My daughter’s always had a great talent for cooking and years ago, when my son and I were in a pretty severe accident, my daughter (then about 15) made a good portion of the Thanksgiving dinner while I talked her through – from my bed. And we did have pie, but it wasn’t Pam Anderson’s Silky Pumpkin Pie.

She made the back of the can Libby’s recipe, which is always a good basic pie, but it doesn’t compare to this one! By the way, Jess did an excellent job, but in a moment of confusion, she added whole cloves! She survived a little teasing, mostly with good grace, and we ate all of the pie anyway!)

Pam Anderson’s Silky Pumpkin Pie

About Pam Anderson’s Silky Pumpkin Pie:

That proves any pumpkin pie is a good pie, but there’s no doubt some are better than others. Pam Anderson’s Silky Pumpkin Pie takes your standard Pumpkin Pie, elevates it into a masterpiece, and solves every issue a pumpkin pie can potentially have. (Slick crust, shiny, wet dense filling, too few or too many spices. *Ahem* whole cloves, lol!)

It’s a few extra minutes to make than your “standard” pumpkin pie, but those few minutes have a huge payoff. This a pie with a gorgeous flavor, beautifully spiced, and it lets the pumpkin flavor shine through. Mostly, though, Pam Anderson’s Silky Pumpkin Pie has a gorgeous, almost fluffy custard filling and a method that ensures the crust stands up to the silky filling and is perfectly flaky throughout.

If you’re not familiar, Pam Anderson is not that Pam Anderson; Pam Anderson is the author of “The Perfect Recipe” among other books, a former editor of Cook’s Illustrated, a contributing editor to Fine Cooking, and a columnist for USA Weekend. This is the original recipe from her book.

Pam Anderson Pumpkin Pie

Making Pam Anderson’s Silky Pumpkin Pie:

While I’ve never made my daughter’s error, over the years of pie making, I’ve fallen into one pie pitfall or another. You won’t with this pie – it works perfectly every time. Here are some helpful hints and many apply to any Pumpkin Pie.

Canned Pumpkin:

• Always use canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, which already has spices. Most canned pumpkin (Libby’s recently added 100% pumpkin to their lineup) may contain pumpkin but usually contain other squash, usually Hubbard.
• Canned pumpkin improves with age. Pick up extra when it’s on sale and stash it in your pantry for the following year.
• If you wish, go with Homemade Pumpkin Puree, completely optional. Homemade pumpkin puree will usually bake up lighter in color than standard canned pumpkin.

My Recipe Notes:

Timing:

• This recipe calls for a prebaked (Blind Baked) Pie Crust. The timing is critical to success so time your crust and pie filling to be ready at the same time. It;s in the recipe but for more info, see Blind Bake A Pie Crust.
• Make sure to pour the warm filling into the warm crust, working quickly so that the oven is still warm when the filled pie is added.
• Work quickly when filling the pie. If the oven temperature reduces too much from 425 to 300, this may take significantly longer to cook.

Spices:

• Instead of measuring out spices, use a scant 2 1/2 teaspoons of one of my pumpkin pie spices. Libby’s pumpkin pie spice makes a darker pie with a more “Libby’s” type flavor.
• You can use a commercial pumpkin pie spice, instead or add your favorite combination of spices from any recipe.
• Pay attention to the salt. If the pie spice has salt, omit the salt in the recipe. If not add the salt.

Pie Plate: Deep dish vs standard:

• If baking in a standard Pyrex deep dish pie plate, take care to not build up the crust above the top; if using a standard old-fashioned pie plate, it’s a tight fit so build the crust up over the top; there may still be some leftover custard with a standard pie plate.
• Filling that doesn’t fit in a pie can be baked in small custard cups along with the pie. There’s not a standard timing, maybe 20 to 30 minutes, so check them frequently.

