Pumpkin & Caramel Pie

It came to my attention that I have never posted a pumpkin pie recipe on this site….what kind of baking blogger commits such a crime?! Me, I guess. I’m remedying that oversite NOW with a killer pumpkin pie recipe featuring a magical topping – CARAMEL. Why oh why on earth have I never paired these two before?! Big mistake, folks. Pumpkin Pie was meant to be topped with a lake of caramel sauce. Whipped cream is a must, too, but the caramel. Oh my word. Pumpkin & Caramel Pie is my new go-to for the holiday season.

This may be the best pumpkin pie I’ve ever had.

Note that if you want to make a leaf wreath crust that is as full as the one I made, you’ll probably want to at least 1 1/2 x the recipe for the dough to have enough to make loads of leaves. The leaves are cut out and baked on a separate tray, then cooled and placed on top of the finished pie. The more leaves you cut out and bake, the fuller your wreath will be. Time consuming, yes. But pie has always been a labor of love, hasn’t it?

Happy Baking, friends. I hope this pie makes it’s way to your Thanksgiving table!

Want a caramel sauce recipe that’s refined sugar free? Here’s a honey sweetened version that would be a lovely topping to this pie. Or try this version if maple is more your speed.

Pumpkin & Caramel Pie

 

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*If you would like your leaf wreath crust to be very full, like the one pictured, you may want to make 1½ times the crust to have enough to make plenty of leaves.

Author: Kayley McCabe

Serves: one 9" round pie

Ingredients

• FOR THE CRUST:
• 2 ½ cups All-purpose Flour
• 3 tablespoons fine Cane Sugar
• ¼ teaspoon Sea Salt
• ¼ cup Shortening
• 12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) Butter, cold and cut into small cubes
• ¼ cup + Ice Water
• FOR THE PIE FILLING:
• ⅔ cup Raw Cane Sugar
• 2 tablespoons All-Purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
• ⅛ teaspoon Ground Cloves
• ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
• 2 cups Pumpkin Puree (canned or fresh)
• ¾ cup Whole Milk
• 3 large Eggs
• ½ cup Sour Cream
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• ⅔ cup Caramel Sauce (homemade or store-bought)

Instructions

1. FOR THE CRUST:
2. Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with an ‘s’ blade. Close the lid and pulse the mixture a few times until blended together.
3. Add the shortening to the food processor and pulse once. Add the cubes of butter, one at a time, pulsing a few times after the addition of each cube.
4. With the processor running, drizzle in the ice water until the mixture starts to form into large clumps. Do not add too much water. Dough should not be sticky or wet, but should come together to form a nice dough.
5. Divide the dough in half. Wrap one half in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Roll the other half of the dough into a ball and place in between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll to a circle that is 1½-2 inches larger in circumference than your pie dish. Place the sheet of dough over the top of your pie dish and remove parchment paper. Press the dough in to fit the bottom and sides of the dish. Trim the dough to within a ½ inch of the pie dish rim. Make filling.
6. FOR THE FILLING:
7. Whisk the sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt together in a large saucepan. Add the pumpkin puree and whisk until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a simmer. Continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick and shiny. Remove from heat.
8. Whisk in the milk, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla until well combined and smooth.
9. Pour the mixture into the unbaked pie crust.
10. Bake pie at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for another 35-40 minutes, or when the center jiggles only slightly when shaken.
11. Let cool.
12. Roll out the other half of the dough that was refrigerated between two sheets of parchment paper to a thickness of ⅛". Cut leaf shapes out of the dough (I used a toothpick to press vein-resembling lines into each leaf) and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Brush the top of each leaf with a little bit of beaten egg. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until the leaves are golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool.
13. Pour caramel sauce over the top of the cooled pie and pile crust leaves around the edge of the pie.
14. Serve chilled and sliced, topped with whipped cream, if desired.

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