With another Thanksgiving right around the corner, I figured it was finally time to make my first real pie crust instead of using one from the freezer section. I went back to this post that had all of your great suggestions for pie crust recipes to try. Thank you. Thank you. And thank you.
Not sure which one to start with, I took pieces and parts from a few that sounded good. Strike that… that sounded easy. It seems I have an irrational fear of working with dough for some reason.
To start, I made sure to get all my ingredients super cold, including the metal bowl and pastry cutter.
I decided to try out a pie crust with shortening instead of butter… no reason… just because.
And I went out to buy a pastry cutter for the task. I’m sure this wasn’t necessary, but it did work great.
I also had this pie rolling pin that I bought about a year ago. The ends are tapered so you can turn and roll out the dough in different directions easily… I think. I’m sure this wasn’t necessary either, but it gave me a little extra confidence.
Now, don’t laugh at my pie dough. I have a feeling it’s not supposed to look this rough. It would definitely help to see someone do this first. I work much better when I know what things are supposed to look like. I also think I need to see what a lightly-floured surface means, because lightly wasn’t working so much. After rolling it out one time, I had to scoop it up and try again. Definitely leaning toward the generously-floured side of flouring. It reminded me of this doughnut disaster.
But not to give up, I carefully placed my twice-rolled, tearing and stretching crust in the pie plate, repairing sections where necessary.
And it worked. YAY!
Next came the cream cheese layer. It already looks better.
Then the pumpkin layer. YUM.
When it came out of the oven, it looked like a real pie. And the crust doesn’t look so bad after all.
Rustic… yeah… I was going for rustic if anyone asks.
Halfway through baking, I added the topping made of brown sugar, chocolate, pecans and a little maple syrup.
It was so good. Just the right amount of texture to go with the creamy filling.
If you use miniature chocolate chips, the crunch will be a little more subtle. Or just tell yourself that because that’s all you have on hand.
It was really, really good. I was even surprised by how good the crust tasted.
I think I’ve opened up a new world of baking. I see more pies in my future. As a matter of fact, I think I’m gonna make up some more crusts and freeze them to keep handy.
Try out this pumpkin pie and have a Happier Thanksgiving.
Here’s the recipe in order of assembly:
Pumpkin Pecan Cream Cheese Pie
Ingredients
Pie Crust
Cream Cheese Layer
Pumpkin Layer
Pecan Topping
Instructions
Bakerella,
Here is a simple sugar cookie recipe that my friend gave me. Everyone who has eaten one of these cookies has RAVED on and on about them. Try these and tell me what you think….
Sugar Cookies:
1 lb of butter
2 beaten eggs
2 tsp of vanilla
5 cups of flour
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of baking soda
*dough doesn’t rise much, so roll out to desired thickness
*bake @ 350 for 8-10 min
happy baking :)
Normally I’m not much of a pie eater but I tried this one out for Thanksgiving. It was delicious, and not too hard for my first!
:)
I don’t normally like pumpkin pie, but I gave this a go, because I know how much others love it… Made it, tried it, LOVED it!!! Thanks for picking out my new favorite pie recipe ;)
I tried this pie for Thanksgiving. It did not turn out like yours as far as looks. I followed the directions perfectly making sure the cream cheese was room temp and refrigerating the amount of time required. The only difference was I used fresh pumpkin so my pumpkin layer was rather runny. It was impossible to keep it from disturbing the cream cheese layer. But regardless, it still tasted wonderful. It baked good, the 2 layers kind of combined but it was still great. I didn’t have any leftovers that night! Kind of unfortunate actually. Next time I guess I will have to make two at once:) Thanks!
My husband’s the cook in our house. I’m the baker. We were sharing the kitchen on Thanksgiving Eve (which normally would have peeved him to no end) but he literally was drooling over this. I think it’s the first compliment he’s ever given me on something I’ve made in 12 years! And that’s before he even tried it :) It was by far the most popular pie on our dessert table of 8+ pies! No leftovers – I may just have to make another. Thank you Bakerella!
I don’t like pumpkin pie, but this one looks absolutely positively scrumptious. I am going to try it!
OK, I saw the post and made this pir for Thanksgiving! Everyone Loved it!! THANK YOU!!
I made the pie on Wednesday and ate it on Thursday, let’s just say that it was amazing!!!! Thanks you are awesome.
I braved it for Thanksgiving. It took me 3 hours since I had to read then re-read, and then re-read again. I have never made a pie crust before and it was very crumbly. It tore everywhere but I just patched it together. My husband LOVED it. He loves pumpkin pie and well I am not a pie maker. So thanks! It turned out GREAT!
sublimebritt, Andi, sophia, Gabrielle, Shari, Janet, HeatherNC, Ann@Houseof Estrogen, Sandra –
YAY! So glad so many of you loved the pie. I had it for Thanksgiving Day, too and it was devoured.
Jamie, Karla, Nathan, Allison, Rebecca B., junkwagon – Hmmm. Not sure what went wrong for you guys.
Here a couple of general things to make sure of
1. Cheesecake filling is made with room temp cream cheese (not melted)
2. When Cheesecake filling is mixed, it goes in the fridge for about 30 minutes to firm up.
3. Use a 9 inch deep dish pie pie plate
4. After cc filling is in pie plate, gently layer pumpkin mixture on so it doesn’t disturb the cream cheese mixture underneath.
5. The pie is cooked for a total of about 45 – 50 minutes. (20 with foil and another 25 after you put the topping on) So it shouldn’t seem undercooked.
6. Once cooled, it should set up and chill in the fridge for a couple of hours.
Vicki McCandless – too rich? that does not compute at my house.
Christine – In the US, you can buy canned pumpkin filling. I’ve never cooked with fresh pumpkin.
Ally – Yeah, I think those two things could def cause a difference. Go philly and Libby!
ugh…why doesn’t ANYTHING I try turn out looking like the pictures?
The pie was a success. I used store bought pie crust and left off the chocolate chips. I’m not a pumpkin pie eater, but I did like this-not too rich. I also liked the contrast between the cheese cake and pumpkin layers.
I made this tonight for our day-after-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving dinner, and it was AMAZING! So rich and decadent! My pictures turned out lousy… had the DOF too shallow, so I won’t share pics, but it looked so lovely too!
