If you have (or have had) a picky little eater in your family then you know the sheer delight that overcomes you when he or she finds a new favorite food.
Two years ago I worked a miracle and got my picky eater (she’s not very picky anymore) to try a bite of pumpkin pie. Two bites later and my toddler was pumping her fists proclaiming her love for the spicy dessert. It was a Hallelujah moment and I immediately went online to hunt down every pumpkin pie recipe known to man.
I spent months experimenting with pumpkin pie recipes, adding and subtracting ingredients, modifying portions, basically, doing whatever I could to recreate the bakery-made pie my daughter devoured.
Finally, I came across a recipe for Traditional Pumpkin Pie from Food Network celebrity chef Paula Deen. It is my daughter’s absolute favorite and I make it at least five or six times a year. It is so incredibly easy to prepare, which shocked me considering Deen is a pro. If you are looking for a super simple, no-frills pumpkin pie that is extremely smooth and loaded with unadulterated flavor this is the recipe for you.
TRADITIONAL PUMPKIN PIE
Ingredients:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups canned pumpkin, mashed
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pre-made pie dough
Whipped cream, for garnish
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
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. Put the pie shell back into the freezer for 1 hour to firm up.
Fit a piece of aluminum foil to cover the inside of the shell completely. Fill the shell up to the edges with pie weights or dried beans (about 2 pounds) and place it in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, remove the foil and pie weights and bake for another 10 minutes or until the crust is dried out and beginning to color.
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 beat until incorporated.
Pour the filling into the warm prepared piecrust and bake for 50 minutes, or until the center is set.
Remove from oven and place the pie on a wire rack and cool to room temperature.
Cut into slices and garnish with whipped cream.
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