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Pumpkin Pie

The Thanksgiving classic — a silky spiced custard in a par-baked shell, pulled with a jiggle

1 pie · 15 min

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  • For the all-butter crust For the all-butter crust (one 9-inch single shell — or skip to store-bought):
  • 1¼ cups all-purpose flour (about 160g)
  • 1 tsp sugar · ½ tsp salt
  • ½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut in cubes
  • 3–5 Tbsp ice water
  • For the filling: For the filling:
  • 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin purée (or ~1¾ cups roasted & drained sugar pumpkin)
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk (or 1¼ cups heavy cream)
  • 1 tsp cinnamon · ½ tsp ground ginger · ¼ tsp each nutmeg & clove
  • ½ tsp salt · 1 tsp vanilla
What you need
  1. Make the crust (or use store-bought). Whisk the flour, sugar, and salt. Cut or rub in the cold butter until it's in pea-to-bean-size pieces — don't overwork it, visible butter is what makes it flaky. Drizzle in ice water a tablespoon at a time, tossing, until the dough just holds together when squeezed (shaggy, not wet). Press into a disc, wrap, and chill at least 30 min. Roll on a floured counter to a ~12-inch round, fit into a 9-inch pie plate, trim to a ½-inch overhang, tuck under, and crimp. Chill the shell 15 min while the oven heats.
  2. Par-bake the crust. Line the crust with foil and pie weights (or dried beans) and bake at 375°F for ~15 min, then pull the weights and give it 5 min more to dry out.
  3. Whisk the filling. Whisk the pumpkin, brown sugar, eggs, spices, salt, and vanilla smooth, then whisk in the evaporated milk last.
  4. Hot start, then drop. Pour into the warm shell. Bake at 425°F for 15 min, then lower to 350°F for ~35–40 min more.
  5. Pull with a jiggle. It's done when the edges are set but the center still wobbles like soft jelly (a few inches across). Carryover and cooling finish the set.
  6. Cool fully. Cool at least 2–3 hours (or chill) before slicing — it firms as it cools. Serve with whipped cream.
Steps — tap one to keep your place

✨ Untested — Claude drafted this one from scratch; it hasn't been cooked and amended in our kitchen yet, so treat the amounts as a starting point. No alcohol? swap the wine or beer for the same amount of stock, with a splash of vinegar or lemon for the brightness. Low salt — salt at the end and taste as you go; broth, cheese, and canned goods already bring salt.

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