Brûléed Bourbon-Maple Pumpkin Pie

Bourbon Pumpkin Pie

Yesterday’s Thanksgiving feast wouldn’t be complete without your traditional pumpkin pie. For those of you who know me, know that I love making dishes that take it to the next level and this Brûléed Bourbon-Maple Pumpkin Pie does exactly that. When my Pops and I were researching recipes to make for Thanksgiving, we came across this dressed up pie recipe from Bon Appétit and decided YES! this is the pie we’re going to make.

Chocolate Pie Dough

  • ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3½ tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1¼ cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 2 tablespoons chilled vegetable shortening, cut into pieces
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Pie Filling

  • All-purpose flour (for dusting)
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 15-oz. can pure pumpkin purée
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons bourbon
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground mace
  • ¾ cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Pulse cocoa powder, granulated sugar, salt, and 1¼ cups plus 1 tablespoon flour in a food processor to combine. Add butter and shortening and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer to a large bowl.

Chocolate Pie Dough

Whisk egg yolk, vinegar, and ¼ cup ice water in a small bowl. Drizzle half of egg mixture over flour mixture and, using a fork, mix gently just until combined. Add remaining egg mixture and mix until dough just comes together. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface, flatten slightly, and cut into quarters. Stack pieces on top of one another, placing unincorporated dry pieces of dough between layers, and press down to combine. Repeat process twice more (all pieces of dough should be incorporated at this point). Form dough into a 1”-thick disk. Wrap in plastic; chill at least 1 hour. (You can also do this ahead of time.)

Roll out disk of dough on a lightly floured surface into a 14” round. Transfer to a 9” pie dish. Lift up edge and allow dough to slump down into dish. Trim, leaving about 1” overhang. Fold overhang under and crimp edge. Chill in freezer 15 minutes.

Place a rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 350°. Line pie with parchment paper or heavy-duty foil, leaving a 1½” overhang. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until crust is dry around the edge, about 20 minutes. Remove paper and weights and bake until surface of crust looks dry, 5–10 minutes. Brush bottom and sides of crust with 1 beaten egg. Return to oven and bake until dry and set, about 3 minutes longer. (Brushing crust with egg and baking will prevent a soggy crust.)

Pumpkin Pie Filling & Bourbon

Whisk pumpkin purée, sour cream, bourbon, cinnamon, salt, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, mace and remaining 3 eggs in a large bowl; set aside.

Pour maple syrup in a small saucepan; scrape in seeds from vanilla bean  and bring syrup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-high and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture is thickened about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add cream in 3 additions, stirring with a wooden spoon after each addition until smooth. Gradually whisk hot maple cream into pumpkin mixture.

Pumpkin Pie Filling

Place pie dish on a rimmed baking sheet and pour in filling. Bake pie, rotating halfway through, until set around edge but center barely jiggles, 60 – 70 minutes. Transfer pie dish to a wire rack and let pie cool.

Brulee Pumpkin Pie

Just before serving, sprinkle pie with sugar and, using a kitchen torch, brûlée until sugar is melted and dark brown.

Brulee Pumpkin Pie

Happy Holidays! ~Crystal

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Pumpkin Curry Soup With Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin Curry Soup 2

In honor of the fall season (and my LOVE for coconut milk) I decided to make and share with you this simple Pumpkin Curry soup recipe. My favorite part about cooking with pumpkins are roasting the seeds afterwards. They’re so easy to make and there are SO many different options for dressing them up: roasted with sea salt, cajun, cocoa…for a sweet treat, curry power, lemon pepper, pumpkin pie spices…oh and the list goes on.

Pumpkin Seeds

The longest part to the below recipe is roasting and peeling the pumpkin so plan on roasting it for at least 30-40 minutes (this can also be done ahead of time). After the roasting the rest is as easy as pumpkin pie. 

Pumpkin Curry Soup with Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

  • 1 medium Sugar Pumpkin – seeded, roasted and peeled
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
  • 1/4 cup carrots, diced
  • 1/4 cup celery, diced
  • 1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
  • 1 can coconut milk
  • Sea salt for pumpkin seeds

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the sugar pumpkin in half, remove the seeds and place them in a bowl to the side. Discard the steam. Rub both sides of the fresh pumpkin with a 1/2 tablespoon of butter. Place the pumpkin, flesh down, on a baking sheet rimmed with foil. Roast for 30 – 40 minutes.

Roasting Pumpkins

While the pumpkin is roasting, clean the discarded pumpkin seeds throughly by removing any left over pumpkin pulp and rinsing them in water with a  colander. Inspired by Elise’s recipe for the perfect roasted pumpkin seeds, I boiled the seeds for 5-10 minutes in salted water. Drain the seeds, lightly pat them dry and then toss them lightly in olive oil. Arrange the seeds on a baking dish, coat lightly with sea salt and roast in the oven at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Keep an eye on them so that they do not burn! Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

After the pumpkin has slightly cooled, peel and dice it. Melt the butter in a soup pot and then add the pumpkin, onions, carrots, celery and garlic.

Diced Veggies

Cook on medium heat until soft. Add the curry, ginger, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup of the chicken stock and let simmer for 15 minutes. Add the coconut milk (reserving a little bit for garnish) and the rest of the chicken stock and cook for another 20 minutes. Remove from heat and puree in a blender until smooth. Garnish with warmed coconut milk drizzle and roasted pumpkin seeds. 

Serves 4 – 6

Pumpkin Curry Soup