Who loves pumpkin pie? Everyone. Though we think of pumpkin pie as a holiday dish, pumpkin is available year round, and serving this pie at unexpected times of year always brings a smile.
INGREDIENTS
- 1, 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
- 2, 14 oz. cans canned pumpkin, mashed (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
- 1 cup half-and-half
- ¼ cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger (optional)
- 1 piece pre-made pie dough
- Whipped cream, for topping
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place pre-made pie dough down into a 9-inch pie pan, pressing down along the bottom and all sides. Pinch and crimp the edges together to make a pretty pattern. Put the pie shell back into the freezer for 1 hour to firm up. Fit a piece of aluminum foil to cover the inside of the shell completely. Fill the shell up to the edges with pie weights or dried beans (about 2 pounds) and place it in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, remove the foil and pie weights, and bake for another 10 minutes or until the crust is dry and beginning to color.
For the filling, in a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer. Add the pumpkin and beat until combined. Add the sugar and salt, and beat until combined. Finally, add the vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger (if using), and beat until incorporated.
Pour the filling into the warm piecrust and bake for 50 minutes, or until the center is set. Place the pie on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Cut into slices and top each piece with a generous amount of whipped cream.
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