OMG! I made this for T-day dinner and it was a HUGE hit, it is DELICIOUS! (ok, so I chickened out and used a store bought crust), but its whats on the inside the counts, right? Oh, and I am making another one tomorrow for a b-day party. Thanks Bakerella!
Made this for Thanksgiving…(but used premade pie crust, thanks Pillsbury) and it was delicious! The cheesecake layer, awesome, pumkin layer yummy, and the topping, was crunchy and delicious….except for the chocolate chips. Didn’t think they belonged on this pie at all. Myself and another gal just picked them off, and it worked out fine, but I would not put the chips on it again. But will definitely use the rest of the recipe again! The only other thing I would mention is that my topping got pretty brown…I might delay putting the topping on a little while longer next time =) Thank you!
Tried the pie for Thanksgiving but I too was a failure. The pumpkin center never set and just oozed out when taking a slice. As pretty as it is, my family recommended that I never make it again. Oh well, it was worth a try.
I tried this pie with a store-bought pie shell, and it didn’t work! I followed the directions exactly, but the pumpkin mixture sank right to the bottom of the cream cheese layer! What could I have done wrong? I had to pour an entire pie shell’s worth of cream cheese/pumpkin mix down the drain, because I didn’t know if it could even be salvaged. What a waste of money… :(
Thanks bakerella, i hadn’t used a deep dish pie plate, i think that was mistake #1. Another thing I did was use organic cream cheese and organic pumpkin… that was a big mistake. The organic cream cheese didn’t fluff up at all and it didn’t firm up and the organic pumpkin was runny out of the can. Next time, i’ll use good ol fashioned philly and libby!
Hi dear BAKERELLA!
I´m from Monterrey, Mexico and I have to say tha I LOVE your site!… I´m a big fan…
And I have a question.. if I dont get the can of pumpkin how can I make the pumpkin layer?? I really hope that you can help me because i will love to prepare for my husband on our first christmas as a family!
Thank you & One big kiss!*
=)
Hi..I made this pie for Thanksgiving and even tho it looked delicious no one that tasted it really liked it.Everone said it was much to rich.I will make it again..but I will leave out the chocolate chips.
This pie was a hit! Everyone gobbled it up, leaving my plain ol’ boring pumpkin pie untouched! Thank you, Bakerella!
I had a pie-crust making lesson once. It always seems like so much work to make one that rolls out and then can be transferred into a pan. I am much more a fan of making a sweetened, thick dough, then smooshing it into a pan. Cookie dough has interesting results, too.
On another note, making pie crust is one of the tests students in blindness training schools have to show that they’ve actually learned to be independent. Given that pie crust is such a task to make, I think I would fail those tests no matter how many pie crusts I practiced with.
Delish! Rave reviews from the Turkey Day crowd! Thanks!
Betty Crocker sent out a newsletter today via email… One of the “recipes”? Holiday Cake Bon-bons. They look an awful lot like your cake balls! I guess they must read Bakerella there. :)
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes.aspx/holiday-cake-bon-bons
Ally, the same thing happened to me! The cream cheese was ultra runny and the pumpkin didn’t taste cooked. I’m so sad – it looked amazing!
I made this pie without the topping and gave every one a dollop of whipped cream on top instead.(nut allergies) Everyone liked it and thought the contrast between the cream cheese and pumpkin was great. I used my own pie crust recipe as I have been baking for many years and have a keeper. I also use shortening instead of butter it makes a flakier crust. Thanks for a new idea in pumpkin pies.
I made this and it was a huge hit! Thanks!
I made this pie the night before thanksgiving!! it turned out beautifully. Teh crust was awesome and the topping added he perfect texture.The only problem I ran into was that the pumpkin layer didn’t set as hard as i had hoped. It tasted delicious and wasn’t too sweet at all. I will definitely give this one another shot very soon!!! Thanks Bakerella :)
This is mouthwateringly tempting… I don’t celebrate Thanksgiving because I’m British, and also Indian, but the food always looks so spectacular. This is a lovely twist on the traditional pumpkin pie, and beautiful photographs too!
Great recipes and pictures. That pie looks delicious.
Betty
Heavenly 6 ingredient salad
Awesome apple crunch cake
Congrats on your first pie crust – you will never go back now. Simple is best when it comes to pastry recipes. Also, it is supposed to look “rustic” and rough. The filling and topping look divine though and I think I am going to have to try that one! Thanks for the recipe and good luck in future pie-making endeavors!
my sister and i made this last night and cannot wait to eat it after turkey this afternoon! the house smelled soooooo good while it was baking!!
Que maravilla, como cada una de tus creaciones, felicidades bakerella
i made this pie today, and another one but with out the topping….im excited to try them out tomorrow!!
thanks bakerella for the recipe!=)
I made both your pumpkin pie and your sweet potato bourbon cupcakes for Thanksgiving tomorrow. The pie looks beautiful and the cupcakes are soooooooooooo good! They taste like my father-in-law’s bread pudding with whiskey cream sauce. I gave my hubby a test bite and he loved it. This is a lot coming from a guy who really isn’t too into sweets. I just happened upon your site last week and I want to try everything! Thanks for lighting the fire of baking inspiration in me again. I consider myself a skilled cook and good baker, but I had never made a pie crust until today. Happy Thanksgiving!
Looks so yummy! I don’t like pumpkin pie… but I might just try this version…Time for me to start baking for tomorrow! Happy Thanksgiving!
Mine is in the oven! I cheated and used a refrigerated pie crust. I do want to master that some day when I have more time. Thanks for the great recipe.
LOL, mine two are in the oven too. And my pumpkin layer was kind of runny too. Hopefully it turns out! :)
Omg!! You made me bake my first pie today!! ; ) We will have it tomorrow, i had a bit of trouble picking up the pie crust, bit i just read a couple tips that i will try next time!! When i took my pie out of the oven to put topping on, some of my cheesecake was creeping up, is that suppose top happen? Well i’m sure it will taste great anyway!! Thanks for recipe!!! Now i’m baking your cheesecake!! You have me on a roll…… : )
MADE IT! Mine is not as pretty as yours, but I cannot wait to slice into it tomorrow. Thanks for the recipe.
mine is currently in the oven… smells delish!
