Pumpkin Pie with Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream
The only pumpkin pie recipe you'll ever need.
Hi, friends - I hope everyone is doing well. I’m still feeling a bit exhausted from the election last week, though I was lucky enough to escape to the Catskills for a few days with my family. It felt good to slow down, be together and tune out the outside world for a minute. We tried a great falafel place (you must go if you’re ever in Rhinebeck), I got my pistachio cookie fix from Sweet Maresa’s and we watched way too much Million Dollar Listing at night after the kids were in bed.
Now we’re back home and back to reality. This morning, while blearily packing school lunches, I glanced at my calendar and blinked a few times in disbelief; apparently, Thanksgiving is two weeks away (wasn’t it 80 degrees in New Jersey last week?)! Ready or not, it’s time to start getting organized: getting the menu sorted, recipes organized (psst, here are some great ones), shopping started and maybe even getting a head start on some prep work. Am I stressing you out? Stay with me, there’s pie at the end of all of this.
If you’re hosting, remember that A) it’s more than OK to delegate something (appetizer, dessert, drinks) to your guests; most people want to contribute anyway B) you don’t need a Williams Sonoma worthy table scape and C) not everything has to be homemade - after all, Queen Ina says store-bought is fine! Whenever I entertain, I hit up Trader Joe’s for mixed nuts, olives, frozen apps (I like their veggie samosas and vegetable bird nests), Mediterranean-style hummus and crackers.
This year, I’ve decided to make homemade pumpkin pie for the big day. Making pie dough (aka pate brisee) is actually fairly simple, and the pumpkin pie filling couldn’t be easier - it’s made entirely in a blender. I’ve created my own recipe to share this year and I think you’re going to love it. Worthy of any Thanksgiving spread, the pumpkin filling is creamy, subtly sweet and warmly spiced. A dollop of homemade vanilla bean whipped cream really takes it over the top; that recipe only has 3 ingredients and is beyond simple to make, so it’s worth the extra effort. But, if you’re looking to save time, you can certainly use a store-bought pie crust and/or store-bought coconut whipped cream here!
