PCG Foods: Pumpkin Pie
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What’s Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie? We tried out multiple whole wheat crusts before settling on this one from Bob’s Red Mill. The key to a flaky crust is to work with it as little as possible, keeping the butter cold until it goes in the oven.

Ingredients

  • Basic pastry dough, chilled
  • 1 can (15oz) pumpkin puree
  • ⅔ cup coconut sugar
  • 1 cup heavy (double) cream
  • 2 whole large eggs, plus 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
  • 4 tsp all whole wheat pastry flour
  • ⅔ tsp vanilla extract (essence)
  • ⅔ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
  • Pinch of ground cloves
  • Pinch of salt
  • Whipped cream for serving (optional)

Instructions

  • Lightly dust a work surface and a rolling pin with flour. Roll out the chilled dough into a 14-inch round, about ⅛-inch thick.*
  • Lift and turn the dough several times as you roll to prevent sticking, and dust the surface and the rolling pin with additional flour as needed. Use a dough scraper or icing spatula to loosen the pastry round if it sticks.
  • Carefully roll the dough around the pin and position it over a 9-inch pie plate, preferably glass. Unroll the dough and fit it into the plate, gently but firmly pressing the dough against the sides and the bottom while taking care not to pull or stretch it.
  • Trim the edges, leaving a ¾-inch overhang. Roll the overhang under itself to create a high edge on the plate’s rim. Flute the edge decoratively and freeze for at least 30 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 425˚ F. Line the frozen crust with aluminum foil (or parchment paper) and fill with pie weights, uncooked rice, or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the weights and foil and continue to bake until the shell is golden, 4-5 minutes longer. Let the shell cool completely on a rack. Reduce the oven temperature to 325˚ F.
  • In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, coconut sugar, cream, whole eggs and egg yolk, flour, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt and whisk until smooth. Pour into the crust.
  • Bake the pie until the filling is set but the center still jiggles slightly when the pie plate is gently shaken, about 50 minutes, or longer if using a metal pie pan. Let cool completely on rack.
  • Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled, topping with whipped cream if desired.

*Tips for a perfect pie crust

  • Keep your butter cold. When cold butter hits a hot oven, the water in the butter evaporates quickly, helping to create a flavorful and flakey crust. When warm, soft butter goes into a hot oven, the butter weeps in the crust before it evaporates.
  • Refrigerate or freeze your supplies beforehand. Stick your mixing bowl or the flour in the fridge or even freezer overnight. This will keep everything cold and melt-free. If you forgot this step, let your bowl sit with ice water inside for a few minutes. Then thoroughly dry it out before using it.
  • Use a food processor. This will limit the contact the dough has with your warm hands. Use quick pulses and check it frequently.
  • Dough should be shaggy. Pea-size cold butter chunks dotting the flour mixture will create a shaggy and marbled dough.

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