I had the same trouble as Ally… my pumpkin mixture came out super runny and far to much for my pie pan. I actually scooped some out halfway through the baking and am letting it go a little longer before putting the topping on so it doesn’t all sink in.
normally i would steer clear of pie with nuts on top (i have this weird thing about textures) but i think i could eat that entire pie…by myself…for a snack. it looks amazing!!!!
I just made it today and it looks beautiful! I cannot wait to try it tommorow! Thank you Bakerella!
Rebecca S – the backgrounds are colored paper
Sandy W. – Paradise Pumpkin Pie?
Rachel – I bought those at the flour mill museum in Minnesota
sb – Photoshop and colored papers
Leanna – YAY!
Laura – I know. I have them. :)
Calli Makes Do – thanks
Ally – Hmm. Did you use a deep dish 9 inch pie plate?
Also did you refirgerate the cream cheese mixture?
The pumpkin mixture was pretty thick for me.
WishTrish – I bought those at the flour mill museum in Minnesota.
Amberli – You should be fine w/o it
Brenda Hayden – How about Paradise Pumpkin Pie
Bakerella— this pie looks amazing but i just tried making it and it was a miserable failure. It was wayyy to runny and overflowed. Any chance the proportions are incorrect or am I just not a cook? haha
Okay Bakerella, I broke down and tried your pie, it’s my first time EVER! I did cheat and buy the ready made roll out. I have to say, it was SUPER easy. Its now in the fridge cooling, I can’t wait until tomorrow so i think I’ll sneak a piece and call it “dinner”! I’m SO excited! I have a homemade pie crust from my aunt Ethel and I would probably try that since it’s the family jewel, Ethel is in her 90’s and has used it since she was young! Thank you for posting!!! BTW, the topping was delish, I was sampling it before I put it on my pie and after it baked!!!! YUMMMM
This looks AMAZING! I stumbled across your blog about a month ago and I continue to be impressed week after week with all of the ideas you come up with!
Your pictures are absolutely incredible! I absolutely try to do step by step pictures (although I am still new to this) but I will certainly be referring to your blog as time goes on!!
I made this last night! Except instead of pie crust, I made a spiced graham cracker crust and I baked it in a springform pan. It smelled wonderful! Can’t wait to taste it!
Looks delicious!
P.S. Butter is hard to get good results with, but it tastes great, and shortening is easy, but it’s kind of bland. So, my favorite is butter flavored shortening. It works best.
Bakerella,
As for pie crust, here are a few tips. Make sure everything is cold (great job, by the way), also, the dough should actually look MORE rough than it did. You need to add ice water to the flour mixture just until you can squeeze some in your hand and it stays together. Also, don’t stir in the water, kind of sprinkle it on and fluff it in with a fork. You shouldn’t stir it together. Then, on a floured surface, plop your dough (more like big crumbs) on the surface and just squish it around the edges a little so it makes a circle, but don’t pick it up or anything. then roll it out, but if it’s a little small, or irregular in comparison to the pie dish, that’s okay, don’t roll it out again–just patch it., no one will see the inside of the pie crust, trust me. I give you all these tips because you don’t want to stir or work it too much or it’ll form gluten which is great in bread, but makes a pie crust tough instead of flaky (another thing that can help is a recipe with a small amount of vinegar in it. The acid helps to shorten the gluten strands). I hope that helps in your future pie crusts. Also, if you want to freeze some, form it into that disc, wrap it in plastic wrap and wax paper or foil, and put it in freezer safe zip top bags. Enjoy!
DROOOOOOOOOOling.
I was hoping that you could help spread the word this holiday season!!
http://tees-closet.blogspot.com/2009/11/fill-pantry-challenge.html
Happy Holidays to you and your family!!
Looks delicious! I second the above recommendation for the pie crust (with vodka) from America’s Test Kitchen. It’s flaky and delicious – moreover, because it’s vodka, you can use more of it than you would water, so the pie crust is incredibly easy to work with. The vodka bakes out and doesn’t affect the taste at all. I had many pie crust woes before I found that recipe but now I fear pie crust no more!! :) Unfortunately, I live in Japan and don’t have an oven so no pies for me on Thanksgiving :(
Whoo, that crust looks PERFECT and I’m just drooling for a piece of that pie!! :)
Fantastic first crust effort! I cheat a bit (or maybe it’s just cleaverness), but my mom used to do it, so I figured it’s ok. I roll the crust on a piece of “lightly floured” parchment paper. When it’s the right size and thickness, I place my hand gently under the parchment and lift it, and the crust, up and carefully turn it over into the pie plate (crust on bottom, parchment on top). I then press it into place, and slowly peel the parchment back over itself and off the crust. It works every time. You might give it a try next time.
I love the idea of the nuts and chocolate on top. Yummy! Thanks for more inspiration.
Of all the times to wish for smell-o-vision!
Looks great – I may just be volunteering this dessert for Christmas dinner!
I’ve never seen this kind of pie before. It sounds really good. My bf’s mother just announced she was going to teach all the girls in the family (he has 3 sisters) how she makes her pie on thanksgiving. Her pies are almost famous in this area I’ve heard! I think I am going to try this recipe for my pie!
For the crust, so far I know she doesnt use a mixer and always uses shortening.
I’ve actually inherited the pie crust making gene from my grandmother, so I’ve been in charge of making pies since I can remember. I made this one for said grandmother and the family the other night, and it was a huge hit!! :)
I made this tonight, and oh my YUM! I used Martha Stewart’s Pate Brisee recipe. I’ve also been afraid of making my crusts, but you inspired me to try!
Turned out great. The topping is so good, I’m going to have to cover up the pie in the fridge and lock the cover, so I don’t pick it off. It’s like candy!
I recently photographed my Mom making pie crust… she has been making pies for 40 years, and her crusts are so light and flaky. At Thanksgiving she makes around 10 pies from scratch fresh in the morning. The tutorial really turned out nice. http://makeitdo.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/perfect-pie-crust-tutorial/ all the best, Calli
Adorable site!!
Oh my god. I’m totally going to put this on my reader. SO pretty!!! SO beautiful and yummy. I want to go to there.
ICLW!!!
Yummm!!! If your going to verge into the pie avenue, which looks like you’ve mastered here, watch the movie “the waitress” with Kerri Russell- the pies she makes in that movie look heavenly… And the names she gives her pies are fitting.