Prevent Crust from Over Browning:

• Have a “pie shield” on hand and place it over the crust at about 17 minutes.
• If you don’t have one, make one out of aluminum foil, before you bake the pie. If your crust is browning too fast, it’s not the time to improvise or try to lay strips of foil over the crust. Instructions are in my post on Blind Bake a Pie Crust.

Testing for Doneness:

• You can get an idea of when to test with your knife (test halfway between crust and center) and avoid multiple “puncture wounds” by giving the pie a “jiggle.”
• Look for very faint movement in the very center of the pie while the rest appears quite firm. It will continue to cook after it’s removed from the oven.

Prevent Cracks, Shrinkage & Condensation:

• For best results, cool the pie on the counter on a rack to room temperature, then place in the refrigerator, uncovered, until cold.
• This reduces the chance that cracks, pulling, or condensation will form, marring the perfect surface.

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Saving Money on Pam Anderson’s Silky Pumpkin Pie:

My standard advice for saving on any baking items is to stock up during your grocery holiday sales, especially before Easter and the Winter Holidays, and never pay full price. Many items are up to half off. To see what’s on sale before the major food holidays, see Win at the Grocer.

Discount stores like Aldi or Lidl, if you have one nearby, have great pricing on baking items year-round, as does your buyer’s club, although you may have to buy larger quantities, there.

Canned Pumpkin:

Pick up on sale before the winter holidays. Buy enough to “age” it for the following year, a hint from my sister-in-law, and buy enough to cook sweet or savory dishes throughout the year.

Eggs:

Often on sale before most holidays. Both your Buyers Club & Aldi have great everyday prices on eggs but might not approach a great grocery sales price. If you have room, stock up at a low. Eggs keep five to six weeks after the “buy by” date and are best stored in the original container on the bottom shelf, not the door.

Leftover Egg Whites:

Two egg whites will be left over. They can be frozen – see my post on Over 75 ways to use Leftover Egg Whites.

Pam Anderson’s Perfect Pumpkin Pie

Pam Anderson’s Silky Pumpkin Pie

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• Author: Pam Anderson
• Total Time: 1 1/2 hours
• Yield: 8 servings 1x
• Category: Desserts
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

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• 1 can (15 ounces) 100% pure pumpkin, not “pumpkin pie filling”
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 large eggs, plus 2 yolks
• 1 cup canned evaporated milk, not the whole can
• 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
• 9-inch pie shell, baked, a deep dish Pyrex works well
• Whipped cream for garnish

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Instructions

Prebake pie crust until fully baked as directed in my post on how to Blind Bake a Pie Crust. When done, remove the crust and adjust oven rack to the lower-middle position. Turn oven down to 300 degrees F from 425 degrees F. (425 degrees F. is the temperature the crust is baked at.)

While the pie shell is baking, in a saucepan, heat pumpkin, salt and spices to blend flavors, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the two different milks and whisk to combine and heat through.

Whisk the eggs and yolks together in a medium bowl to blend, then whisk in the pumpkin mixture, a tablespoon or so at a time at first to gently warm the eggs. After a few tablespoons, continuing to whisk, add the rest of the pumpkin mixture.

Whisk well to form a silky texture; use a spatula to make sure all the filling is lifted from the bottom and edges of bowl. (Note: some versions of this pie state to use a blender which creates a rather unattractive top to the pie.)

As soon as crust is done, pour warm filling into still warm, just from the oven, shell. Bake until a thin-bladed knife inserted about halfway from the center comes out clean, about 45 to 55 minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack to room temperature. Refrigerate and after cool cover carefully with foil.

Notes from Pam Anderson:

• This recipe calls for a prebaked pie shell. I prefer my own pie crust, of course but use any crust you like, even frozen. Just be sure it’s baked by the time you have the filling prepared.
• Don’t let an insipid dessert ruin your feast. Your guests will gush over this dense, intense pie.

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I’m sharing Pam Anderson’s Silky Pumpkin Pie at Fiesta Friday, co-hosted this week by Antonia @ Zoale and Petra @ Food Eat Love.