Pumpkin Pie

"To use fresh pumpkin, halve and place a 1 3/4 pound sugar pumpkin, cut sides down, in a baking pan. Roast in a 400 degree oven until very soft, 50 to 60 minutes. Scoop out flesh and puree in a food processor until very smooth."

PUMPKIN PIE

makes one 9" single-crust pie

All-purpose flour, for dusting
Pate Brisee (see recipe below)
3 large whole eggs, plus 1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 c canned or fresh pumpkin puree
3/4 c packed light brown sugar
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/2 c canned evaporated milk

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out one disk of dough to a 12" round. With a dry pastry brush, sweep off the excess flour; fit dough into a 9" glass pie plate, pressing into the edges. Trim dough to meet the edge of the pie plate. Prick the bottom of the dough all over with a fork. On a lightly floured piece of parchment, roll out the other disk of dough. Transfer dough (on parchment) to a baking sheet. Chill pie shell and dough until firm, about 30 minutes.

Using a triangle-shaped cutter or a sharp knife, cut out about 40 triangles (each side about 1" long) from the sheet of dough. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk and 1 tbs water; lightly brush the bottoms of the triangles with egg wash, and gently press, slightly overlapping, to adhere to the dough, until the entire rim is covered. Lightly brush the decorated edge with egg wash; don't let it pool. Chill pie shell until firm, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Line shell with parchment paper, leaving a 1" overhang. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the edges are just beginning to turn golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove parchment and weights. Return crust to the oven; continue baking until light golden all over, 15 to 20 minutes more. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt, nutmeg, whole eggs, and evaporated milk until combined. Pour mixture into the cooled crust, and bake until the filling is set around the edges but still slightly soft in the center, 40 to 45 minutes. (Check crust periodically; if it gets too dark, cover up the edges with foil.) The filling will be just slightly loose in the center, but will firm up as it cools. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Pie can be kept at room temperature, loosely covered with aluminum foil, for up to 2 days.PATE BRISEE

makes enough for one double-crust or two single-crust 9" pies

For the flakiest crust, make sure all ingredients (including the flour) are cold before you begin.

2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
1/4 c ice water, plus more if needed

In the bowl of a food processor, combine flour and salt; pulse to combine. Add the butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some larger pieces remaining, about 10 seconds. (To mix by hand, combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, then cut in butter with a pastry blender.)

With the machine running, add the ice water through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream, just until the dough holds together without being wet or sticky. Do not process more than 30 seconds. Test by squeezing a small amount of the dough together; if it is still too crumbly, add a bit more water, 1 tbs at a time.

Turn out the dough onto a clean work surface. Divide in half, and place each half on a piece of plastic wrap. Shape into flattened disks. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight. The dough can be frozen for up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.