I’m baking this now
Williams-Sonoma has THE cutest lil’ piecrust cutters for the outer pie edges!
I’m definitely making this for my family…minus the pecans, because we don’t like them! THANK YOU!
I think I just started drooling a little bit… This looks SO amazing!!
Yummy! I have to thank you for this idea. I felt the pecan/chocolate chip/brown sugar/maple syrup topping would be a bit too rich for my liking, but loved the idea of the cream cheese layer! I happened to have all the ingredients, so I adapted my plans for Thanksgiving, and made one pie with the cream cheese layer, then pumpkin, and one just plain pumpkin. I had enough leftover stuff to make 3 mini pies, and I just tried one; can we say FAN-tastic??? Thanks! You started a new tradition in our family! I think for Christmas, I am going to try it again, only swirl the cream cheese and pumpkin layers. Yum! Thanks again! Love your blog!
Yum, pie! I tend to make a lot of graham cracker crust pies, but not because I’m afraid of pie crust. My favorite pie crust recipe is still from The Spice Cookbook, but it is more for some of the specific techniques suggested to make the pie crust flaky rather than super tough and doughy.
I think you just added.to my baking today!!!
Yummy, I’ve never tried to bake a pie, but I should try sometime!
I NEED to make this … and I don’t even like pumpkin pie.
Hi!
I have always wanted to make a pie just like the one in Walt Disneys Snow White! A Cherry pie with the nice plaid on top… Can you show me how to do that?
That pie is the best of all pie worlds in one, you don’t even have to choose, you can have it all, like Marie Antoinette! Love it, and love that I’m not the only one who is afraid of pie crust. Your mom probably made awesome pie crust like mine and so you never even had to go there. This gives me the courage to try again, bravo Bakerella!
Wow! I love your site!!
2 questions: Which photo editing program do you use? Also, are your backgrounds real or inserted by your program? (forgive the non techie language, I have very limited technical language..)
THis is a great pie crust similar to my grandmother’s recipe! Wonderful job. At the end of mixing the ingredients, i usually mix by hand. It helps soften/warm/melt the Crisco and make the crust more uniform. Then pop it in the fridge/freezer. Also, roll the dough out to the desired size, then roll it onto and over the pin to roll out into your pan. Easy peasy!
I’m totally going to have to try this one.
Yum! Love the combo of flavors and textures!
I love pie! SERIOUSLY. Love it! I don’t usually make it though-I have the same dough fear-but I have made a few fairly successfully. I’ve tried mixing in half butter/shortening, all butter, all shortening, butter flavored shortening…The butter flavored shortening worked best for me since I don’t work really fast and my dough isn’t as cold as it is when the pro’s do it with all butter but I plan to try Alton Brown’s method next week.
He pulses it all (minus the water) in his food processor then uses a spritzer water bottle. He spritzes the combined flour/butter/shortening mixture with a layer of water, pulses the food processor, checks his dough- if a little handful forms an easy ball, it’s ready- if not he gives it another spritz. He says it ensures even water distribution. I guess I’ll find out next week!
BTW-he refrigerates everything for 20 minutes after each step…raw ingredients including the flour, bowls, utensils, etc, he refrigerates it again after he forms the original dough ball, then one more time after he’s got it in the pie shell. Don’t know if I’ve got that kind of patience!!! ;)
i use the wax paper trick all the time! it’s the only way to do a pie crust. less repair once it’s in the pie pan. looks yummy!!
Looks delicious! Instead of messing with the “lightly floured surface,” I roll my pie dough out between two layers of plastic wrap. The dough doesn’t stick and it is super easy to get it into the pan.
Mmmmm… that looks so yummy! Thanks for sharing your recipe. Happy Thanksgiving!
Yum yum yum yum yum.
Yum.
I adore pumpkin pie but I never had the nerve to make my own pastry. You’ve inspired me.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to scroll back to the picture of the finished pie and lick the computer screen!
Your pie looks fabulous! Nice job on the crust. My mom rolls out her crust between two sheets of wax paper. That way it all sticks together and doesn’t stick to the counter. You have to anchor the wax paper to the counter so it doesn’t slide off when you’re rolling. I use my hip. It’s also easier to pick up the wax paper and put the crust in your pie dish.
I think I died and went to Pumpkin Pie heaven.
What a beautiful pie! I am not a fan of pumpkin pie but this might just do the trick for me! I have to say, pies are my favorite thing to bake, so it makes me all warm and fuzzy on the inside to know that you are branching out to make your own crust!
That pie looks insanely delicious! I would attempt to make it for Thanksgiving but my family insists on the recipe on the side of the Libby’s can…
I think your crust turned out beautifully, too!
This is the best! It’s like three of my favorite pies in one! Can’t wait to try this recipe! Thanks for sharing :)
I’m not a pumpkin pie fan, but I am SO making this for Thursday. Y-U-M!!!
my two favorite pies are chocolate pecan and pumpkin – and you combined them in one!!!
I’ve been gobbling up little bits of wisdom from your site for a while now, but reading this was a fun treat. I’ve been making pie crust since high school (let’s just say it’s been long enough) and when I saw your post I was like “oh my goodness, I can do this!” Our family has always used the Betty Crocker recipe and while it took a bit to get good it is worth it. And yes a generously floured surface is necessary. :) Good Job on your first pie, wasn’t it worth it?!
Awesome and it looks really easy too! Happy Thanksgiving!
I use ice water but the rest is room temp… you have to be sure that the crust is wet enough to stick together but not too wet. I also use the pastry blender and there is a mat from Tupperwear that you can use to help get your circle perfect.! a little flour and I use a ball bearing rolling pin.. I LOVE making pie crust and would NEVER use one that is from the refrigerator section! Pies are awesome and you will love it!
I will DEFINITELY be making that pie for thanksgiving. I was looking for something a little different than plain ol boring pumpkin pie AGAIN. THANK YOU!
PS – I’m sure you got a billion suggestions for pie crusts…but I stand by P-Dub’s version by far. Especially if you freeze it for a couple hours. When I freeze it, it comes out perfect and doesn’t crack at all. And its delicious and perfectly flaky.
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/12/p-p-p-pie_crust_and_its_p-p-p-perfect/
It looks delicious! I wil try it for Christmas. Thanks!
Holy cow, I’m glad I came back here to look at the comments. So many interesting baking tips — especially the vodka in the crust!
