A Better Pumpkin Pie
We light the candles earlier these days. They offer warmth and a sense of comfort in the greyest of mornings. It’s that time of the year again when colour seems to seep out of the earth and every landscape is painted in varying shades of white. We ache for vibrancy as the cold approaches. And most of the time, we find it in the kitchen.
The pumpkin sitting on the windowsill can be jarring against the foggy mist outside. Its loud orange shell reminiscent of autumn’s blazing glory. A much-needed sight for a missing season, winter had come too soon this year. For many cold afternoons, we turn its bright flesh into hot soup cooked with fresh ginger, softened onions, and crispy bacon. Sometimes, I simmer them in a broth of mirin and soy sauce. Or wrap them in ravioli squares swathed in fried sage and brown butter.
I’m not, however, particularly fond of pumpkin pies – especially those made with sweetened condensed milk or doused in spices. They overwhelm the palette but underwhelm in eating experience. The first pumpkin pie I made went down a chute after a couple of bites. I questioned why an entire country would obsess over a vegetal baby food in pastry each November.
And yet, the prospect of a better pumpkin pie continues to haunt me. Imagine a smooth and light filling with a delicate quiver. One that is not too heavy or jelly-like, and then encased within golden layers of flaky pastry. Each mouthful giving the soft nuttiness of pumpkin that is subtly tinged with spice. When sliced, it reveals clean layers of deep amber and golden brown.
It all comes down to the custard, which is really just eggs, dairy, sugar with the addition of starch and sometimes, butter. Depending on the thickening agent, the spectrum of custard can go from a pouring consistency to a stiff set. The diagram below shows the foundation of French pastry creams and how it can evolve into different types of custards.
The simple, old-fashioned custard tart uses a crème anglaise, and crème chiboust is used for the Saint-Honoré. For the better pumpkin pie, I decided to take inspiration from another classic French pastry – the Flan Pâtissier. It is filled with crème pâtissière for a firmer consistency. When cooled, it transforms into a silky pudding-like texture. This also means lesser chances for a soggy bottom.
Most pumpkin pie recipes take the easy route of mixing pumpkin purée with eggs, dairy, and sugar at the get-go. For a better pumpkin pie, I decided to make the crème pâtissière first and then add the orange mash after. Basking low and slow in the oven, the custard comes out with a torched top, not unlike a Burnt Basque Cheesecake. Brushed lightly with a maple syrup, the pie gleams invitingly.
The resulting dish was no longer a dull, claggy paste. It was a wonderfully creamy and yet, firm filling that is distinctly eggy with a pleasing earthiness. Finally, a pumpkin pie I can actually enjoy. B
I don’t celebrate Thanksgiving (I’m not American). But I still understand how problematic a dish can be, especially one burdened with a history of violence and colonialism. The best way to appreciate the pumpkin pie is to learn about its complicated past and acknowledge our part in it. You can read more about it in Rossi Anastopoulo’s book, Sweet Land of Liberty.
Roasted Pumpkin Pie with Aged Maple Whipped Cream
This recipe is technically a Flan Pâtissier, also known as Flan Parisien – a French tart filled with eggy custard, and the pumpkins play a supporting role here. The bright orange squashes are roasted in the oven until its skin tears away easily, and then lightly tinged with sweet spices. Don’t fret over its darkened top – the burnt skin gives off notes of caramel. The aged maple whipped cream adds a touch of the season.
Adapted from Midori Biyori
Makes one 23cm / 9-inch pie
Notes
On pumpkins: Choosing a pumpkin can be daunting. There are so many varieties to choose from, and then there’s the question whether to use squashes instead. To be fair, pumpkins are botanically winter squashes. And the famous canned version isn’t really an actual pumpkin as well. I went with a Red Hokkaido squash for this recipe. Try to select smaller fruit – they tend to be sweeter. You can substitute it with canned pumpkin.
On maple syrup: Nothing screams autumn more than the maple. Be sure to choose 100% pure maple syrup. The darker the colour, the strong the flavour would be. You can opt for those aged in bourbon or rum casks.
