Best Mile High Pumpkin Pie Recipes

MILE-HIGH PUMPKIN PIE

Steps:

• For the pie dough: Pulse the flour, shortening, sugar, vinegar and salt in a food processor until it looks like fine meal. Add the butter and pulse until pea-size pieces remain. Sprinkle in 2 tablespoons ice water and pulse until the dough begins to come together. Pinch the dough with your fingers; if it doesn't hold together, add up to 2 more tablespoons ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, pulsing after each addition.
• Put the dough on a large piece of plastic wrap and pat into a disk. Wrap tightly and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or preferably overnight. (The dough can also be frozen for up to 2 months.)
• Lightly flour a work surface. Roll out the chilled dough into a 12-inch round and transfer to a 9-inch pie plate. Fold the overhanging dough under itself and crimp the edges with your fingers. Pierce the bottom and sides all over with a fork. Chill at least 1 hour and up to overnight. (If refrigerating overnight, cover with plastic wrap.)
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the chilled dough with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the edges are golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and continue baking until the crust is golden all over, 10 to 15 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• For the filling: Gently whisk the pumpkin, cream, granulated sugar, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and salt in a large bowl until just smooth (do not overmix). Pour the filling into the cooled crust and smooth the top. Bake until the filling is set around the edges but still slightly jiggly at the center, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• For the marshmallow meringue: Bring a few inches of water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment along with the sugar, cream of tartar and salt. Whisk to combine. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer base and place over the simmering water (make sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water). Cook, whisking constantly, until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture feels hot to the touch. Return the bowl to the stand mixer and whisk on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the marshmallow fluff and vanilla, then beat on medium-high until just combined.
• Gently mound the meringue on top of the filling. Use an offset spatula to spread the meringue all the way to the edges of the crust to completely cover the filling, then make decorative swirls and peaks. Toast the meringue using a kitchen torch or broil 1 to 2 minutes until golden brown (watch the meringue closely if broiling to prevent burning). Slice the pie into wedges and serve.

MILE-HIGH PUMPKIN-PECAN PIE

Steps:

• Make the crust: In a food processor, pulse flour, granulated sugar, and salt until combined. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining. Add 1/4 cup ice water in a steady stream, pulsing until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed (if necessary, add up to 1/4 cup more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time). Form dough into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, 1 hour (or up to 2 days).
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough just over 1/8 inch thick. Transfer to a 9-inch springform pan, adjusting dough as needed to fit flat against bottom and sides. Trim dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch overhang (reserve scraps); freeze 15 minutes. Line dough with a double layer of parchment and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake on a rimmed baking sheet 30 minutes. Carefully remove parchment and weights; use reserved scraps to patch any holes in crust. Bake until deep golden, 30 minutes; cover edge with foil if overbrowning.
• Meanwhile, make filling: In a large bowl, whisk together brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk in eggs, then pumpkin, until smooth. Slowly whisk in milk, cream, and vanilla. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. With edge covered with foil, pour all but 1 cup filling into crust, return to oven, and carefully add remaining cup filling; bake 1 hour. Remove pie from oven and top with pecans. Bake until filling is just set but slightly wobbly in center, 20 to 25 minutes more. Let cool completely on a wire rack, about 3 hours. With a serrated knife, cut off overhang and unmold.

MILE HIGH PUMPKIN MARINGUE PIE

Steps:

• CRUST:.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Combine ginger snap crumbs and melted butter in a bowl. Stir to Blend. Press into the bottom and up the sides of a deep dish 9-in (23cm) pie plate. Bake in the centre of the oven for 15 minutes, or until crisp and golden around the sides. Move to a rack to cool.
• FILLING:.
• Sprinkle gelatin over brandy in a small bowl. Let stand until softened.
• Scrape brandy mixture into a saucepan along with sugar, spices, pumpkin, milk, egg YOLKS, and orange zest. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture "mounds when dropped from a spoon".
• Transfer filling to a metal bowl and set in a larger bowl of ice and cold water. Cool, stirring Constantly.
• Beat egg whites and sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold into pumpkin mixture with sour cream until no streaks remain.
• Spoon filling into cooled crust and chill until set, preferably overnight. (You can cook from this point and skip the meringue if you don't like it. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes or until the filling looks cooked. Refrigerate until served).
• MERINGUE:.
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Whip egg whites and cream of tartar with an electric mixer at medium speed until foamy.
• Continue whipping at medium-high speed, gradually adding sugar until fully incorporated. Continue to whip until whites hold a stiff peak.
• Dollop over chilled pie. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until meringue is golden.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Sprinkle with ground ginger snaps if you wish.