That pie looks devilishly yummy!
So glad to hear that I’m not the only one scared to make pie crust. I’ll be getting a lesson from my Grandmother this week, but I’ll save this post as a back up. It looks so good, thanks for sharing.
Ina Garten always makes her pie crust in a food processor, and it works great! Unlike a mixer, which can easily overactivate the gluten, pulsing with a food processor makes the pastry come together quickly and easily. Plus it tastes awesome. Check out one of her pastry recipes, they’ve never failed for me!
i was drooling from the first photo. great job. I have the same rolling pin and love it.
Pie Crust tips. (finally something I’m qualified to comment on) I’ve been making pie crusts since I was about 8, and learned from my grandmother.
I also prefer shortening for my crusts although my grandmother uses lard.
Don’t use a mixer.
The dough should actually be crumbly. That’s a good thing. The crumblier the dough, the flakier the crust will be. Try not to work with the dough too much because this will make it more elastic (less crumbly). For this reason I try to avoid re-rolling the dough at all costs.
I also want to second the previous comment about the value of left over dough. I always make sure there’s about 1 crust left over to make Flap Jacks. Now you can re-roll the dough, cut butter on top, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon and bake for about 15 min. With a good crust recipe, this is often enjoyed more than the pie. It’s also great for people to munch on while the big meal is being prepared and goes well with coffee.
I love pies, and would encourage you to make more of them!
Bakerella,
What kind of measuring cups do you use? I must have them! The green is so pretty, it actually looks like milk glass! Thanks!
That pie looks divine!! I LOVE the cream cheese layer and the toppings….sigh…I feel I need to loosen my belt just looking at it. Definately going to have to try out this beauty, thanks for sharing!
This looks so good! I have got to give it a try. Maybe do one pie as regular pumpkin and another with this recipe. :)
Have you seen this:
http://familyfun.go.com/thanksgiving/thanksgiving-kids-table-fun/thanksgiving-kids-table-recipes/tiny-turkey-dinner-683567/
Just came across this today!
My mother has a traditional pumpkin roll she whips up around the Thanksgiving season, a blend of pumpkin bread and cream cheese filling. Then my father, the master baker in our house, is the king of the chocolate pecan pie.
This recipe covers both sides of my family perfectly! Now won’t they be surprised when I show up to dinner holding THIS creation?! Best of both worlds.
I, like Bakerella, also have an irrational fear of working with dough! But I think your success has inspired me and I’ll give it a try :)
Your crust looks great! The entire pie looks fantastic!
My mother was an exceptional pie maker. She swore that shortening made for a more tender, flakier crust.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Mmm that looks good. I’m not a fan of pumpkin pie – too mushy for me, but I’m thinking this would be good, since it’s combined with the smooth bottom and crunchy topping.
Oh, and the pastry mixer *was* necessary, I assure you.
Agree with all the comments about the mixer – I never make pastry by hand. Still have no idea how much a stick of butter is but in the UK the standard recipe is twice the amount of flour to fat so I tend to make 250g flour and 125g fat. I make several batches and freeze uncooked pastry balls in freezerbags. You must, must try sweet pastry or pate sucree as the French call it, again really easy in the mixer. Raymond Blanc does a great recipe which I could email if needed!!
Like you, I am terribly afraid of pie crusts. I dont know why, since Ive never tried it and therefore never had any failures, but I think it must be all the horror stories about crusts. But… I think you’ve just inspired me to try. Here goes nothing!
Don’t fear the crust! It’s so worth it. I use half butter and half shortening to boost the flavor, while keeping the flakiness.
I *need* to make this pie.
Good crust recipe! I bet you had a ton left over, though, if you used all that for a single-crust pie. I take the leftover dough and roll it out, prick it with a fork, baste it with milk, and then sprinkle it with cinnamon and sugar. Bake for 10-12 minutes while your pie is baking, and you have a great snack!
no words for this piece of Heaven.
Wow looks so yummy
olga.
So, what do you call this pie? It needs a snappy name with all of those ingredients. Looks fabulous!
You did a lovely job! I am sure it was delicious!
Angela
I am totally making this for thanksgiving! I have been looking for a pumpkin pie recipe with some added spunk- and finally you have brought one to the table. I’m so excited! Thanks so much for the Bakerella!
ohmigosh…YUM!!! Way to be courageous..your crust looks superb!
I don’t like pumpkin OR pecan pie, but throw in some cream cheese and chocolate chips and this looks fabulous. YUM-MY!
This looks delicious, I will definitely try it this Thanksgiving. I was looking for new and fresh dessert recipes for our Turkey dinner, so THANK YOU! Bakerella, I hope you and your family have a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING! I bet it will be one of the most delicious dinners in the country!
:o)
Looks good… never heard of th crust recipie though…. the Tenderflake recipie is good and flaky…. but I wouldn’t suggest using a mixer or food processor because the secret to the flaky part is when you have small bits of the lard mixed amungst the rest of the ingredients and not to work the dough to much when rolling it out ( so do small portions at a time… enough for 1 pie). Than when it bakes the lard mixes with the rest of the ingredients and leaves small air pockets….. the flaky part.
This is good idea for a future blog… comparing the different crusts…. taste vers. flaky
That looks really good! I am a huge fan of homemade crust although, I admit, I don’t always take the time. I’ve popped some in the freezer before too. Way to go!
Love, Rae
it’s funny that u made this! i just saw it on the food network on throwdown. i’m not sure if they put chocolate chips though.looks yummilishous
Congratulations on your first piecrust!!! Funny that I should come across this — I am VERY intimidated by dough!! My in-laws are a great team at making pie crusts and so I asked them this summer if I could shadow them as they did it–and I did it! Have not attempted it yet on my own, but I actually did it. (My dream is to bake a beautiful loaf of crusty French bread one day….)
Anyway, congrats!
I’m visiting your site to get tips on dipping the Nutter Butter truffles — yum!! They are for my sister in law whose house we are invading this week for the holiday!
Bakerella, You’ve done it again. I’m drooling all over my keyboard. I’ve missed your posts this past week! I’ve been eagerly checking for new holiday recipes…and you did not disappoint! Definitely worth the wait! I will definitely be putting this in my oven…and quickly after, in my mouth….very very soon! =) Happy Thanksgiving! and Happy Baking! =)
yeah…I’m going to be making this for thanksgiving…something new other than the regular pumpkin and pecan pie!
