Pumpkin Butterscotch Pie

Photo Credit: Bon Appetit's Tim Morris

With Fall in full-swing, it's definitely pumpkin pie time. Pumpkin pie was never in regular rotation when I was growing up, but there's still something so homey and satisfying about this creamy, spicy treat. This particular recipe, from Sarah Patterson Scott in the most recent Bon Appetit, is absolute perfection. It takes a little more effort than dumping a can of filling into a pie shell, but it is certainly worth the extra trouble. (I will admit that I cheated and used a frozen pie crust. I'm going to go all-out and make my own next time, though, when I also plan to use pumpkin that I've pureed myself--we have one smallish normal one (thanks to Karen and whoever was giving them away on North Quad) and one tiny one left from Halloween.) Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

Filling

• 3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar, divided (1/2 and 1/4)
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup Scotch Bourbon (I used Jim Beam, since that's what we had on hand)
• 1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup canned pure pumpkin
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice (I used closer to 1/2 teaspoon, since I went to the trouble of grinding it myself, and I liked the extra spice)

Whipped Cream

• 1 cup chilled whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon Scotch Bourbon -- see above

Preparation

Filling

• Combine 1/2 cup brown sugar, butter, and salt in medium saucepan; bring to boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Boil until deep brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add Scotch, then cream (mixture will bubble vigorously) and whisk until smooth. Return to medium heat and stir until most caramel bits dissolve. Strain butterscotch mixture into small bowl. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Resist urge to drink it straight from the bowl -- this will be difficult.
  
• Whisk remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar and pumpkin in large bowl. Whisk in eggs, then spices. Add reserved butterscotch mixture; whisk to blend.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour filling into crust. Bake until just set, about 50 minutes. Cool to room temperature, about 3 hours.

Whipped Cream

• Using super-awesome cobalt blue Kitchenaid electric mixer, beat cream, sugar, and Bourbon in medium bowl until peaks form.
  

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This pie is insanely good. The texture is perfect, the flavor is complex and lovely--not too sweet, just enough spice--and it's a really beautiful deep golden color on top. The only issue I encountered was that it made too much filling for my cheater frozen pie crust (but not enough for another whole pie). I'm sure I can find something to do with the extra, though.