DECORATED PUMPKIN PIE

Decorated Pumpkin Pie image

Provided by Duff Goldman

Categories dessert

Time 6h40m

Yield One 9-inch pie (6 to 8 servings)

Number Of Ingredients 18

Ingredients

1 recipe Pie Dough, recipe follows
2 cups canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling!!!)
2 tablespoons cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons molasses
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
3 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten, plus 1 egg beaten with water for egg wash
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
Turbinado sugar, for sprinkling, optional
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
Pinch of kosher salt
Big pinch sugar
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 tablespoon white vinegar

Steps:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Roll out 1/2 pie dough recipe on a lightly floured surface and fit into a 9 inch pie pan. Trim any uneven overhang then crimp the edge around the pie.
In a big bowl, whisk the pumpkin, cream cheese, and molasses until smooth. Whisk in the sugars and spices. Whisk in the eggs and half-and-half until well blended.
Pour the filling into the pie shell and bake for 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and bake an additional 35-40 minutes, until the pie is still very jiggly in the center. Remove from oven to a rack and cool to room temperature.
Meanwhile roll out the second disc of dough to about 1/8 inch thick and cut out desired shapes or strips to make lattice. Attach to cooled pie, brush with egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar if you like. Bake an additional 15-20 minutes until the crust decorations are golden brown. If the edges are getting too dark cover them with foil to prevent burning. Remove and cool on a wire rack, serve at room temperature.
In a big bowl combine the flour, salt, and sugar and make a claw with your hand to mix it up real good. Toss in the cold butter cubes and massage them into the flour mixture so you get nice big chunks.
Combine the vinegar with 1/2 cup cold water (this is called acidulating, which just means adding acid to something - usually water). Stir the acidulated water into the flour mixture and gently work the dough until a ball is formed.
Divide dough and shape into 2 discs, wrap in plastic squeezing out the air and chill it in the fridge for at least 1 hour. This also freezes awesome for up to a year.