John Russial’s Pumpkin Pie Crust 1½ cups all-purpose flour 1 tsp. salt ⅔ cup cold vegetable shortening 4-6 Tbsp. ice water Whisk flour and salt together. Cut shortening into flour mixture with pastry blender until shortening and flour make crumbly chunks no bigger than peas. Add in ice water by the tablespoon until dough just holds together when pressed into a ball. Press into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 20 minutes. Roll out with a little flour and place in a glass pie dish. Filling 1 cup pumpkin puree* 1 cup light brown sugar 4 large eggs 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 tsp. salt 2 tsp. cinnamon ¼ tsp. ginger Pinch of cloves, allspice and nutmeg 1 cup milk, scalded
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Holidays just aren’t complete without a slice of my dad’s pumpkin pie. It’s not your usual heavy and dense pie; [it] features a lighter custard with just enough spice to warm you up in those cooler fall and winter months. Paired with some lightly sweetened whipped cream, it is, hands down, my favorite dessert. He would always make it for my birthday and, although he lives on the other side of the country, I often make it for myself when I need a little slice of home.”
In a medium bowl, whisk the pumpkin, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt and spices together. Slowly whisk in scalded milk. Strain mixture into your prepared pie crust and bake at 350 F for 45 minutes, or until jiggly but set in the center. Keep an eye on the pie, and if your crust starts to darken, cover with aluminum foil to prevent burning. Remove from the oven and let cool at room temperature or in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve. Top with some homemade whipped cream, if desired. *You can also use butternut squash, cooked down and pureed.
MARTINA RUSSIAL GLASSHALFULL
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chapelhillmagazine.com
December 2020