REBEL KITCHEN: As sweet as (pumpkin) pie

November 9, 2009 by Grace Funcion 

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a pie.

It is also a truth hidden in feigned admiration that I make pretty crumb-y pies.

Ever since I was little, my mother has always had panache for sticking frozen meat in the oven and having it miraculously transform into content sighs during digestion.

Seeing as I quit eating red meat and poultry years ago, I really have nothing going for me in the Thanksgiving department apart from carbs.

But pies, pies are an all-season treat. Like fashion, different fillings are in style during different seasons – pumpkin for the fall, cherry for the summer and mince meat for winter.

By this Thanksgiving, I want to bake the perfect pie.

With winter chills coming around, why not warm up this week with a classic pumpkin pie? With pies, most people focus on the filling. But without an excellent crust, the inside may fall short of being as great as possible.

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The ingredients:

For the crust (makes enough for two):

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup shortening (I used vegetable)
1 egg yolk

1. Combine sifted flour, sugar, salt and baking powder.

2. Cut in shortening until pea sizes form. When cutting in, I used two knives in a criss-cross motion so as not to overwork the dough.

3. Divide the egg whites from the yolk by cracking the shells in half and using a back and forth motion to pour the egg whites out.

4. Put yolk in a measuring cup and add COLD water to fill it. Add to the mixture. Do not overmix. If overworked, pie crusts become stiff and difficult to work with. The less you touch the dough, the better. Divide in half on a floured surface. Form dough into two disc shapes and cover separately.

5. Chill in refrigerator for one hour. The longer you allow the dough to rest and the shortening to reform, the better the crust will turn out.

There are many combinations for the perfect pie crust – different flours, different sugars, the amount of salt and even the type of fat used can alter the outcome drastically. The basic idea of not overworking the crust is to let the pea-sized forms of shortening, fat or butter melt in the oven as the pie is baking.

The dough is allowed to rest and become malleable once more. I let my dough rest for as long as I had: two hours. “One hour in the refrigerator is too long,” I thought, “What about 30 minutes in the freezer?” In it went.

For the filling (makes enough for two):

1-1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon. salt
1 teaspoon. ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon. ground cloves
2 teaspoon. ground cinnamon
4 large eggs
1 29 oz. can of pumpkin
2 12 fl oz. cans of evaporated milk

1. Mix sugar, salt, ginger, cinnamon and cloves in a small bowl.

2. Beat eggs in a large bowl.

3. Stir pumpkin and sugar-spice mix into the large bowl. A spatula will suffice because a mixer would overwork the eggs.

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Putting it all together:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Flour a clean surface and a rolling pin.

2. Remove the flour from the refrigerator onto the floured surface

3. Using the rolling pin, spread the dough from the center outwards until the diameter is slightly larger than the pie pan.

4. Use the rolling pin to roll and pick up the crust. Think of a paper towel roll, except you’re adding to it rather than tearing from it.

5. Gently spread onto a baking pan.

6. Using fingers, pinch ends into the typical crust shape.

7. Pour in half of filling. Keep in mind the mixture expands, so do not overfill.

8. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. This helps solidify the crust and filling top.

9. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. The pie is ready when you can stick a toothpick in the middle and it comes out clean.

Rebel Kitchen is a weekly column in which Rebel Yell staff members share some of their favorite recipes.