On cornstarch: This can be substituted with custard powder or flour.
On troubleshooting pie crust:
Dough is sweating: Your kitchen might be too warm for pie-making and the butter is melting. Cover the dough with clingfilm and pop it into the refrigerator to chill. Chilling your pie dough is essential to rest the dough and harden the butter flakes, so put it in the fridge whenever needed.
Dough is too wet or dry: If its too crumbly, sprinkle more ice cold water over the dough with your fingers and work it gently. Once incorporated, form it into a disc, clingfilm, and chill it. If it’s too sticky, add a little more flour when rolling the dough out.
Dough sticking to the table: Always dust your work station with some flour when rolling your pie dough out. The dough should glide across the surface. It also helps to rotate and flip the dough frequently to prevent it from sticking to the surface. . You can always brush off the excess flour before baking.
Dough cracks when rolled out: It’s probably too cold or it hasn’t rested enough. Simply gather the dough back again and chill for longer. And if it still persists, use your fingers to seal the cracks together. Patchwork pie is still delicious.
Crust getting too brown in the oven: If your pie gets a little too much colour when baking, cover the top with some aluminium foil.
Crust shrinks when baking: The dough probably didn’t rest enough. Resting allows the gluten to relax so it doesn’t retract in the oven. Or you’ve stretched it when nudging it into its pan.
Ingredients
For the all-butter pie crust
200g plain flour
142g unsalted butter, very cold and cubed
60ml water, boiling hot
½ tbsp caster sugar
¾ tsp kosher salt
½ tbsp unfiltered apple cider vinegar
For the pumpkin purée
1 pumpkin, medium-sized or 2 small ones
Olive oil
For the pumpkin custard
250g whole milk
150g heavy cream
2 whole eggs
3 egg yolks
50g caster sugar
40g cornstarch
400g pumpkin paste
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground allspice
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cloves
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp vanilla paste
For the syrup
10g water
10g maple syrup
For the aged maple whipped cream
240ml cream, cold
60ml maple syrup
½ vanilla bean
¼ tsp kosher salt
Equipment
23cm pie plate, preferably ceramic or glass
Rolling pin
Food processor
Immersion blender (optional)
Pastry cutter (optional)
Directions
Day one
Make the pie crust
In a measuring cup, combine sugar, salt, vinegar, and hot water together and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Chill the liquid in the freezer until it’s ice-cold but not frozen.
Toss the cold butter cubes into the flour and make sure they are fully coated. Using your thumbs and index fingers, squash each cube into a flat piece. Once all the chunks have been squeezed, rub the mixture together until you get little butter pebbles the size of broad beans. If you have warm hands, use a pastry cutter.
Sprinkle the vinegar-water into the flour mixture a tablespoon at a time, using your fingers or a fork to slowly bring it altogether. Once the batter starts to gather, you can tip it onto the tabletop and press them together to form the dough. Try not to knead the dough too much or it will be tough. To test if the dough is good, take some dough and compress it in your palm. If it holds without crumbling apart, it’s ready – it shouldn’t look smooth.
Wrap the dough securely with clingfilm and flatten it into a square. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
To prepare the dough for the letter-fold, let it sit on the counter to soften slightly. Unwrap and place the dough on a lightly floured surface and roll it out into a rectangle that is three times longer. Fold the dough in thirds like a letter, with the side facing you folded in and the side away from you folded over. This is the first fold.
Rotate the dough so that the horizontal fold becomes vertical. Likewise, roll it out to a rectangle again and perform the same folding pattern. This is the second and last fold.
Wrap the dough in clingfilm tightly and refrigerate overnight.
Make the pumpkin purée
Preheat the oven to 205°C and prepare a foil-lined baking sheet.
Cut the pumpkin into two halves, remove the seeds, and slather oil over the flesh. Place the pumpkins onto the prepared baking sheet flesh-side down and roast for about 40 to 45 minutes.
