Step-by-step: A Homemade Pumpkin Pie Tutorial

I don’t know about you, but for me, the highlight of Thanksgiving has to be that pumpkin pie served at the end of dinner. Bursting with flavors and rich in texture, pumpkin pie is a blessing to anyone with a sweet tooth. The good news is, this treat is also very easy to make. After trying out multiple recipes over the years, I have come up with my own version that provides the best result. I have revamped the ingredients to make sure they are as natural as possible and got rid of all unnecessary steps. So don’t worry if you have never made pumpkin pie before, for this recipe is completely beginner-friendly. This Fall, follow my recipe to cook the perfect pumpkin pie at home.

Ingredients:

The Perfect Pie Crust

• Cold Butter — 70g
• All-Purpose Flour — 130g
• Beaten Egg — 30g
• Powdered Sugar — 30g
• Salt — 1g

The Silky Smooth Filling

• Fresh Pumpkin — 230g (Pumpkin Purée works as well)
• 2 Eggs — 100g
• Heavy Cream — 125g
• Sugar — 20g
• Optional Spices: Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves

Optional Decorations

• Fresh Berries
• Whipped Cream
• Powdered Sugar

Directions:

1. Prepare all the ingredients. (Pic 1)
2. [Crust] We will be making the pie crust first (This step can be skipped if you have a ready-to-use pie crust). This easy-breezy method lets the stand mixer do all the work.
3. Combine the flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix for a few seconds, just to combine, then turn off. Cut up the cold butter into pieces (you do not need to melt the butter at this stage). Add the butter pieces to the dry ingredients. Start mixing on the lowest setting possible then gradually increase. Turn off when there are no visible clumps. (Pic 2)
4. Use your hands to gather the dough into a mass and dump it onto a piece of plastic wrap. Use the plastic wrap to form the dough into a ball, then smush into a disc with your hands, so the plastic wrap is extremely snug (If the butter happens to melt, store the dough in the fridge for 10 minutes, then take out and proceed). Let the dough rest in your fridge for at least 20 minutes. (Pic 3) 
5. Take the dough out of the fridge, and let it rest for 10 minutes to soften. Roll out the dough until it’s a little larger than your pie dish. (Pic 4 (1)+(2))
6. Gently press the dough down into the pie dish so that it lines the bottom and sidewalls. Crimp edges. Poke holes through the bottom of the dough with a fork to prevent it from puffing up while baking. (Pic 5)
7. [Filling] Cut the pumpkin into pieces. Steam the pieces until cooked and combine in a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add in sugar, heavy cream and eggs. Mix for 2-3 minutes, gradually increasing from the lowest setting to high. If you like the texture to be silky, as I do, filter the mixture through a strainer once or twice. (Pic 6) 
8. Pour the mixture into the pie dish. (Pic 7) 
9. Put the pie into an oven pre-heated to 350 F. Bake for about 40 minutes (Insert a toothpick into the pie, if it comes out clean, it’s ready-to-go). (Pic 8) 
10. Let the pie cool until it’s at room temperature (DO NOT take the pie out before it completely cools or else the crust could break).

There you have it — a healthy, 100 percent homemade festive dessert that completes your Thanksgiving. Serve alone or top it with whipped cream and/or fresh fruit, and be sure to share it with your friends and family! (Pic 9) 

Yvie Cai is a freshman in the College of Human Ecology. She can be reached at [email protected].