St Louis Pumpkin Pie
This pumpkin pie is special!
Everyone has their favorite pumpkin pie - but this one is special. St Louis Pumpkin Pie is light, not overly sweet, and has a beautiful aroma.
The crust for this pie is fantastic, and uses the power of vinegar (or lemon juice) to make the crust tender. Once you have tasted this, I bet you won't go back to your old recipe. Really! Please try it and see. You won't regret it.
This pie has pecans on the top which are roasted as the pie bakes, and is served with whipped cream and drizzled with warm honey. The pecans and the honey give it a layer of divine aroma that you can't get with a plain pumpkin pie.
If you are making this pie for Halloween, you can arrange the pecans to make the pie look like a carved pumpkin, and it gives a cheery look to your Halloween party. If you want to make the pie for Thanksgiving, you can cut out fall leaf shapes with the extra dough left over from the crust to give it that Autumn Thanksgiving look. Don't miss this incredible pie!
This pumpkin pie recipe is THE BEST. Why? It is light, fragrant, and not too sweet. For sweet-aholics, you can just drizzle more warmed honey on the top, so the pie is flexible depending on your taste. After tasting this pie when I was 16, I have never found another recipe I liked better. And I have tried many pies! Try this - you will be amazed.
Ingredients
- 2 cups pumpkin (canned is JUST AS GOOD as fresh pumpkin. We tried it.)
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup light cream (or just use milk and add a bit of heavy cream)
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 Tablespoon flour
- 2 eggs
- The BEST pie crust, in case you need a recipe:
- 3 cups flour
- 1 and 1/2 cup shortening
- 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 -5 tablespoons water
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
Instructions
- PIE FILLING:
- First prepare pie crust in a large pie pan. This is a tiny bit too much filling for one small pan, but making it in a cast iron skillet works, or a regular large sized pie pan works. If you have no pie crust, you can just bake this in a greased casserole, no crust at all!
- Beat all the ingredients in a bowl with a mixer. Pour into a pie shell, and if you have them, float ¾ cup pecans on the top. Cook at 450 F for 10 minutes, then lower heat to 325 F for 50 minutes.
- This pie is fabulous all by itself. But if you want to gild the lily, drizzle in warm honey and serve with barely sweetened whipped cream. This extra step is part of what makes this pie so fantastic. Don't be afraid to try adding a tiny bit of warm honey. The honey flavor adds a beautiful depth of aroma that you can't get any other way.
- PIE CRUST - for two full pies:
- Begin with the dry ingredients:
- Add salt to flour.
- Blend the shortening into the flour. (A note on shortening - I like to use a mix of butter, for flavor, with extra virgin coconut oil. The coconut oil is a much healthier alternative, and works well in pie crusts. My Dad love to use lard. It makes a really wonderful crust, but it isn't so healthy. But once a year? Go ahead and use lard if you like its superior flavor.)
- Mix the liquid ingredients:
- Beat the egg.
- Add the water and vinegar.
- Mixing the dry and wet together:
- Pour the liquid ingredients into the flour.
- Stir until the ingredients are just mixed but don't over do it.
- Shape into 4 balls. I like to make 2 slightly bigger ones for the bottom of the crust and 2 smaller ones for the top.
- This pumpkin pie recipe needs a big bottom crust if you use a cast iron pan to make it. I think a cast iron pan makes a superior pie, and if you don't have one you should consider getting one.
- If you use a regular pie pan, it works too. I have also used a frozen crust from the store when I was desperate. This pie crust dough freezes perfectly.
Yes, it's the world's best pumpkin pie - You will be intrigued with its many layers of flavor
Autumn Pie Crust Decoration cutters - To make a prettier pie...
On an ordinary day just slapping a pie crust on top of a pie is enough. No need for frills. But for holidays, there is nothing nicer than making the pie beautiful. With these decorative cutters, you can easily make a masterpiece. I included a snowflake cutter - where I come from we are likely to have snow on Thanksgiving!
Some good pie pans - and other things that are helpful when making pie
As for me - I like to cook in a cast iron skillet. No aluminum, and it's easier to get a brown crust. But here are all sorts of fun options to make your pie look and taste beautiful.
“Vegetables are a must on a diet. I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie.”
— Jim Davis, author of Garfield Gains Weight
