Happy Thanksgiving! I feel like pumpkin pie is a thanksgiving standard so why not do this Maple Pumpkin Pie today!

Unless you’re using a pre-made crust, generally pie recipes are a little more time consuming since you do have to make the pie crust ahead of time. I used the all-butter crust recipe that was referenced in this recipe. It’s pretty standard; stir the flour, salt, and sugar together. Add the butter pieces and use your fingers or a pastry blender to mix it so it’s kind of pebble sized. Combine the water, cider vinegar, and ice and then add 2 tablespoons of that into the flour mixture. Without adding the ice, slowly add the water into the batter while mixing with your hand. I did end up using all of the water, but you may not need it all so just keep an eye on it until it looks right. You don’t want it too wet or too dry. When it’s ready knead the dough gently on a floured surface and then shape it into a flat disc (or two if you’re doing the double version) and let it sit in the fridge at least one hour.

The filling is very easy; heat the maple syrup then whisk it together with the pumpkin, cream, milk, eggs, and spices. This really made the house smell like fall with all the maple syrup and pumpkin flavors! You’ll set this aside and if your pie crust is ready then you can roll it out, put it in a pie pan, and then add the filling and pop it into the oven for about an hour. You want to make sure the filling it set, but not super jiggly.

The original recipe called for these adorable birch tree crust cutouts to decorate the top. I really wanted to do it, but I was running out of time, and between chilling the dough and baking the pie itself, I decided to skip that step. So mine looked a little plain.

My crust texture came out a little chewy, and I’m not entirely sure why. I do think my dough was a little dry so in adding the water maybe I ended up mixing it too much? The filling was very nice and the maple syrup was a fun addition. I’m not sure it’s something I’d want all the time as I’m kind of a purist when it comes to certain baked goods around the holidays, but it was fun to try. If I make it again I might just use this pie crust recipe since I’ve made it several times before and it always comes out nicely.

Baking Ease	9
Time Spent	8
Taste	7
Visual	8

Recipe Used: 50 Pies 50 States cookbook p. 201