Brandied Pumpkin Pie

Updated Sept. 26, 2024

Brandied Pumpkin Pie
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
About 2 hours, plus 1½ hours’ chilling
Rating
5(2,688)
Comments
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Pumpkin pie made with canned pumpkin is all well and good, but pumpkin pie made with fresh butternut squash purée is even better. Thin-skinned and easy to cut, butternut squash turns soft and velvety if you roast it, and a quick whirl in the food processor or a blender quickly reduces to it to a luscious purée. Here we’ve kept the seasonings on the light side to best showcase the character of the squash. But feel free to amp up the cinnamon and ginger if you like a spicier slice. The brandy is optional, and if you’d rather not use it, you can leave it out or substitute another spirit; bourbon is excellent. (Don't let making your own pie crust intimidate you: our pie guide has everything you need to know.)

Featured in: The Trick to Great Pumpkin Pie

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Ingredients

Yield:8 servings

    For the Crust

    • cups all-purpose flour (150 grams)
    • ¼teaspoon fine sea salt
    • 10tablespoons (141 grams) unsalted butter (1¼ sticks), preferably a high-fat, European style, chilled and cubed
    • 2 to 4tablespoons ice water, as needed

    For the Filling

    • cups squash or pumpkin purée (see note)
    • 3large eggs
    • 1cup heavy cream
    • ¾cup dark brown sugar (160 grams)
    • 2tablespoons brandy
    • 2teaspoons ground ginger (4 grams)
    • teaspoons ground cinnamon (3 grams)
    • ½teaspoon kosher salt (3 grams)
    • ¼teaspoon grated nutmeg
    • Pinch ground clove
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

428 calories; 27 grams fat; 16 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 40 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 22 grams sugars; 6 grams protein; 264 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Make the crust: In a food processor, pulse together the flour and salt. Add butter and pulse until the mixture forms chickpea-size pieces. Add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse until the dough just comes together. It should be moist, but not wet. On a lightly floured surface, gather the dough into a ball. Flatten into a disk with the heel of your hand. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.

  2. Step 2

    On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a 12-inch circle. Transfer crust to a 9-inch pie plate. Fold over any excess dough, then crimp edges. Prick crust all over with a fork, then chill crust for 30 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    While the dough chills, heat oven to 375 degrees. Line chilled crust with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 minutes; remove foil and weights and bake until pale golden, 5 to 7 minutes more. Cool on rack until needed.

  4. Step 4

    Lower oven temperature to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin purée, eggs, cream, dark brown sugar, brandy, ginger, cinnamon, ½ teaspoon salt, the nutmeg and clove. Pour mixture into the cooled pie shell. Transfer pie to a large baking sheet. Bake until crust is golden and center jiggles just slightly when shaken, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool completely before serving.

Tip
  • To make butternut squash purée, peel, halve and seed a 2½ to 3-pound squash and cut flesh into 1½-inch chunks. Coat with melted butter or oil and roast at 400 degrees, stirring once or twice, until the squash is tender, about 30 to 45 minutes. Let cool, then purée in a food processor.

Ratings

5 out of 5
2,688 user ratings
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Comments

Great recipe! I bought a pint of cream and used the leftover cup to make maple-bourbon whipped cream to top off the pie.

Maple-Bourbon Whipped Cream
1 c. heavy whipping cream
1 tbsp. maple syrup (grade A dark or grade B)
1/2 tbsp. bourbon
1/8 tsp. vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Whip 1-2 min over ice bath.

Here's why you follow Melissa's directions to peel then cut the squash in pieces and roast: it concentrates the flavor and dries up a lot of the watery juices. I roasted with the skin on, then had to reduce the pulp on the stovetop and pick out pieces of skin because the skin was so thin that it came right off with the squash.

This pie got rave reviews at our Thanksgiving! I also found that the crust and pie itself took longer than the suggested times to bake. I subbed canned pumpkin purée and followed a Cook's Illustrated tip to simmer the sugar, pumpkin, and spices before combining with the milk, eggs and bourbon; this step helps drive off water from the pumpkin and bloom the spices to intensify the flavor.

Good recipe, but if you’re giving infinitesimal gram measurements for the spices why not do the same for the pumpkin, rather than cups? It’s 340 grams. You’re welcome!

You can sub bourbon for brandy, use more ginger and nutmeg. Cook for 1hr. And 15min

This was my first pumpkin pie and it was stellar. Great recipe.

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