chai bourbon pumpkin pie
If a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it, did it make a sound?
Likewise, if a pumpkin pie isn’t made in the fall, did the months of October-December really happen?
Yada yada, pumpkin pie is a mainstay of food blogger types this time of year. I find the variety of recipes invigorating, however, rather than overkill. Because so many different formulas exist, one can try them all and find the perfect match for their holiday tablescape.
I myself have experimented with many a pumpkin pie, from Libby’s classic recipe to ones containing evaporated milk, or condensed milk, less pumpkin, more pumpkin. I haven’t met a pumpkin pie I hated, regardless of the source. The only way I’d consider a recipe a total flop is if it didn’t contain eggs or egg substitute. Or pumpkin. That’d be bullshit.
This guy, though? He’s pie in a tophat, lounging in a jazz bar with a rocks glass in hand and a monocle. Maybe smoking a pipe. An extra dose of comfort on a hazy fall night. Chai for extra pizzazz, bourbon for a trickle of warmth from mouth to tummy. He’s worth your attention this holiday season, the dapper fellow is.
Crust Buster
Well, except not. Rather than breaking the crust, you want to parbake it. Like with pizza dough, doing a quick dry bake prevents soggy pie and raw pastry from clomping between your teeth.
If you own pie weights (who the hell does?) use these, otherwise parchment and a big bag of dried beans works great. Arrange the crust as desired in a pie plate, then cover with parchment and pour the beans overtop. Bake 15 minutes covered, then remove the parchment and beans and bake 10 minutes more. When the crust is firm and golden, it’s good to go.
Custard Flustered
Ok, don’t get flustered – this custard is easy and comes together in minutes.
With your choice mixer weapon, whip up some pumpkin puree, brown sugar, and maple syrup. Using both types of sweetener deepens the pumpkin flavor. Then, mix in the eggs one at a time, followed by the heavy cream, vanilla, and bourbon.
Next up, the spices. Cinnamon, ginger, clove, nutmeg, allspice, black pepper, and a touch of salt. Be careful not to overmix – just until the blend is smooth and silky.
Pour the batter in the pie pan and bake for 55-60 minutes. The center shall be totally set and a toothpick without goopy residue. Cool the pie to room temperature, then cover and transfer to the freezer for at least 3 hours or the fridge for 6. A totally chilled pie is an agreeable pie. Sets nicely, slices more easily, and spruces up the taste even more.
You’re Totally Whipped
Ready to eat? Make some easy maple bourbon whip. It’s the tuxedo for your 5 star pie. Just blitz some heavy cream, maple syrup, and bourbon on a mixer’s high speed until stiff peaks form. These stand tall and proud after removing the beaters.
Here’s a bonus tip: if your pie cracked (shit happens), just splotch a big pile of fluffy maple whip over the crack and bam, no one will know the confection had a little oopsie out of the oven. Why do pies crack, you ask? Temperature shock, usually. Too high an oven temp or too quick a cooling process. Sometimes, it just happens for no real reason, but this does not a failed pie make. Disguise is a great coping mechanism. As is just eating the damn thing as soon as possible.
My advice? Buy yourself a nice pie plate for presentation as well as the practical nature of baking a pie. Pyrex is well and good, but the ruffles and ridges on a ceramic dish help shape this pie as a stunning Thanksgiving centerpiece. Any good dishware serves more than a one-time purpose, and honestly? You may not need 1,000 sets of rocks glasses (ahem, self) but one or two key items for the kitchen prove essential with repeated use.
That’s me saying you’ll make this pie more than once. So go buy a pie plate.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Ingredients
- 1 pie crust
- 1 can pumpkin puree
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 tbsp bourbon
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1 tsp ginger powder
- 1/2 tsp ground clove
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
maple bourbon whipped cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tbsp bourbon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Fit the pie crust into a 9-inch pie pan. Cover with parchment and weigh down with a pound of dried beans or pie weights. Do people really own pie weights? Anyhow…Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, then remove the beans/weights and bake an additional 10 minutes until the bottom crust is firm.
- With a stand or hand mixer, combine the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, and brown sugar until creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then whip in the heavy cream, vanilla, and bourbon. Mix in the cinnamon, ginger, clove, nutmeg, allspice, black pepper, and salt.
- Pour the custard into the prepared pie crust. Bake 55-60 minutes until the center is set and an inserted toothpick emerges clean. Set the dish on a wire rack to cool to room temperature, then cover with foil transfer to the freezer for 3 hours or the refrigerator for 6 hours, up to overnight, to chill completely.
- When ready to serve, beat the heavy cream, maple syrup, and bourbon to make the whipped cream. Slice the pie and dollop the whip overtop.
