Ginger Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients

For the Crust:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 stick unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces
1/4 cup lard, cold

For the Filling:
3 large eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup dark-brown sugar
1 tbs. finely grated ginger
1 3/4 cups fresh pumpkin (or 15-oz. canned pumpkin purée)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. fresh nutmeg
1 tsp. kosher salt

Karen Demasco’s Brandy Whipped Cream:
2 cups heavy cream
2 tbs. sugar
1/4 cup brandy

Instructions

Place the flour, sugar, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and lard, and mix with a pastry blender or fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add 1/4-cup ice water, using your hands to mix the dough together.

On a clean surface, shape the dough into a flattened disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. On a floured surface, roll out the dough into an 11-inch round. Center the dough on a 9-inch pie plate, pressing into the edges, and trim the dough to the rim. Chill for 10 minutes. Shape the scraps into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate.

Preheat oven to 375°. Line the pie shell with a round of parchment paper or foil, leaving a 1-inch overhang. Fill with pie weights, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the crust’s edges begin to turn golden. Remove the parchment and pie weights. Return the crust to the oven and continue baking for about 10 more minutes until golden. Set on a wire rack to cool completely.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350°. Roll out the refrigerated disk of dough to about 1/4-inch thick. Using a 1/2-inch cookie cutter, cut out 40 pieces of dough. Once the crust is cool, fan and press the cutouts to form a lip around the edge of the crust. Chill for 10 minutes.

Filling: Whisk the eggs, cream, maple syrup, brown sugar, and ginger. In a second bowl, mix the pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt; add egg mixture, and whisk to combine. Pour filling into cooled pie shell.

Bake on the center rack of the oven for about 60 minutes (rotating after 30 minutes) or until the center has a slight jiggle. Serve with brandy whipped cream.

Brandy Whipped Cream: Whip the cream and sugar to a soft peak. While mixing on low, add the brandy. Rewhip to soft peak. (Published 2010)