THANKS!!!
Once again you have gone above and beyond … I was going to make a Pecan Topped Pumpkin Pie but after seeing this, my plans have changed … thank you!!! BTW I just started making pie crusts and have tried most of the above mentioned methods … the grating frozen dough works good BUT you want it to stay frozen, so I grated it using my food processor so my warm hands don’t melt it :) Then I use the food processor to make the dough … no sense in making a big mess if I don’t have to :) I will be posting my new found pie recipe later this week, since my first one was eaten by a small child before i could get a picture :)
This looks seriously yummy! I just might make this for my in-laws Thanksgiving dinner.
Would you PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE share with us how you take your photos? What is your setup process? The colors behind your food always looks so beautiful and seamless. PLEASE share???!?!!?
America’s Test Kitchen taught me to replace half the water in the crust recipe with vodka. It makes the dough way easier to work with, but during baking, it all cooks out, leaving you with a super flakey crust!
That is one gorgeous pie! I can’t wait to bake one myself. You’ll find making homemade pie pastry gets easier each time you do it. I’ve been baking for over 40 years and still use shortening in my pie crust…not a fan of using butter…the pastry is not as flaky with butter…and I like the neutral taste shortening gives to the pie.
Looks yummy! I don’t think it matters how you get the crust in, as long as it tastes good :)
A few ideas, though … try rolling out the pie crust on some wax paper, or even saran wrap. Then you can pick it up and flip it over onto your pie plate, and peel the backing off. This, unfortunately, does make the crust slide around a bit when rolling. You could probably use one of those silicone cookie sheets too.
One other neat trick that I’ve seen (from Chef At Home), is to partly roll your crust onto your rolling pin when you want to pick it up. Then carry your rolling pin with the crust draped over it over to your pie plate, and ease it on. This can be tricky if your pie crust dough is a little dry.
Good choice to go for shortening! I’ve used butter in a pinch, and while it tasted all right, it seemed quite greasy once baked.
I should have known you’d add chocolate to a pumpkin pie :)
yummy !!!
kudos for giving crust a try! it IS so much easier than everyone thinks. once you get the hang of it- you’ll never go back to frozen.
here’s a few tips from culinary school…
using shortening makes it mealy- so good for chicken pot pie- berry pies- pies with a lot of liquid. using all butter makes it flaky- so- for pumpkin, lemon meringue and so forth. i always use 1/2 and 1/2- it’s a great crust that works for everything.
for a flaky crust- break the /shortening into slightly larger than pea size chunks. this evenly distributes the fat and will make nice air pockets which = flaky.
you really don’t need pastry cutters or anything fancy. use your hands- it’s easier to manipulate what’s going on with the dough.
only use enough ice water to get the dough into one piece. if you work it too much it will become tough.
you know- i have to make 9 pies today…. i would be more than glad to take pictures of the process and email them to you. i work better with the visual confirmation that what i’m doing is right too. let me know.
rosiebug79@hotmail.com
if you add just enough ice cold water just to bring it together- it will be lighter
Kirsten said it all – Tenderflake Lard makes the best pie pastry:
5 and 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
2 teaspoons of salt
1 lb of Tenderflake Lard
1 tablespoon of vinegar
1 egg, lightly beaten
Water (ice cold)
– Mix together the flour and salt
– cut in Tenderflake Lard with a pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixture resembles coarse oatmeal or peas.
– In a 1 cup measure, combine the vinegar and egg. Add water to make the 1 cup measure full. Gradually stir liquid into the flour/lard. Add only enough liquid to make dough cling together. You will probably have some liquid left over. You can use your pastry blender or knives to mix the liquid in well.
– Gather this into a ball and divide it into 4 portions. Be sure to cover whatever you are not using at the moment with saran wrap to keep from drying out.
Roll out each portion as you need it on a lightly floured surface. *NOTE* for pie shell you obviously just roll out one shell at a time. Make it bigger than the pie plate so there is plenty to edge the pan with. If you are making tarts, I use the lid of a one pound margarine tub to use as a cutter. Perfect size for muffin tins which you will probably make your tarts in :-)
– once rolled out, transfer to a pie plate. The easiest way to do this is to roll the dough a bit on your rolling pin (to about the half way mark) then lift it on the pin, put the rolling pin at the halfway mark on the pie plate and unroll. Lifting it and depositing it this way makes for less opportunity for any crust to tear.
– trim off the excess. Leave about a 1/2 inch over the edge for a pie. Then flute the edges (you can just use a fork pressed into the edges to do this) and then bake this according to your recipe. *NOTE* For a prebaked pie shell like for lemon meringue simply bake for about 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees. Watch it though. For these prebaked shells be sure to fork it all over the bottom with the fork prongs. This will help keep the pastry from rising in the bottom and getting air bubbles in it.
This recipe will yield 3 nine inch double crust pies (6 pie shells) or a wack of tart shells.
To keep extra dough if leftovers simply wrap it in saran wrap and it will keep for a couple of days in the fridge or you can freeze this dough!
The thing I love about homemade pie crusts is that they *aren’t* perfect. They’re cracked and uneven and rough.
That pie looks delicious!
that pie looks fabulous and just in time i was looking for something different! thanks!
That looks tasty and I don’t even like pumpkin pie!
P.S. I made my very first red velvet cake ball this weekend. They were a hit! Definitely going to make them again and work my way up to the fancy cake pops! I also made the Snickerdoodle recipe and those were my favorite. Thanks!
Good for you for making your first crust! I attempted my first one for Valentines Day last year and it was *less* than successful. Maybe I will try again!
I’m going to try the pie for Thanksgiving. What is the name of the pie? I need a title for my recipe file. I didn’t see a name of the recipe, maybe I missed it. Maybe Chocolate Pecan Cheesecake Pumpkin Pie.
A pumpkin pie was requested of me by my sister-in-law, and i have to say, I really hate pumpkin pies. But this. Wow. this came at just the right time. What better way to cover up that weird smushed-pumpkin that with cream cheese and chocolate chips and pecans and maple syrup….I’m sure it will be delicious!
This looks DELICIOUS!
