People Finder
Smitten Kitchen’s Classic Pumpkin Pie with Pecan Praline Topping
THE GREAT PUMPKIN Deb Perelman's fluffy pumpkin pie from her blog “Smitten Kitchen” goes over the top thanks to an easy homemade praline sauce. (Photo: Andria Dilling)
For the crust: 1 ¼ cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt
1 stick cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes
¼ cup ice water, plus an additional tablespoon if needed
For the filling: 1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
2/3 cup sugar
½ teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
A few gratings of fresh nutmeg (or a pinch of ground nutmeg)
1 1/3 cups cold heavy cream
3 large eggs
For the topping: ½ cup packed light or dark brown sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons heavy cream
¼ tablespoon flaky sea salt, or a little less of a coarse salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup pecan pieces
Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse meal and the largest bits of butter are the size of tiny peas. Add the water, and pulse until the dough starts to clump together. Turn the dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Gather it into a disc, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 48 hours. You can also make the dough ahead of time and freeze it until needed.
Roll the dough out (between 2 pieces of parchment paper or on a lightly floured countertop) into a 12- to 13-inch circle-ish shape. Transfer it to a 9-inch pie plate, and fold the edges under the pie crust and crimp if desired. Return to the refrigerator until ready to fill. Again, you could cover and freeze the pie crust in the pie plate at this point until you are ready to use it.
To make the pie, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine the pumpkin, sugar, salt, and spices in a large bowl. Whisk in the cold cream until smooth, then whisk in the eggs one at a time. Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust.
Bake the pie for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees. Bake for another 30 to 40 minutes, until the center barely jiggles and a toothpick inserted into it comes out clean.
Let the pie cool on a rack completely. You can either serve it once it cools or cover and refrigerate for several days.
To make the praline sauce, combine the brown sugar, butter, cream, and salt in a medium saucepan set over medium-low heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce is thick and bubbly, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla and pecans. You can serve the sauce immediately or let it cool, place it in an airtight container, and refrigerate until you’re ready to use it. To warm, zap it in the microwave for 1 minute or so, and stir.
Serve the pie with some of the sauce spooned over the top and more served on the side.
Click here for a printer-friendly version of this recipeTo leave a comment, please log in or create an account with The Buzz Magazines, Disqus, Facebook, or Twitter. Or you may post as a guest.
