Ingredients
Crust
- 112 grams unsalted butter, room temperature (1 stick)
- 112 grams cream cheese, room temperature (half block)
- 56 grams heavy cream
- 195 grams 1:1 gluten-free flour blend
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar
Filling
- 425 grams squash or pumpkin purée (1 small can)
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 240 grams heavy cream
- 150 grams brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon bourbon or brandy (or 1 tbsp vanilla)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ginger, ground
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon, ground
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, grated
- 1 pinch cloves, ground
Maple Whipped Cream
- 240 grams heavy cream, cold
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Crust
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Process the butter, cream cheese and cream in an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle (or in a large food processor) to thoroughly combine.
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Add the flour and salt. Mix until just combined, and the dough holds together in a ball. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead just enough to pull it together into a uniform ball.
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Divide the dough into two evenly sized pieces. Shape each piece into a disk that is approximately 1-inch thick, smoothing the edges. You can also refrigerate the dough for up to four days. Let it rest for 15 minutes or so at room temperature before you roll it out.
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Cover in plastic wrap or waxed paper, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. You will have an extra piece you can freeze to use later.
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On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to approximately a 12-inch circle. Transfer crust to a 9-inch pie plate. Fold over any excess dough, then crimp edges. Prick crust all over with a fork, and chill 30 minutes.
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While the dough chills, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line crust with aluminum foil, and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake on the bottom rack for 10 minutes; remove foil and beans/weights, and bake about five additional minutes, until barely brown. Cool on rack until needed.
Filling
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Lower oven temperature to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin purée, eggs, cream, brown sugar, brandy/ bourbon, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Pour mixture into the pie shell. Transfer pie to a large baking sheet. Bake 50-60 minutes, until the crust is golden and center jiggles just slightly when shaken (like Jello). Cool completely before serving. If your crust starts to get too dark before your filling is set, cover the edges with a pie shield or some foil.
Maple Whipped Cream
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Using an electric mixer with the whip attachment, whisk cream, maple syrup and vanilla on low/medium speed for about a minute, until starting to thicken. Increase the speed, and whip for one to two minutes until soft peaks form.
You can also whisk by hand, but it will take a little longer and give you a good workout.
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Slice the cooled pie and top with maple cream. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Metal pie tins will give you a more evenly crisp crust than glass or ceramic (especially on the bottom).
You can substitute store-bought crust if you wish. Generally speaking, the ones that you have to unroll and put in a pie tin are better than the ones already in the pan.
Butternut squash actually makes a better pumpkin pie than pumpkin. They are very closely related, but butternut squash is a little silkier and sweeter. You can find squash puree in most supermarkets, usually near the pumpkin.
If you do not have all of the spices and don’t wish to get them all for one recipe you can substitute a total of 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice and 1 teaspoon cinnamon instead of the other spices.
Always check and make sure the alcohol you are using is gluten free. If your bourbon is 100% corn, you are fine.