Rachael Ray: Rachael's Daytime Talkshow

Buddy Valastro's Pumpkin Pie

Aired on: November 23, 2011

"I think there's no more American category of desserts than pies, ready to reflect the seasons with berries and stone fruits in the summer, and autumn bounty in the fall and winter. The first pie I think of is pumpkin pie because that's the one that's associated with Thanksgiving, when we make more pies in one week at Carlo's than we do the rest of the year combined."

"You might be surprised that we use canned pumpkin for this recipe, and suggest that you do the same at home. The reason is simply that fresh pumpkin is too variable and watery to behave right in a pie, let alone enable you to follow a recipe with any consistency" - Buddy

Ingredients

One 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 extra-large eggs
1 unbaked 9-inch Pie Crust

Yields: one 9-inch pie, enough to serve 10-12

Preparation

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 450°F.

Put the pumpkin, sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, mace, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Paddle at low-medium speed for approximately 2 minutes.

With the motor running, pour in the milk in two additions. Stop the motor, scrape the sides of the bowl with a wooden spatula, restart, and paddle for an additional 2 minutes. Add the eggs and paddle until absorbed, approximately 2 additional minutes.

Pour the mixture into a 9-inch pie crust in a pan, and bake for 15 minutes, then lower the heat to 375°F and bake until a finger dabbed onto the surface emerges clean, 30 to 40 minutes.

Remove the pie from the oven and let cool for 1 to 2 hours.

Slice and serve right away, or cover with plastic and refrigerate for up to 3 days.