Remove the roasted pumpkin and scrape the flesh off the skin – it should come off easily. Transfer the cooked flesh into a food processor and blend until smooth. Homemade pumpkin purée can be watery, so place the paste in a cheesecloth-lined sieve and let it drip excess liquid from a height for about 30 minutes.
Transfer the pumpkin purée to a bowl, cover with clingfilm, and refrigerate it.
Day two
Make the pumpkin custard
In a saucepan over medium heat, cook the milk and cream to a slight boil while whisking frequently. Remove from heat immediately.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the cornstarch and rest of the sugar together – this prevents lumps from forming in the batter later.
Add the eggs and yolks to the cornstarch-sugar mixture. Make sure you whisk immediately because sugar can burn the yolks and that might leave hardened lumps in the batter after.
At this point, pay close attention to the batter. Drizzle half of the heated milk-cream into the egg mixture, whisking all the time to prevent the eggs from scrambling.
Pour in the second half and continue whisking.
Transfer the batter back into a saucepan and let it come to a boil on medium-low heat. Continue whisking constantly as the batter thickens. You’ll see bubbles pop up! Lower the heat immediately and let it cook for another 5 minutes, whisking to make sure the custard is not sticking to the bottom and the sides of the saucepan.
Pour the custard into a clean mixing bowl.
Add the pumpkin purée, spices, vanilla paste, and salt, and mix until smooth. This is optional, but you can use an immersion blender to achieve a cohesive custard. Or you can pass it through a sieve to ensure a smooth consistency.
Cover the custard with clingfilm touching the surface and refrigerate for an hour. It must be cold before transferring to the dough, or it will collapse while baking.
Roll and par-bake the pie
Lightly dust your work surface with flour. Place the dough in the centre and sprinkle more flour.
Position your rolling pin in the centre of the dough and roll it out with even pressure away from you. Rotate the dough 180° clockwise and roll it away from you again. You can also flip it over now and then to prevent the dough from sticking to the table top. Roll it until you get a thickness of about 3mm to 6mm, or until big enough to cover your pie plate.
When ready, use the rolling pin to transfer the dough over to the pie plate. Use your fingers to nudge the dough gently against the contours of the pan, without stretching it unnecessarily. Trim the edges so that at least 6cm overhangs from the plate and tuck it underneath itself all around the rim.
Crimp the edges using the thumb of one hand and the thumb and forefinger of the other. Or if you’d like, use the remaining pastry to create a braid for the edges.
Cover with clingfilm and return it to the refrigerator to chill for about 10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 190°C.
Prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork. Line the inside of the pie plate with baking paper or aluminium foil, and fill with pie weights, dried beans, rice, or even sugar all the way up to the top of the pie plate.
Bake the crust for 20 minutes. Remove the pastry from the oven and carefully life the pie weights out.
Lower the temperature down to 170°C. Use a pastry brush to coat the crust lightly with a beaten egg and return it back into the oven. Bake for another 8 to 10 minutes. If the edges are getting too brown, cover with aluminium foil or a pie crust protector.
Remove from the oven and cool completely.
Bake the pie
Take the custard out of the fridge and give it one last mix to smooth it out. Pour it into the parbaked pastry and smooth with spatula.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes at 170°C, or until the filling is set and puffed at the edges. The centre should wobble gently.
Turn off the oven and prop the door open with a wooden spoon. Let it cool in the oven completely.
Make the syrup
Combine water and maple syrup in a small saucepan.
Let it come to a boil over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until it thickens into syrup but not caramel.
Using a pastry brush, lightly dap the syrup on the surface of the pie filling. Be careful not to rip the skin apart.
At this point, you can clingfilm the pie and refrigerate it for at least three hours – it tastes better cold. Or you could leave it in the fridge overnight.
Make the maple whipped cream
Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the cream, maple syrup, scrapped vanilla beans, and salt together on medium speed, until you get soft peaks.
Serve the pie with a lashing of cream and maybe, if you’d like, some freshly grated nutmeg.