Rum Pumpkin Cream Pie

Y2, Week Seven: Coin Toss Pie

I’m having one of those weeks. I discovered last summer that sometimes I know exactly what pie I’m going to make the next week, and even the week after that, but in the current week I’m stumped. In difficult times such as these I turn to Mom’s classic NYT cookbooks; it came down to a toss up between the “Christmas in July” Eggnog pie and the “Everybody’s asking me to make a” Pumpkin pie. So, I did what any conscientious baker does — I tossed a coin.

Actually, I tossed more than one. I lost the first one under the couch. The second one rolled down the hall and while looking for it I forgot which pie was heads. On the third attempt I just dropped it on a table and let it roll around until it decided to stop on its own. Apparently, when anyone, including myself, asks me to catch something my brain/body connection shuts down and I mostly function as something you can bounce whatever you’re throwing off of. What can I say? I’m an endurance athlete. If people do throw things at you when you’re running, you are actually expected to dodge them.

As you can see Pumpkin pie won, which I hope will get people off my back about making pumpkin pie. Although, clearly, the gods of chance were also keen on the pumpkin pie as heads came up twice on the “drop.” Thank goodness I know what I’m going to make next week, because if I’m throwing money away it should be on something sensible, like this.

Local Foodstuffs:

• Yahara Bay Distillery Mad Bird Rum.
• Milk from Sassy Cow Creamery.
• Eggs from New Century Farms.

RUM PUMPKIN CREAM PIE

Vanilla Wafer Crust

1 1/2 cups finely crushed vanilla wafers
1/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
3/4 stick butter

Melt butter and thoroughly combine with crushed graham crackers and sugar in a medium bowl. Press mixture firmly onto the bottom and sides of a 9″ pie pan. Chill the crust for an hour before baking.

Pumpkin Custard

adapted from “The New York Times Menu Cook Book” by Craig Claiborne
1 cup pumpkin purée
1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
2 large eggs
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp rum

Preheat oven to 425°.

Combine pumpkin, sugar, salt, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice in a medium size bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, and rum. Add to pumpkin mixture and stir to combine. Pour mixture into prepared pie crust.

Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350° and bake for another 30-40 minutes, or until set (pie is set when a knife inserted 1 1/2″ from the center of the pie comes out clean). Cool completely.

Whipped Cream

1 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1 tbsp rum or vanilla

Whisk together whipping cream, rum (or vanilla) and sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form (frosting consistency). Pipe or spoon onto cooled pie to decorate as desired.