This is the pumpkin pie that we had for Thanksgiving dinner last night. After a heavy dinner of turkey with all the fixin’s, I was really happy with this light and fluffy pie filling.
I know, light and fluffy aren’t exactly the words you think of when you say pumpkin pie, but this filling was more like a mousse than a custard. It was the perfect ending to a decadent and bountiful meal.
I also served this with a maple whipped cream, but we ate it so quickly that I totally forgot to take a picture of it! Trust me though, it’s worth the extra effort to make it. The maple flavor is a great partner to the warm pumpkin flavor.
Pumpkin Pie with Maple Whipped Cream
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups canned pumpkin
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 cup half-and-half
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 piece pre-made pie dough
Pumpkin Pie
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place 1 piece of pre-made pie dough down into a (9-inch) pie pan and press 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.
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. Add the eggs mixed with the yolks, half-and-half, and melted butter, and beat until combined. Finally, add the vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and beat until incorporated.
Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust 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.
Maple Whipped Cream
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp powdered sugar
Place all the ingredients into a cold bowl of an electric mixer. With the whisk attachment, whip the cream until soft peaks form.
Karen in the Kitchen 