In my world when it comes to pumpkin pie, I say, “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it.” Your pie looks delicious but for a purist such as myself, there’s nothing better than the pie crust with pumpkin pie filling (and perhaps a dollop of whipped cream).
This looks delicious! I learned very quickly it is considered a sin to use a commercial pie crust in my husband’s family. My mom-in-law always makes homemade, and makes the best pies ever! I had to learn how to make them, although after 17 yrs I still don’t have it mastered like hers, but then, I only make them about once a year. I did find a recipe that uses shortening and butter combo, and makes for much tastier, flakier and easily handled crust. It is in America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook, which is the best cookbook for learning basic cooking techniques. Thanks for the post!
Huh, you’ve given me an excuse to help cook during Thanksgiving. I’ll have to try this on my family.
Your pie looks lovely!
My grandmother had neither butter nor Crisco, or a refrigerator to chill the dough or ingredients, but made the best crust and pies you have ever put in your mouth. No longer considered to be healthy or PC, but she used lard in her crust, back when you could get it very cheap. She used cold well water in the dough. then the baked them in a wood fired kitchen stove. My favorite recipe is from my ancient Better Homes and Gardens cookbook that I bought in high school. It has never failed me. There are new releases of that cookbook, the loose leaf one with the red and white check cover. I used my grandmother’s rolling pin, and I am sure that is one thing that helps :)
I will be making 2 of these for thanksgiving (one for my mom and one for my mother in law)… THANK YOU!
Thanks for posting this!!! For one, pies intimidate me, and two I’ve been looking forward to making a homemade pie I saw one recipe on food network using roasted pumpkins, and bananas. Looked DELICIOUS as does this recipe…maybe I could make both :)
Looks fantastic, I bet it was delicious!
Don’t fear the pie!!! Mastering pie crust will change your life. It’s not hard, it just takes a recipe that you feel confident with. Try a few – learning takes practice. It took me a few times to get it right, but once I did, my baking went up to a whole new level. I use all butter. You will be amazed at the flavor.
That looks delicious! I love cream cheese and pumpkin…and usually make a cheesecake out of them this time of year. But that pie is something I think I will have to try out. Thanks for sharing!
That looks great!! Nothing beats a pumpkin and cream cheese combination!!! A tip my grandma taught me when I was learning to bake pies: keep a close eye on thinner crusts while the pie is cooking & if it looks like it might get a little too brown, cover the edges with foil so it won’t burn. And her pies were the *best* pies I’ve ever had!
I made my first pie with a homemade crust a couple weeks ago, and it turned out fabulous! Now I have enough confidence to do it again, and this pie looks like the perfect one to try. I made an all shortening crust but found another recipe using half butter and half shortening that I plan to try next time. Great Job Bakerella!!!
That looks luscious. I’m no fan of plain pumpkin pie, but I think I could grow to love it sandwiched between cream cheese and that yummy pecan/chocolate crunch.
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
~Annie
Wow, that looks delicious! I think the from-scratch pie crust if probably beyond my limited baking abilities, but even I could probably manage the rest!
Yummy yummy yummy! We had early Thanksgiving because my husband deployed but I might have to make this for our upcoming Ham-giving! I wish you posted more than once a week! Your desserts are always so fun and delicious.
Ooooo, now this is an idea. My hubby (I know!) made a sweet potato dark chocolate pecan pie this weekend that was featured in this month’s Louisiana Cookin’, & it was pretty darned yummy. However, I didn’t care much for the typical corn syrup mixture that’s used for pecan pie fillings (it’s too sweet & masked the flavor of the sweet potatoes). Perhaps it’s time for a recipe mash-up, subbing sweet potato puree’ for the pumpkin… Hmmm…
AMAZING! Do I NEED the maple syrup or do you think it will be ok without?
It sure is time for Pie, I like how you took it up a few notches, not your average pumpkin pie, the crust looks amazing.
I have been making my own pie crusts for years and I think mine look just a little less rough than yours. It lets them know it’s homemade. When I’m in a hurry I have been known to use the refrigerated crusts, or the occasional frozen if I’m traveling with pies because the LAST thing I want is to forget and leave my good pie pans somewhere. My specialty is blueberry.
That looks superdy deliciousy. Mmmm.
I love the green measuring cups!!! Where did you find such darlings? :)
Oh, yum! That pie looks amazing. I will definitely give it a try. Congrats to you, Bakerella, on your first homemade pie crust. It’s not so scary, after all, is it? Great job!
Gordon Ramsay (English Chef) has an even easier way of making pastry. Very easy and fail safe using a magi mix. What is in pumpkin pie spice? Would love to make a pie for my American friend.
Looks delicious, might break me out of my regular pumpkin pie rut!
OMG, that pie looks absolutely yummy! I MUST try it!
I absolutely HATED making pie crust for a long time, so not many pies were ever made in my kitchen. My mom gave me a recipe for the absolute easiest and wonderful crust….I am no longer scared or too lazy to make crust from scratch.
2 c. flour
2/3 c. vegetable oil
1/3 c. milk
mix together (I use my hand and it’s NOT messy) and roll out between sheets of waxed paper. Then you can use the bottom sheet of waxed paper to get it into the pan….easy peasy! I get a lot of compliments on my pies too (thanks mom!)
p.s. I’m all about the ‘Rustic’ look ;)
I’m the self-proclaimed “queen of crust”! Until two years ago, I’d always made my own pie crust using refigerated butter-flavored Crisco. THEN… I mastered a “new” alcohol based crust recipe! This amazing pie crust is wetter and easier to work. The alcohol cooks off during baking and produces the flakiest pie crust ever! I’ll be posting a tutorial on http://winged-pigs.blogspot.com/ in early December. Please drop by to check it out :-)
~~~Anne
Looks so yummy! I might have to try this one!
(btw… I agree what people are saying about making the crust in the mixer! It’s SO EASY! I use the recipe in the book that came with my KitchenAid mixer! It’s so good… my mom – who has always made crusts by hand, and for years thought it was a sin to do it any other way – has started doing hers in the mixer!)
Have you tried Heidi Swanson’s Spice Kissed Coconut Milk Hazelnut lined crust Pumpkin Pie? It’s divine! It tastes like pumpkin pie, but it doesn’t have that “commercial” taste because the coconut and hazelnut give it a little extra home-made oomph. Your layer of cream cheese made me think of it. Try it out!
