Brown Sugar Pumpkin Pie with Turkey Topper

I love making creative pies for Thanksgiving!

Last year, I dyed somedough to make a turkey, which I baked separately and placed on the pie for serving.

This year, I decided to try painting the dough (like the Fall Leaf Pie Crust Cookies) and baking it on the pie.

I’m not sure about everyone else’s recipe, but my pumpkin pie filling is very liquidy when it goes in the oven, so toppings are not going to happen in the beginning stages of baking.  Instead, the pie crust turkey is cut out and painted and set aside until the last 20-30 minutes of baking.  That way, the pie is sturdy enough to support the turkey without overbaking.

I also doubled by dough recipe this year, so I had enough dough to make the turkey without resorting to the scraps.  I used the rest of the dough for the leaf cookies and added a few of those to the final pie as well!

One final change I made this year – I swapped out the white sugar and used dark brown sugar is its place.  And it was amazing!  The spiced rum (last year’s addition) melded beautifully with the brown sugar and added a depth of flavor Hubs and I adore!

And don't you love that mini pie in the corner?  That was Spud's pie.  We grew our own sugar pumpkins this year and he was convinced that we would only have enough pumpkin to make his very own mini pie (we did not have a very successful garden this year, and only managed to grow 2 small sugar pumpins).  We actually had the exact amount of pumpkin we needed for a regular sized pie, but we still made his mini, just because!

Brown Sugar Pumpkin Pie

Crust (double if making pie crust cookies!)

½ tsp salt

1 cup all purpose flour

6 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut in small pieces

2-3 tbsp cold water

Filling

¾ cup dark brown sugar

1 ¾ cup pumpkin puree (or 1 15 oz can pumpkin)

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp salt

½ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp ground cloves

2 large eggs

1 tbsp spiced rum

1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F

To make the crust:

Whisk together the flour and salt in a medium sized bowl.

Using a pastry cutter or two forks, cut the butter pieces into the flour until it forms pea sized crumbles.

Beginning with 2 tablespoons of water, sprinkle the water over the flour and butter mixture and lightly mix until it forms a ball.  Add additional water if necessary.

Lightly flour a surface and roll the dough into a 12-inch round (this should fit a 9-inch pan).  Gently fold the dough in half twice (into quarters) and place in the pie plate.  Gently unfold the crust and press onto the sizes of the pan. 

Use remaining dough scraps or the second crust to make a turkey (see Fall Leaf Pie Crust Cookies for details!)

To make the pie filling:

Beat the eggs in a large bowl.  Add the pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger, cloves, and rum and stir to mix.  Slowly stir in the evaporated milk.

Pour the filling into the pie shell.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.  Reduce oven temperature to 350 and cook for another 30 minutes.  Open the oven and quickly add the turkey cut outs.  Continue baking for another 20-30 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center of the pie comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack for 2 hours.  Then serve or refrigerate overnight until ready to serve.

print recipe

Brown Sugar Pumpkin Pie with Turkey Topper

by Amy's Cooking Adventures November-22-2017

Brown Sugar Pumpkin Pie with Turkey Topper

Ingredients

• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup flour
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon spiced rum
• 12 ounces evaporated milk

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F Whisk together the flour and salt in a medium sized bowl. Using a pastry cutter or two forks, cut the butter pieces into the flour until it forms pea sized crumbles.Beginning with 2 tablespoons of water, sprinkle the water over the flour and butter mixture and lightly mix until it forms a ball. Add additional water if necessary.Lightly flour a surface and roll the dough into a 12-inch round (this should fit a 9-inch pan). Gently fold the dough in half twice (into quarters) and place in the pie plate. Gently unfold the crust and press onto the sizes of the pan. Use remaining dough scraps or the second crust to make a turkey (see Fall Leaf Pie Crust Cookies for details!) To make the pie filling: Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Add the pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger, cloves, and rum and stir to mix. Slowly stir in the evaporated milk. Pour the filling into the pie shell.Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 and cook for another 30 minutes. Open the oven and quickly add the turkey cut outs. Continue baking for another 20-30 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center of the pie comes out clean.Cool on a wire rack for 2 hours. Then serve or refrigerate overnight until ready to serve.

Details

Prep time: 30 mins Cook time: 1 hour Total time: 1 hour 30 mins Yield: 1 9" pie