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I never grew up celebrating Thanksgiving, so I guess I have never made a traditional meal. I always do a version of a South African braai or BBQ with tons of red meat.

Last week I was driving carpool to school and I asked the kids what their favorite thanksgiving dishes were. Some said turkey and gravy but everyone loved “Pumpkin Pie”. When I asked Jade what she liked, she shrugged her shoulders and said… “I don’t really know. You never make any of that stuff”.

Cue knife being jammed through my chest… What a bad, horrific mother. I have lived in the US for 16 years. My daughter was born here and I am raising my daughter without all the American traditions we should hold dear.

So I made my first Pumpkin Pie. And I have to say I am addicted. I couldn’t stop at one slice. The crust is buttery and flakey and the inside is indescribable. It’s so good you have to try it even if you aren’t celebrating Thanksgiving.

This year I am thankful for the love and support of all my friends around the globe. Now I just need to get over my fear of turkey and I am on my way to a traditional feast.

xxxx Chef MM

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Pumpkin Pie

  • Author: Melissa Mayo

Ingredients

Scale

FOR THE CRUST

  • 12 TBS (1 1/2 sticks) – ice cold unsalted butter
  • 1/3 cup – ice-cold vegetable shortening
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 TBS sugar
  • 1/2 cup ice water
  • 1 bag of beans- for blind baking (keep and reuse again)

FOR THE FILLING

  • 1 (15oz) can of pumpkin puree
  • ¼ cup white sugar
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp ginger
  • ¼ tsp nutmeg
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • Zest of 1 orange
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 3 eggs

Instructions

FOR THE CRUST

Cut the ice-cold butter and vegetable shortening into small cubes and place them in the freezer. Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to mix. Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 10 times, until the butter, is the size of peas. With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball. Don’t overwork the dough. You want little pieces of butter running throughout.

Dump out on a floured board and roll into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 425 F/220C

Roll the dough on a well-floured board into a circle, rolling from the center to the edge, turning and flouring the dough to make sure it doesn’t stick to the board. Fold the dough over your rolling pin and lay it over an 11-inch pie dish. Cut off any excess.

Place the pie dish on a sheet pan. Line the crust with parchment paper and fill with beans. Blind bake the crust for 15 minutes. Remove the beans and paper and prick the crust all over with a fork, and bake for 5 minutes.

Reduce the oven temperature to 350 F/175 C.

FOR THE FILLING

In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, white & brown sugar, spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg), salt, orange zest, milk, cream, and beaten eggs.

Pour the filling into the baked pie shell. Bake for an hour, until the filling, is just set in the middle (insert a knife in the center and it comes out clean). Set aside to cool completely.

SERVES 8-10

Notes

Heat slightly just before serving. You can serve alongside vanilla ice-cream or whipped cream.

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I'm Melissa, your host & tour guide.

A Food Network chef, author, mamma, eternal optimist, wannabe-mermaid, spice mixologist, and “dough therapist” (yep, it’s a thing)—

I'm also the founder of Susina Cucina, the gorgeous, Italian cooking school I manifested into my reality. I’m obsessed with Aperol spritzes, travel, and mouthwatering food… especially pizza and pasta.

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