Brown Butter Pumpkin Pie
Silky smooth and richly spiced, this brown butter pumpkin pie is perfect for special occasions.
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup very cold unsalted butter, cut into tiny cubes
- 1/2 cup ice water (you probably won’t use it all)
For the brown butter pumpkin pie:
- 4 tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
- 1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 large egg yolks room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground all-spice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
For the crust:
- Mix flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor or blender. Add butter and pulse until a coarse meal forms. Be sure not to pulse too long, the butter should be no smaller than the size of peas. Slowly add in just enough ice water to form moist clumps. Gather the dough into a ball and divide in half (you can use a kitchen scale if you want them to be perfectly even). Form dough into 2 balls and gently flatten into disks. Wrap each disk in plastic and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least one hour. You will only need one disk of dough for this recipe, so you may want to place the other disk in the freezer until needed.
- Remove the dough from the fridge 15 minutes before you plan on rolling, as dough that is too cold will crack. Lightly flour a rolling pin and a large clean work surface.
- Set the dough in the middle of the work surface and - beginning from the center of the disk - roll the dough away from you in one firm and even stroke. After each stroke, rotate the disc a quarter turn clockwise and roll again. Lightly sprinkle more flour on the work surface, pie dough, and rolling pin as needed. You want to use just enough to prevent the dough from sticking. As your disc of dough becomes larger, be sure not to overstretch the center of the dough. Continue rolling until the dough is about 16-inches in diameter, and around a 1/4" in thickness.
- Carefully fold the dough in half and lay it across one side of a 10-inch glass or metal pie pan, placing the seam of the dough in the center of the pan. Gently unfold the crust, then use your hands to fit the dough down into the pan, making sure there are no gaps between the dough and the sides of the pan. If you see any visible air bubbles, gently burst them with a fork. Using kitchen scissors, trim the dough overhang to 1 and 1/2 inches, measuring from the inner rim of the pan. Roll the overhang underneath the rim of the pie plate and crimp.Lightly cover the crust with plastic wrap and place back in the refrigerator until needed, at least 1 hour.
- When ready to par-bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees (F). Remove crust from the fridge. Scrunch up a piece of parchment paper, then line the crust with the parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dry beans. Make sure the weights are evenly distributed around the pie crust.
- Bake, in the lower third of the oven, for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven. Carefully remove the pie weights and parchment paper and prick the bottom of the crust all over with a fork.
- Place back in the oven and bake for another 8 to 10 minutes, or JUST until the bottom of the pie crust is starting to brown. Remove the partially baked crust from the oven and place on a wire cooling rack. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees (F).
For the brown butter pumpkin pie:
- In a heavy-bottomed skillet or saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Continue cooking the butter after it's melted, whisking frequently, until the butter begins to foam and turns a deep golden brown. Whisk in the light brown sugar and remove from heat.
- Pour the butter/sugar mixture into a large bowl. Add in the pumpkin puree and sweetened condensed milk and whisk smooth. Whisk in the eggs, yolks, vanilla, and spices and beat until well combined, about 1 minute.
Assembly:
- Pour the filling into the partially baked pie crust. Place in the preheated oven and bake, in the lower third of the oven, for 1 hour, or until the center is *almost set. It should still have a jiggly spot in the center. This will firm up as it cools.
- Cool on a wire rack for two hours, then place the pie in the fridge for at least another 2 hours before slicing. Serve with whipped cream!
Notes
Cover the crust with a pie crust shield or some aluminum foil to avoid over-browning. The pie will keep, covered in the fridge, for 5 days.
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