Ingredients:

• Pie crust: use your favorite recipe or store-bought
• Pumpkin puree: fresh or canned both work
• Eggs: help the filling to set up
• Brown sugar: sweetens the filling
• Treacle: hint of flavor
• Cornstarch: helps the pie set up, prevents cracks on the surface
• Salt and spices: flavor
• Pepper:
• Heavy cream: helps the pie with its smooth and creamy texture
• Milk: thins out the mixture

Pie crust:

I don’t have a recipe for pie crust, so feel free to choose your favorite. Store-bought crust works great as well. If making by hand, ensure that the pie crust is well-chilled for at least 18 hours before beginning. For a deviation on the classic, you can use a graham cracker (or other cookie) crust. However, the slices might fall apart. Be sure to pre-bake the graham cracker crust for 10 minutes.

Making the pie filling:

Whisk the pumpkin, eggs, and brown sugar together. Once combined, add the cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, pepper, heavy cream, and milk. Whisk everything until well combined and no lumps remain.

Rolling out the crust:

Remove pie dough from the refrigerator and place on a lightly floured surface. Flour your rolling pin and roll the dough out to a 12-inch circle. Place the dough into the pie dish, pushing it to the bottom of it. Trim the overhang of the crust and use it to fill in any gaps, if needed. Crimp the edges with a fork or with your fingers.

If at any time the dough starts to get warm, put in the refrigerator for 10 minutes before continuing.

Par-baking the pie crust:

Brush the edges of the pie crust with egg wash and line with parchment paper. I recommend scrunching up the parchment paper first, so it shapes more easily. Fill the paper with pie weights, uncooked rice, or dried beans. Par-bake the crust for 10 minutes, then remove the pie weights and paper. Be careful, as it will be very hot.

If you want to make pie crust leaves, roll the pie crust out to 1/8-inch thickness and cut into shapes. Brush with egg wash and bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 10 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

Baking:

Pour the pie filling into the warm par-baked pie crust. Only fill the crust up 3/4 of the way, or it will flow over when baking. Bake this pie for 55-60 minutes, covering with a pie crust shield or aluminum foil after 25 minutes to prevent the crust from burning. Take it out of the oven once the center is almost set.

When the pie is done, it will still be slightly wobbly, but it will continue to firm up as it cools. Ensure you don’t overbake this pie as that causes cracks to form. Allow the pie to cool for at least 3 hours.

Garnishes and storage:

Serve with whipped cream and pie crust leaves (note above). Cover the pie tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.