Year after year I make the brandied pumpkin pie from Gourmet magazine, 1992. The Cognac adds an adult kick, so I usually make a virgin pie too, but don’t miss out – give this classic a try!
The original recipe calls for 1 ½ recipes of pâte brisée, but I like my Perfect Pie Crust (which is very similar) and makes enough for a 2-crust pie, so you have plenty of dough for leaves.
Amy’s Kitchen Coach Tips:
- Use ½ the Perfect Pie Crust for the bottom crust, 10-inch pie pan. Roll out remaining pie crust and use cookie cutters for leaves. Brush leaves with egg wash and bake at 375 degrees F until lightly browned. Use for garnish on cooked pie.
- To make the checkerboard edge on the pastry, use a knife to cut the crust every ½ inch or so, all the way around the pie. Gently fold alternating squares of crust in toward center of the pie. Chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes before filling. (I don’t pre-bake this pie shell and I’ve never had a problem with soggy crust.)
- Garnish the pie with the pastry leaves just before serving and serve it with the ginger whipped cream.
- Ginger whipped cream: add ½ teaspoon ground ginger and 3 Tablespoons powdered sugar to 1 ½ cups chilled whipping cream while whisking to soft peaks. Fold in ¼ cup finely chopped candied ginger.
Cognac Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients
- 2 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin
- 2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2/3 cup milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup Cognac or other brandy
- pre baking: an egg wash made by beating 1 large egg yolk with 1 teaspoon water
- for serving: ginger whipped cream
Instructions
- In a bowl whisk together the pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt, heavy cream, milk, eggs, and Cognac until the filling is smooth. Pour filling into prepared pie shell.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Brush the edge of the pie shell lightly with egg wash and bake the pie in the middle of a preheated 375°F. oven for 1 hour, or until the filling is set but the center still shakes slightly. (The filling will continue to set as the pie cools.) Transfer the pie to a rack and let it cool completely.
Ripe Food & Wine | http://www.ripefoodandwine.com | Amy Andrews amy@ripefoodandwine.com
