Queen Bee Deep Dish Pumpkin Pie
Adapted from New York Magazine recipe, by Chef Peter Hoffman
I’ve always found pumpkin pie to be pretty boring! Not with this recipe!
It’s a layering of all the best flavors of Thanksgiving; pumpkin, cranberry, walnut crunch and whipped cream!
It is a labor of love, but Boy, is it worth it! If you’d rather not spend this much time on one pie but still want to add some pizzazz to your pumpkin pie, try Pecan Caramel Rum Sauce.
Read through the recipe before you begin.
You will need a 9” springform pan and a food processor comes in quite handy.
This recipe calls for almond paste in the Walnut Crunch. Some almost paste contains wheat. If you can’t find a wheat free brand in your store, there are many recipes for almond paste online.
Or simply leave out the almond paste. You may have to increase the butter 1-2 Tb.
For the Crust:
Use Pastry Crust recipe which makes two crusts, but you only need one crust for this recipe. You can wrap and freeze the second crust for later use.
PUMPKIN FILLING
8oz organic pumpkin, canned
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 Tb dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
6 ounces evaporated milk
WALNUT CRUNCH
2 Tb Queen Bee Cake, Cookie, Muffin Flour
1 cup walnuts
1 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup cold butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup almond paste, diced
CRANBERRY TOPPING
1 1/2 cups cranberries
1/2 cup sugar plus 2 tsp
WHIPPED-CREAM-CHEESE TOPPING
8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream
½ cup powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
PIE DOUGH
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
On a surface dusted with tapioca starch, roll the dough to form a 12-inch circle (Try a Pie Crust Bag). Line a 9-inch springform pan with dough (allow it to come two-thirds of the way up the sides). Prick the dough with a fork, brush with the egg wash, then freeze for 10 minutes. Line with parchment paper, and weigh down with dried beans or pie weights. Bake for 10 minutes, remove paper and beans, and bake until the crust is slightly brown, 2-3 minutes. Set aside while preparing the filling.
PUMPKIN FILLING
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a bowl, whisk together the sugars, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. Beat in eggs, vanilla, milk, and the pumpkin. Pour into the precooked shell and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until the custard is slightly jiggly in the center. The filling will be baked an additional 15 minutes when you add the Walnut Crunch.
WALNUT CRUNCH
Put Queen Bee CCM flour, walnuts, sugar, and cinnamon in the bowl of a food processor. Add butter and almond paste and pulse until crumbly. Spread walnut crunch over the top of the pumpkin filling and bake for 15 minutes, until crisp. Remove and allow the pie to come to room temperature. If not serving the same day, wrap cooled pie and refrigerate.
CRANBERRY TOPPING
Cook cranberries and 1/2 cup sugar gently in a saucepan until they form a jammy consistency. Remove from heat and allow to cool. If not using immediately, wrap and refrigerate.
WHIPPED CREAM, CREAM CHEESE TOPPING
In a stand mixer, whip together the cream cheese, the cream, and the confectioners’ sugar until it is smooth and medium peaks form. Add additional tablespoons of cream if necessary. I added about 3 extra tablespoons. This is a thick cream, not a “whippy” cream. It is very easy to serve this cream from a Ziploc bag with the corner snipped out, or with a pastry bag. Can be made a day ahead of time. You may need to re-whip with a whisk.
TO SERVE
Carefully spread the cranberry jam onto the crunchy topping. Top with the whipped cream cheese. If you are preparing this in advance, I would probably wait to add the jam and cream until you are closer to the time you are going to serve it. Spread cranberry mixture over the top of the walnut crunch, finish with whipped cream cheese.