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/spicekissed-pumpkin-pie-recipe.html
Looks yummy. I never thought of a cream cheese layer at the bottom. Great idea. I will try that one too one day.
This looks absolutely delicious!!!
i need to take the gigantic leap & roll out pie crust as well. thank you for your honesty…i went back to your post with suggestions on pie dough & i am going to attempt the one where marni wrote that she makes a dough w/ vodka…her explanation made sense to me…also joy the baker has a dough that sounds yummy & does not need rolling.
Oh my gosh, that looks amazing! I’ve made pumpkin cake but I’ve yet to try pie. I love making pie and was taught by my mum how to do pastry, you’ve got to try it with butter, it’s for special occasions only (calorific!) but it’s divine!. I’m going to be starting the Christmas mince pies soon, can’t wait! Do you have mince pies in the US?
Oh my, oh my! I gotta try this for Turkey Day! Mmmmmm, so much for the South Beach Diet! Come take a look at my blog for some cakes I have recently tried decorating!
http://www.coffeebeansdailies.blogspot.com
I worship thee!!
fantastic pie!
The best crust tricks I have been taught:
– freeze your stick of butter, and grate it with a cheese grater afterward. it makes incorporating the butter much easier, and gives it less time to lose its cool (hardy har, “lose its cool” i’m sooo funny).
– I have an old tupperware rolling pin that is hollow, that i fill with ice water. to keep condensation from ruining the crust, i put plastic wrap on top first.
– to transfer the crust to the pan by folding it in half, and then in half again. place the point at the very center of the pan, then unfold.
beautiful pie! i just tried a recipe on allrecipes.com called Brown Family Pumpkin Pie with a pecan struesel topping and it was divine!
Looks good Bakerella. My mother always made the recipe of Betty Crocker pie crust, never fails. But I have this neat item, mom gave me.
A round disc that comes with a pie cloth that is round and has elastic on it, and it fits around the circular board. I also use a cloth for my rolling pin. Without it I cannot make a pie crust worth a darn.. Mom never used this item, and never had a problem with pie crust. Asked her why, she said practice, practice, practice. Don’t you just love mothers. Paulette
Did you bake the crust lightly before you put the fillings in? I seem to remember my mom always doing that….
anyway, that sure is a lot of different things going into one pie! Looks YUMMY, but very sweet.
How were you surprised that the topping tasted good!? I’m salivating just looking at the picture.
Not being from the US we don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, but I would love to try this pie. What exactly is in canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice?
That looks sooo good. I wish that pie would magically appear on my dining table.
Wow this looks so great and I will definitely have to try it out sometime. Although I am only 14 I do make pies ALL of the time. A pastry blender is needed because when I try to blend the things with a fork it just all sticks to the fork and it is not pretty!
OMG….This is the most amazing pie EVER!
I need it in my life.
Looks delish. Will second the comments that it’s easy to roll out between wax paper, or clingfilm. And chucking everything in a food processor gives you dough in seconds!
Wow, this pie looks fabulous !!!
I’ve never eat a pumpkin pie but yours seems yummy and I want to try this one first.
Thank you Bakerella.
Looks yummy! I’m also scared of pie….I’ve made one from scratch and keep finding reasons to avoid going back even though it wasn’t that bad.
i’m not sure if you have the product tenderflake over there (it’s shortening, if you don’t), but it has a great pie crust recipe on the container, which has always been my mother’s secret, and hers are damned flaky.
I totally understand what you mean by having to see someone else do it in order for yourself to get the hang of how you’re supposed to do something. Nevertheless, I’d have to say your pie came out beautiful and tasty looking!!
I’ve always been hesitant in making pies, especially making my own pie crust. But your demonstration has given me motivation and confidence. One question though, after layering the topping, should the foil go back on if I see that the crust is browning too much? I just hate having burnt or too dark crusts on a pie.
I plan on making this for Thanksgiving. Thanks so much for sharing!
Oh !!! This looks really good!!!!
WOW! You REALLY outdid yourself this time, I have to say… This may be The Best pumpkin pie recipe ever as it mixes two of my Thanksgiving favs in one happy combination! I am a “texture” oriented cook/baker and to me, the smoothness of the pumpkin, mixed with the crunchiness of the pecans and the sweetness of the chocolate chips sounds just dreamy to me.. I may forgo the cream cheese b/c I’m not a huge fan of cream cheese, but otherwise… BRAVA Bakerella!! You go girl… and Happy Thanksgiving!!
I make the pies for Thanksgiving every year and I roll the dough out between two pieces of wax paper, then you don’t have to worry about it sticking to the counter or adding too much flour. Then when you are done rolling, you can pull one of the pieces of wax paper off and then use the other one that the pie dough is still stuck to to flip it into the pan and then pull that one off as well. It makes it a lot easier! Just a little tidbit I thought I’d share!
I never make homemade pie crust either (my Grandma would disown me if she knew that). I’m a big fan of the Pilsbury roll-out crust, but this looks delicious! Canadian Thanksgiving is already over, but I will keep this in the back of my mind for Christmas Eve dessert.
Usually I’m super impressed by your offerings Bakerella, but this one just seems to be too much to me. I’d be thrilled if I were wrong though. I’m not a fan of throwing all the desserts from the table in one bowl. Sorry.
I did like the pie crust tutorial though. I haven’t braved that one yet. Maybe this year!
Looks like you did a wonderful job of your crust. I especially like the way you patterned it around the top edge. It looks fab.
Next time you could try making the pastry in your mixer (do the flour and butter first and then just slowly add the water through the funnel at the top) if you have one. It is incredibly fast that way and I don’t find it is any less good than doing it by hand.
Looking forward to lots more pies.
Liz
That looks so good! I am going to make 2 pumpkin pies and 1 apple pie for Thanksgiving…I may have to try this for one of my pumpkin pies! Thanks!
ill give it a try…
if ever this would be my very first pie to bake…
goodluck to me :)
Looks fantastic! I *heart* pecans & chocolate chips. Great variation on a boring old (but ever delicious) pumpkin pie!
This looks FABBITY! I WAS going to spend $36.00 a pie for the pumpkin cheese cake from Olive Garden, but now…well let’s just say hello oven. Thanks Bakerella, Happy Thanksgiving.