PUMPKIN PIE.

PUMPKIN-PRALINE PIE FROM THE "AMERICAN TEST KITCHEN.

I consider myself a very good baker, and working on a cake for 12 hours doesn't scare me usually, but somehow I always had a fear to bake an all-American pie. I have some kind of dislike to the recipes which requires to stop the process in order to put the dough in the refrigerator for an hour or two. Under a pressure of Thanksgiving menus seen and heard form everywhere, I decided that I must to try something that I had never had in my life- THE PUMPKIN PIE. I did the dough from scratch but you can definitely use the store-bought. The recipe was found by me in the trusted source -American Test Kitchen.

  CRUST:

1 1/4 cups (6 1/4 oz) all-purpose flour

 2 tbsp. dark-brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch pieces

3-4 tbsp ice water

 FILLING:

1 (15 oz) can plain pumpkin puree

3/4 cup (5 1/4 oz) packed dark brown sugar

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp allspice

Pinch ground cloves

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup evaporated milk

3 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

TOPPING:

1 cup pecans, chopped fine

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

Pinch salt

2 tsp dark corn syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp granulated sugar

FOR THE CRUST:

Process flour, brown sugar and salt in a food processor until combined. Add the butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Turn the mixture into a medium bowl. Sprinkle 3 tbsp of the ice water over the mixture. Stir and press the dough together until the dough sticks together. If needed, add another tablespoon of water. Flatten the dough into a 4-inch disk.Wrap the disk in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 -hour. After 1 hour , roll the disk in between two-parchment paper sheets. The sheets should floured. Roll it into 12-inch circle 1/8-inch thick.Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie plate. Press the dough gently into the plate and refrigerate for about 30 minute , then freeze for 20 minutes.

Heat the oven to 375 F.Line the chilled dough with a double layer of aluminum foil and fill it with dry beans or pennies. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Carefully remove the pie weights and foil  and continue to bake for 5-6 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack.

FOR THE FILLING:

Heat oven to 350F. Process the pumpkin, brown sugar, spices and salt in a food processor, about 1-minute.Cook the mixture in large sauce over the medium-high heat until thickened, about 4 minutes.Off the heat, whisk in the evaporated milk into the pumpkin mixture, then whisk in the eggs and vanilla. Pour the filling into the warmed pie shell. Bake for 35 minutes or until the filling is puffed and cracked around the edges and the center barely jiggles.

While the pie is baking, combine the pecans, brown sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the corn syrup and vanilla, using your fingers to combine. Scatter the topping evenly over the filling and sprinkle granulated sugar. Bake until the topping is bubbling around the edges, about 10 minutes. Transfer the pie to a wire rack to cool completely , at least 2 hours. Cut into wedges and serve.

The family's opinion was divided into half. Half of the family liked the pie very much and another half wasn't impressed much. The dessert itself is very good, it's just that we are so much more chocolate ganache and cake people than pumpkin pie eaters.    :)