Mile High Pumpkin Pie Recipe

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Mile High Pumpkin Pie  

Total Time  |  2-3 hours

Serves  |  8-10

What is a holiday dinner without the quintessential pumpkin pie? Whether you’re smothering it with a pound of whipped cream or having “just a little sliver,” pumpkin pie is the guaranteed after-dinner treat. This recipe takes that classic dessert to a new level. With (almost) a mile-high mound of light, fluffy meringue, you won’t need to worry about the whipped cream. Start a new tradition and present this showstopper at your next holiday dinner!

Ingredients for the pie

  • 1 9-inch pie crust, homemade or store-bought.
  • 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
  • 1/4 cup + 2 TBSP granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/8 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • For meringue topping:
  • 4 large egg whites
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Make the pie CRUST

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
  2. Roll out the pie crust to about 12 inches in diameter. Place the pie crust in an eight-inch springform pan or deep-dish pie pan. Carefully push crust up the sides of the pan so that dough is about 2 inches high. Cool in fridge for 15-20 minutes.
  3. Blind bake the pie crust: Once the dough is chilled, line pan with parchment or foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake dough for 15 minutes.
  4. After 15 minutes, remove pie from oven and remove pie weights/dry beans. Place crust back in the oven for about 5 more minutes, or until edges start to brown.

Make the pie FILLING

  1. In a small sauce pan, heat pumpkin puree, sugars, honey, spices and salt. Whisk to combine, and heat for about 5 minutes or until mix starts to come together and steam.
  2. Remove from heat and continue whisking.
  3. Slowly add whole milk and heavy cream, continuing to whisk to evenly distribute cold liquid into the hot pumpkin mixture.
  4. Add eggs and whisk until creamy and smooth.
  5. Reduce oven to 375 degrees.
  6. Pour pie filling into pre-baked crust. Bake for 45-55 minutes. Pie will be done when the center is just set, or a knife stuck into the center comes out clean.
  7. Once cooled, remove pie from the springform pan.

Make the MERINGUE

  1. Place egg whites and sugar into bowl of stand mixer.
  2. Add a few inches of water to a small sauce pan, and heat on low.
  3. Place mixer bowl on top of sauce pan to create a double boiler.
  4. Whisk eggs and sugar for a few minutes. Once sugar has dissolved and mixture has warmed a little, remove from heat.
  5. Place mixer bowl on stand mixer with whisk attachment.
  6. Add the vanilla
  7. Whisk on high until sides of mixing bowl cool down and medium-stiff peaks form.
  8. Once the pie has completely cooled, dollop or pipe the meringue onto the pie filling.
  9. Gently toast the meringue with a kitchen torch. If you do not have a kitchen torch, place the meringue-topped pie under your oven broiler for 30 seconds to 1 minute until peaks of meringue brown slightly.
  10. Refrigerate until ready to serve.