Place the dough in a cake mold with a curled or smooth edge, about 24 – 26 cm in diameter. Make sure it’s completely adhered to the base and the edges with your hands. Remember to puncture the bottom with a fork and cut the excess dough that protrudes from the top of the edge with a knife.

Step 8:

You’ve already got the dough exactly positioned in the mold. Now it’s time to bake it, but first, put some baking paper on it and some weight in the center to keep it from rising during cooking. You can put a good number of loose (raw) chickpeas, for example.

Step 9:

Preheat the oven to 180 – 190 C with heat up and down (no fan) and place the cake base inside. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes. After this time, remove the paper with the weight (the chickpeas) and bake for another 5-10 minutes, or until the base is golden.

Step 10:

Wait a few minutes for the foundation to warm up but not become too hot before pouring in the prepared sweet pumpkin cream. Fill the base completely, distributing the sweet ingredients evenly.

Step 11:

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius and the pumpkin cake will be ready in about 30 minutes. Unmold and cool completely on a rack before decorating and savoring the rich flavor.

Tips:

• To create the pumpkin pie even easier, buy the crust already made and only prepare the filling. You can also use puff pastry for a lighter base if you want.
• Instead of boiling the pumpkin, you can roast it in the oven to make pumpkin puree.
• There are several possibilities for giving the pumpkin pie a unique and personalized finish. For example, adding some whipped cream ‘clouds’ on top or spreading some red fruit jam: strawberry, blackberry, blueberry… some chocolate ‘threads’ are also an amazing idea, extremely decorative and rich to the palate.