Pumpkin Apple Pie

Can’t decide whether to make a Pumpkin Pie or an Apple Pie for Thanksgiving dinner? Here’s an idea — combine best of both pies — pumpkin and apples — into one dessert. This is my all-time favorite holiday pie and the first one I ever made on my own. If you are hesitant about liking pumpkin custard, the combination aromatic apples and pumpkin pie spices tones down the pumpkin flavor and texture. Use a deep dish pie pan for this dessert as the recipe makes a large pie. Cooked apples make up the bottom layer and the pumpkin custard is poured over. No need to bother with a top pie crust or crumble topping. Although I’ve made this pie for years, I realized that I’ve never posted it on my blog. So, here’s my recipe. It is a holiday keeper.

Recipe Twist on an All-American Pie

Many folks don’t really care for pumpkin pie. However, this pie is such a holiday classic dessert to serve at Thanksgiving, how can you skip it? I was one of those doubters until I made “Pumpkin Apple Pie” years ago. I found the recipe in a Better Homes & Garden magazine and thought that this was an interesting twist on pumpkin pie. Apple Pie is probably our most favorite “All-American” pie ever. When you pour a little pumpkin custard over the apple filling; magic happens. The sweet apple filling tones down the pumpkin flavor and vise versa. The pie is delicious. I clipped the recipe and it went into my file box. I have been baking this pie ever since. Now, it is my husband’s official October birthday “cake” since he one of the family members who isn’t crazy about celebrating a birthday with a cake. But, he will devour a pie.

Recipe Tips

For this pie, use a large, deep dish pie pan. I have several Pyrex pie pans to choose from; either a 9″-diameter pan or the other is 9.5″-diameter pan. I’ve tried making the pie using a regular-sized pie pan but the filling runs over the sides. I won’t make that mistake again.

Here are the ingredients for my pie filling:

I used 3-1/2 Honeycrisp apples (2 pounds) in the filling which yielded 6 cups, loosely-packed, when peeled and sliced. The Honeycrisp apple variety is crunchy, firm and a little tart. They are just right when cooked in an apple pie filling. Yes, I did cook the apples in water/sugar/butter/cinnamon until slightly tender prior to adding to the pie crust.

The pumpkin custard filling is easy to make up — simply mix the ingredients together in a large bowl. For ease, I used canned pumpkin pulp rather than baking a pumpkin and scooping out the pulp. Evaporated milk helps give a “smooth” texture to the custard filling. In one recipe trial, I used 8 oz of evaporated milk and 8 oz pumpkin puree. In the second trial, I added the entire 15-oz can pumpkin pulp and 10 oz evaporated milk (2 – 5 oz cans). This made a much thicker pumpkin layer — your choice — thick or thin pumpkin custard. In addition to sugar, I added a little molasses for a richer flavor. Mix this custard up in a bowl by hand — no need to get out a mixer. Combined the pumpkin puree, spices, sugar and molasses. Then mix in the beaten eggs and evaporated milk.

One of the keys to a tasty pumpkin pie is all the aromatic spices. I make my own “pumpkin spice blend” rather than using a commercial product as I like to tone down the cloves. A little sparky cloves are great; but too much can overwhelm. Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves made up my spice mixture. Sometimes pumpkin spice blends include allspice and mace — these are optional ingredients.

Pie Crust

Of course a great pie starts with a rich, flaky pie crust. I’ve made so many versions; here are the ingredients for my latest recipe.

To accomodate a deep dish pie pan; the ingredient proportions are increased slightly compared to a standard pie pan recipe. I used both butter and vegetable shortening in this recipe. Yes, I know — I did include some shortening. The trans-fatty acids are supposed to be removed; so the shortening is not as harmful in terms of heart health. The shortening makes a pie crust pliable and much easier to manage. The result is a also flakier crust.

To make pie crusts, I use my trusty food processor. (Or you can blend the butter and shortening by hand if you don’t want to use a food processor.) Start out with cold, cold butter and shortening. Pulse with the flour/salt until the butter/shortening is cut into small flakes. You don’t want the fats to be completely blended. So, beginning with cold, solid butter and shortening is important. Then, add ice water down the chute into the food processor bowl until the dough forms into a ball.

Roll out on a well-floured board until a little larger than the Pyrex pie pan.

Carefully transfer over to the pie pan. To do this step easily, I roll the pastry up onto the rolling pin, and then lift and unroll onto the pie pan. This ceramic pie pan has a large “lip.” I left the pastry overhang by about 1/2″. Then I folded this pastry back up and crimped the edges.

No need to pre-bake this pie crust. And the pie doesn’t have a top pie crust layer or a crumble topping. Just add the cooked apple filling — drain it well first! — and pour on the pumpkin custard.

Since the edges of the pie pastry can burn before the filling is set, I wrap the pie crust in aluminum foil. Then, I remove it after 30 minutes of baking.

Bake until the custard is set and doesn’t jiggle.

Cool the pie to room temperature, the custard will firm up. Then cut into pieces. Serve with ice cream for an “à la mode” dessert. The flavor of the pie is great — and that’s what counts!

Enjoy a slightly different “twist” on pumpkin pie this year. Can’t decide what dessert to make for Thanksgiving? We have the best of both worlds — apples and pumpkin. This pie way exceeds anyone’s expectations. Enjoy!