Amy Scattergood's Bruleed Pumpkin Pie

Oooh, the frustration! It burns, it burns. Man! Here I was, absolutely inundated with beets, I mean, beets coming out of my ears, beets in the crisper, beets on the stove, beets in a Tupperware hidden in the office fridge, beets, beets, beets. My CSA had a glut of beets, you see. They actually called it the Year of the Beet. And so we ate a lot of beets. For most of September and October, we ate beets every time we had dinner at home. In November, I staged a little protest. I let those funky, rooty things hang out in the fridge for a while - our farmer told us the beets would store just fine in the crisper drawer and so I took her at her word. Bah. Tonight, I come home, armed with a new recipe for beets that was sure not only to taste delicious, but also be interesting enough to tell you all about (none of that toasted walnut/feta-or-is-it-blue-cheese/mint/been-there-done-that stuff), and furthermore, finally rid me of the last pound or two of beets ghosting about my fridge - and what happens? The beets went soft. Soft and wrinkly and totally grody-to-the-max, as my seven-year-old self would have told you. I stood in front of the fridge, stamped my foot, and threw the beets in the trash. So long, beets. 2007 is coming to a close anyway. May 2008 be the Year of the Something Else Entirely, please.

So, anyway, while I try to figure what else I can have for dinner tonight, I'll tell you about the pie I made for Thanksgiving. Yeah, yeah, I know - snooze. Who cares about Thanksgiving when there's Christmas to look forward to? (No roast goose for me this year as we're celebrating in Brussels - with oysters!) Well, some people, like the person I happen to share an apartment with, think that it's an abomination and a personal affront that pumpkin pie is associated with only one holiday a year. And you know, I actually tend to agree. Okay, so eating pumpkin pie would probably be strange in late June, when all you should be doing is eating soft, swollen, juicy fruit out of hand - but I don't really see why the third Thursday in November is the only Thursday in the year that really gets to own pumpkin pie.

And if you're making this pumpkin pie, the one that Amy Scattergood contributed to the LA Times's absolutely gorgeous Thanksgiving spread this year (color-coded - totally genius!), then I think you'll agree it could stand to be eaten on quite a few more Thursdays per year. And Fridays. And Saturdays, too.

First of all, the crust? A marvel. Amy credits it to Deborah Madison and I have to say it's absolutely wonderful. Faintly lemony and speckled with nutmeg, it's flaky as all get-out and a delight to eat. Look, look at the flake!

Or how about from this side, isn't it pretty? So pretty. (Yes, those are little stars. My stepmother owns a set of cunning little star cutters and so I went into full Martha mode on Thanksgiving, stamping out these tiny shapes, fixing them carefully to the edge of the crust, brushing them with egg wash, and feeling inordinately pleased with myself when they came out looking just as pretty as could be.)

(Flaky!)

Then the filling. First of all, you know that anything with Armagnac in it will turn out deliciously, don't you? You should. So that's a relief. Then, you can totally make this with canned pumpkin because that's, more relief, what the recipe calls for. (Though you should know, too, that it works out very well with freshly roasted and pureed pumpkin as well - which is what we, because we are apparently total over-achievers, did on Thanksgiving. Like there wasn't already enough stuff to do.) Thirdly, it has cardamom in it! Any pie (or bread or cookie or pudding, let's be frank) that has cardamom in it is destined to be a hit; it's simply written in the stars.

The only small (ish) problem is that you kind of have to plan ahead, like, make the pie the day before you're going to eat it, because it has to chill sufficiently before you can sprinkle sugar on top and brule it into glamly burnished perfection. We may roast our own squash for pie, but we do not plan ahead - at least not when we are at my father's house. But that's okay (yes! this pie rules), because if you are like us and can't make that happen, just add the final 1/4 cup of sugar, meant for the bruleed crust, to the filling and no one will ever know the difference. Your pie will be balanced and flavorful and delicious, with that softly yielding inside and that delicately crisp outside.

Oh, and one more thing: Do yourselves a favor when you make this, and be sure to have seconds. Because otherwise the pie will be gone in one fell swoop around the dinner table and there will be nothing - no cold slice in the morning for breakfast, or the next evening as a soothing dessert - left. But of course, that ends up making the very point I started with, that this pie shouldn't just be for that one night a year. So, buy two cans and plan ahead. Who cares that Thanksgiving's over? What are you doing this Thursday night?

Bruleed Pumpkin Pie
Serves 8

Pie crust
2 1/„4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
3/4 cup (1 1/„2 sticks) plus 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon vinegar
1 egg, separated
Scant 1/„2 cup ice water

1. Place the flour, salt, nutmeg and lemon zest in a food processor and pulse to combine. Cut the butter into 1-inch cubes and add the cubes to the flour, pulsing 4 to 6 times to break up the butter.

