Pumpkin Pie 101

I'm still on my pie kick. Thanksgiving is T- 2 weeks away tomorrow and I'm still tooling around planning a menu. I finally got off my butt and went to Whole Foods to order the turkey the other day. It's been one of those weeks, I'm tired, even with tomorrow off (yay for Veteran's Day) it still seems like the longest week ever.

But...it wasn't so busy and tiring that I didn't have some extra time to give another pie recipe a whirl....My co worker told us about this fabulous pie her husband made...pumpkin but with mascarpone cheese so it wasn't too pumpkin-y and she (as a non lover of regular pumpkin pie) loved it. So, I googled and searched and www.epicurious.com had the recipe. I'm not a huge pumpkin girl either. I know it's one of the healthier pies, but when theres a chocolate contraption and some fruity sugary deal next to the pumpkin pie, I usually go for one of those if I'm indulging in dessert.

Here was my pie before it went in the oven. I've been a mad pie making gal the past couple weeks...here are some of my tips from my learn by disaster type of approach I take to cooking and baking.

1) Put your pie on a cookie sheet...maybe pumpkin pie won't mess that bad, but fruit pies bubble over and sugary fruity liquid is a bitch to clean..especially from off the bottom of your oven.

2) My glass pyrex dishes work best. I don't like a metal pie dish because you can't sneak a peek at the bottom of your pie to see if its baked and I have a ceramic deep dish pie plate...I have to increase the baking time with that puppy..alot.

So..here's my creation in my Pyrex glass 9" pie plate on my favorite luvah of a cookie sheet (chicago metallic sold at Crate and Barrel) ...raw Pumpkin Mascarpone Pie

Here's the end result...just a note...this is fresh out of the oven...it deflated a tiny bit once it cooled but not to the point where it looked like a decrepit shrunken in lonely pumpkin pie that no one wants to eat.

Just another note...I used the pie crust I oohed and aahed over last week from www.allrecipes.com. It was flaky and fantastic...yes, a good pie crust excites me. Fabulous Pie Crust Recipe enclosed...

My thoughts on this pie--it's a nice classy twist on pumpkin pie. It's got some spice, it's got something different in it and it all works. I thought the mascarpone cheese would have more of a role in this..like you would have a creamy cheesy pie, but it just added something and isn't overwhelming or the main taste when you take a bite. So, it's a winner for the Allan Thanksgiving. Oh...the best part...I almost forgot...there's a mascarpone whipped cream that goes with it. Unfortunately I ran to my local Stop and Shop who sold mascarpone cheese at $6 for a tiny eensy weensy tub...so I skipped the cream...but will indulge for turkey day!

Here's the recipe...

Pumpkin Mascarpone Pie

Filling:


1 cup canned pure pumpkin
1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 8-ounce container mascarpone cheese*



Whipped Cream and Mascarpone Topping:

1 cup chilled whipping cream
1/4 cup mascarpone cheese*
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

* Just a note..you obviously need a crust for a 9" pie too!
For filling:


Using electric mixer, beat pumpkin and sugar in large bowl until well blended. Add eggs and next 7 ingredients and beat until blended. Add mascarpone cheese and beat just until mixture is smooth. Transfer filling to prepared crust.
Bake pie until custard is set, about 55 minutes. Transfer pie to rack and cool

For whipped cream and mascarpone topping:


Combine ingredients in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat to soft peaks.


Just a note...you're probably sick of hearing it...but better to know now vs. when you're pie is in the oven and you're wondering.....I baked this bad boy for an additional 15 minutes...I opened the oven and gave the cookie sheet a little wiggle after 55 minutes. The center of the pie looked a little jiggly..like unset jello, so I left it in for 15 more minutes and it was good to go.

I brought it into work and it was a hit with the co workers. Even the guy who said he doesn't eat pumpkin pie succumbed and took a slice.