What are your must-have pies for Thanksgiving? For me, it's just not the same if there's not at least a Pumpkin Pie and a Pecan Pie. I like to add one or two extras to the mix every year, as well...just for variation. Sometimes it's Bourbon Sweet Potato. Occasionally it's a form of Apple (Crumb, Cheddar-Crust, Upside Down). Once I made a killer Cranberry Tart. Sometimes we do the Chocolate Pecan (...though, I prefer my Pecan to be left alone. OH! Unless it's the Rum Runner Pecan Pie I make sometimes. That I'll take). I've even done Buttermilk Pie in the past. And every couple of years, some sort of harvesty cake makes its way into the mix. I mentioned before that this is the first year that we didn't meet up with the extended family for our Turkey Day dinner...and in turn, I didn't need to make so many desserts. The two pies that I did make were even a bit much. But something inside won't let me make just one. The one thing I'm bummed about is that I didn't make or even eat a slice of Pecan Pie this year. Pecan prices are just too steep for me right now. So I stuck with a Pumpkin and a fantastic Apple Cider Pie (watch for it...). I don't think I've ever made the same version Pumpkin twice. I like mine thick and heavy on the spice, so I added some cardamom, allspice, and cloves in with the other spices. I really enjoyed this cream cheese crust. It didn't get soggy and it had a nice snap to it. The fun part, though? Definitely the shards of sesame seed snaps (brittle) strewn across the top. It added a contrast in texture and a great hint of nuttiness to each bite. This one will appear in the rotation quite often, me thinks.
Cream Cheese Crust
yield: 1 (9") pie crust
1¼ c. all-purpose flour
1 Tbs. sugar
½ tsp. salt
3 oz. (6 Tbs.) cold butter, cut in pieces
2 oz. cold cream cheese, cut in pieces
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
2-4 Tbs. ice water
Pulse flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add butter and cream cheese and pulse until pea-sized. Add vinegar and 2 Tbs. of icewater; pulse until dough holds together. Add a bit more ice water, as needed until you can press dough together. Gather into a ball, wrap in plastic and pat into a disk. Chill at least 4 hours.
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Sesame Seed snaps
½ c. sugar
1 Tbs. water
1½ Tbs. sesame seeds, toasted
big pinch sea salt
Cook sugar and water over medium-high until amber, ~7 minutes. Stir in sesame seeds and salt. Immediately spread on a silpat, sheet of parchment (or greased foil); let cool completely, then break apart. Store in a cool place in an airtight container until ready to use.
Pumpkin Pie w/ Sesame Snaps
yield: 1 (9") pie
1 recipe cream cheese crust
flour, for dusting
15 oz. pumpkin puree
1 c. evaporated milk
⅔ c. sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. ground cardamom
⅛ tsp. ground allspice
small pinch ground cloves
a few good grates of nutmeg
1 recipe sesame seed snaps
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough into a 12" circle. Gently drape it over a 9" pie plate. Fit it in and tuck the overhand under itself. Chill for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350° F.
Prick bottom of crust with a fork. Line with parchment, and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until edges are golden, ~20 minutes. Remove beans and parchment and bake 10 minutes more. Cool on a wire rack.
Whisk pumpkin, milk, sugar, eggs, and spices in a bowl; pour into par-baked shell. Bake until center is just barely set, ~1 hour. Cover edges with foil if they begin to get too dark. Cool on a wire rack.
Sprinkle the shards of sesame seed snaps over the pie just before serving. note: If you don't think the whole pie will get eaten right away, then I recommend only sprinkling them on the individual slices. If you sprinkle it over the whole pie, then wrap up the remainder for later, the shards will turn back into a syrup that sits on the top of the pie and eventually sinks in.
*This pie was adapted from 50 Pies insert of Food Network Magazine (Nov. '11)