2. Combine the vinegar and egg yolk in a measuring cup and add enough ice water to bring the volume up to one-half cup. Add the liquid in a steady stream to the food processor, while pulsing, until the flour looks crumbly and damp, 25 to 30 pulses. The crumbs should adhere when you gather them together with your fingers.

3. Turn the dough out and divide into two equal pieces. Wrap each in plastic wrap and press into a disk; refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

4. Roll out one piece into a 12-inch circle, one-eighth-inch thick. Trim the edges flush with the rim of a 9-inch pie pan, place the dough circle into the pan and gently press the bottom and sides to fit. Roll out the other piece to a one-eighth-inch thickness and cut leaf shapes out of it. The leaves can be cut using a leaf-shaped cutter, or by hand using a stencil (ours was 1 inch by 3 inches) and paring knife. Using the back of a dinner knife, press a pattern into each leaf: Press one crease down the center, and 5 or so on each side of the crease. Mix a little water into the reserved egg white and, using a pastry brush, brush a little of the mixture around the edge of the pie crust. Press the leaves around the edge of the crust, overlapping them slightly and using the wash to adhere them, then brush the assembled crust with the wash. Freeze the pie crust for at least several hours and up to overnight.

Pumpkin pie filling and assembly
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
3 eggs
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons Armagnac
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 cup superfine sugar for bruleeing

1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, cream, milk, eggs, egg yolk, Armagnac, light brown sugar, white pepper, cloves, cinnamon, allspice and cardamom until blended. Pour the mixture into the frozen pie shell and bake for 15 minutes, turning once for even browning. After 15 minutes, reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue to bake 25 to 30 minutes more, rotating again. Remove and let cool until room temperature. Chill overnight.

2. Just before serving, carefully fold strips of aluminum foil over the leaf-covered edges of the pie, being sure not to cover the custard. Scatter the superfine sugar evenly over the top of the pie and brulee under a hot broiler until the sugar caramelizes. (Or use a brulee torch if you have one.) Serve immediately.

Comments

[Leah]

After reading this, I have stars in my eyes, and they are definitely the flaky, pastry crust kind. Oh pumpkiny goodness, I haven't had my fill of you yet. Aw hell, and here I was about to take a break from baking.

[Tammy]

I was all set to let my pumpkins rot to hell (you had a glut of CSA beets; I'm up to my eyeballs in squash and pumpkins). But now I'm thinking, what's one more pie? Five more, even.

[Amanda]

We eat pumpkin pie year round here! Yummy!

[mary]

this might just be the best looking pumpkin pie I've seen....quite an accomplishment with all of these lovely food blogs with professional-looking photos!

[Melissa]

Oh, you can't do this to me Luisa! I had finally made up my mind to make that NY Times' butternut squash pie you've been raving about for Christmas, but now you've gone and muddled me up completely! In all honesty now, which one should I choose??

(and don't you dare say 'both' ;)

[ann]

no one will ever be able to convince me that pumpkin pie is delicious.
That said, I'm so so so so so curious about your beet recipe! I've been looking for something a little off-beat (heh) to do with beets for awhile too. Can you share?

[one food guy]

That is one fine looking pumpkin pie! Nice touch on the starry crust.

And what's this I hear about butternut squash pie? MMMmmm mmmm tasty!

[Nora]

Wow Luisa, you got me at flaky! Your description of the crust makes my mouth water. And the filling with cardamom, yes!!! I love cardamom, it makes everything (well, almost) better. Thanks for sharing this recipe and very tempting photos.

Nora

[EB]

Stars! Oh man how wonderful. I was seriously chastised for not bringing pumpkin pie to Thanksgiving. I just thought it was boring. But au contraire! Brulee'd? Really? Think I could knock one of these out in the toaster oven of the office break room?

[Dana]

That crust is gorgeous. (You had me at bruleed.)

[Anne]

You roasted your own pumpkin? OK, now you're just showing off, Miss Thang. Beautiful, beautiful pie, though.

Deborah Madison is the one who tipped me off about adding cardamom to fruit desserts. You are right, it makes everything better. I add it to any fruit crisp or crumble I make.

[aileen]

Oh, goodness. I do so love your writing style! And when you write such fun things, and about ingredients that I actually do have in my pantry - oh, que joia! In all honesty, giving me encouragement to combine the precious armagnac (which I just happened to have picked up last year during a trip Outside on the advice of a neighbor who says it is the secret to her salmon liver pate) with the always obtainable cans of pumpkin....oh, I just swoon with gratitude!

[aileen]

Just in case you find yourself in another surfeit of beets....try Marion Cunningham's Beet Marmalade.

It's not really a marmalade, though it does get "put up" and has all the color and enticement of homemade pantry jams. I suppose you could try putting it on toast, but - up here on this side of beyond - it has come to be our preferred relish to serve with leftover roast beef. And, well, there's something just fun about this combo of quirky and practical.

[Pam]

Wonderful writing and an absolutely gorgeous pie - you've given me courage to try it, stars and all!

[Shaun]

Did you say armagnac? I'm sold.

Amy Scattergood comes up with real gems. As I have moved back to New Zealand (maybe not permanently...we'll see), my partner still in the US sends me the Wednesday food articles from the LA Times and NY Times. The Boston Globe's food section is really good, too, but I read that online as I couldn't find that paper in CA. Anyway, I'm glad that you've tipped your hat to Ms. Scattergood and this fabulous pie. If we had pumpkin puree or if butternut squash were in season I'd make it now...at the beginning of Summer.

Deborah Madison is a good source of inspiration, too. I know more of what to do with my produce from the farmers' markets because of her and Suzanne Goin.

A great pie for Thanksgiving and beyond - as you keenly suggest.

[Hillary]

I think this recipe is perfect for me! I have recently developed a love for pumpkin pie, but I have ALWAYS liked to brulee anything I could get my hands on...thanks for bringing to my attention!

[Luisa]

Leah - I was going to take the same break! Ha. How could I possibly ever?

Tammy - that's the spirit. :)

Mary - well, thank you kindly!

Melissa - man, that's a tough one. You know, it's a crap shoot. I say, flip a coin. (Aren't I helpful?!)

Ann - really, NO ONE? That's a challenge if I ever heard one... As for the beets, patience, my dear. You'll hear about them soon.

Nora - I'm so glad you agree about cardamom. I'm always happy to find a recipe that uses it. There aren't enough!

EB - man, first Ann, then you. Pumpkin pie, boring? Come on now!

Dana - thank you! It was soooo tasty, too.

Anne - you know, it was totally my dad - he roasted a buttercup squash. I actually would have been with the canned stuff, for once. What a good idea to add cardamom to crisps/crumbles!

Aileen - thank you so much, you're so sweet. And how interesting: Armagnac in salmon pate! I'll have to investigate. Also the beet marmalade - is it in Fanny Farmer?

Pam - hooray! You can do it! You really can. I'm so glad you're inspired.

[EB]

I know I know! I'm deficient in some way. Maybe I've just been subjected to boring, store-bought pies for too long. But I can't tell you have much I love those stars! And really... anything bruleed is just a-o-k with me!

Erin

[Kevin]

Love the beet 'situation'. These things and feelings happen when you have too much of anything. I find 'harvest season' challenging that way, and after years of fighting it, have just given in to not feeling bad hitting the compost heap with some veg I'm tired of eating day after day. [this year, chard]

[Valerie]

Hi Louisa,

love your blog and have been following it (quietly)over the past months. And now I see that you'll be in Brussels over christmas, where I happen to live. So no more excuses for not posting a comment. I don't know what your plans are but judging from your blog and knowing this city pretty well by now: I suppose EATING will be a big part of your christmas trip. Let me know if you need any restaurant recommendations (even though I wouldn't even know WHERE to start): food gets celebrated here any day and every day, but in combination with christmas it becomes a big and glorious feast. Enjoy!!

[Mercedes]

I love your tone in this post, so vibrant and enthusiastic. I've always liked the idea of playing with the crust, adding seasonings, spices, and zests, who said crust should be plain after all. And by the way, Brussels, Christmas, I am sooo jealous. Have some moules frites please!

[Luisa]

Valerie - thank you so much for the offer! I will be in Brussels visiting some of my Italian family, including my Sicilian uncle who is a wizard in the kitchen. Can't wait!

[Valerie]

A Sicilian uncle in Brussels, I guess that's hard to beat. One must: a stop-over at Pierre Marcolini's (on the Sablon) to sample the best chocolate and pralines in the world. Once you have tried it there is no going back. Have a great time - and tell us all about it when you are back!
Merry Christmas!

[Jody]

Hi Luisa, I tried this recipe, but I didn't have very good luck. (Or I did something wrong, but I'd rather chalk it up to luck!). I think it is a good thing that you didn't brulee yours. I bruleed and bruleed and the sugar bubbled and bubbled, but it just would not carmelize! Finally, I had to take it out because some of the sugar on the edges started to burn. I dug in anyways, but without that extra 1/4 cup of sugar in the filling, it is really bland. So, good thing you did not have time for that step (although I'm sure if you had, yours would have worked much better!). So, it's on to Christmas cookies! I'll try this pie next year without the brulee part!

[Luisa]

Valerie - we ended up at Marcolini, but the lines were insane, plus we heard that the quality has declined a bit...? Anyway, much chocolate was consumed regardless, from other smaller Bruxellois chocolatiers, yum :)

Jody - I am so sorry to hear it didn't work out for you!! Did you use a broiler or a blow-torch?