‘Tis the season for pumpkin pie!

This year I wanted to jazz things up a little, and had been dreaming about a pumpkin creme brulee I had seen in summer. I’m not a huge fan of creme brulee…but that crackly top has always had my heart. That initial tap of a spoon on that caramelized sugar layer is seriously divine. I then realized I could make it happen on a pumpkin pie! I immediately googled it and realized a lot of people had come to this wonderful conclusion before me. Ha! But I gave it a go anyway, and my mind was blown.

Simply sprinkle a bit of granulated sugar over the pie directly before serving, and then give it a torch to melt the sugar! (This can be done in the oven on broil…but it will warm the whole pie a bit.)

Watching the sugar melt is so satisfying, and makes for a great spectacle for your guests to watch too! I likely could have added a bit more sugar to my pie as you’ll note that the top almost looks wet since it didn’t melt into continuous layer. I promise it’s all crunchy!

This technique is best when the whole pie will be eaten the first day, as the sugar will slowly dissolve into the pie the longer it sits. Still delicious, but won’t have that wonderful crunchy texture.

Also of note, is the fact that I used my speculaas spice mix to flavour this pie! It was a nice change from the usual spice suspects, but I’ve included a more traditional mix below as well in case you don’t have the specialty spices that go into the speculaas mix.

bruleed pumpkin pie with speculaas spice

PRINT RECIPE HERE

recipe: Kelsey Siemens

yields: one 9-inch pie

ingredients

2 discs of pie dough (or your choice of crust: graham cracker crust, etc), if using homemade pastry, my recipe makes enough dough for a single bottom crust, and lots of cut out leaf decorations.

2 cups (450 g) pumpkin puree

2 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

⅓ cup (66 g) granulated sugar

⅓ cup (66 g) packed brown sugar

1 cup (240 mL) whipping cream

1 tablespoon speculaas spice mix recipe below (OR use a mix of 2 tsp ground cinnamon, 3/4 tspground ginger, ½ tsp ground allspice, ⅛ tsp ground cardamom if you aren’t a fan of speculaas or don’t have those spices available)

For topping after baking & chilling: 3-4 tbsp granulated sugar (for torching)

to make

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

First prepare the pie crust of your choice. If using homemade pastry, you’ll want to parbake the crust (aka: partially bake the crust before the filling goes in). Roll the pastry out about 1 inch wider than the pie dish. Gently transfer the dough into the pie dish, fold about 1/2 inch of the edge over to double its thickness (this makes a nicer edge!) and create a crimp if desired. Use a fork or knife to poke a few holes in the bottom of the crust to let steam out as it cooks.

Place the pie crust into the freezer for 20 minutes to chill, and prepare the pumpkin filling during this time.

To prepare the pumpkin filling:

In a large mixing bowl, mix the pumpkin puree, eggs, egg yolks, and sugars together on medium speed until smooth. Slowly add in the whipping cream while mixing on low speed until smooth. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl. Add salt and spices, mix on low until combined.

Once the pie crust has been chilled, line with parchment paper (crumple the paper first so it lays flat within the pie crust), and fill all the way up with pie weights (or simply use lentils). This will keep the crust in place while it bakes so that it doesn’t slide down the pan, or puff up in weird places.

Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven, and carefully remove the pie weights and parchment paper, and pour the pumpkin filling into the par-baked crust.

Return the pie to the oven, and bake for another 50-60 minutes. The pie is done when the edges are set, and the center has just a little bit of a wobble. Transfer to a cooling rack once it’s done, and allow to cool to room temperature before transferring to the fridge. Chill the pie for 2-3 hours before serving.

For the leaf cut out decorations:

Roll another disc of pie dough out about 1/8 inch thick, use leaf cookie cutters to cut leaf shapes out, and transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Chill in the freezer for 10-15 minutes until leaves are completely firm. Immediately before baking, brush the leaves with a bit of milk and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Check on the pan every 5 minutes and rotate halfway through to ensure even baking. These can burn quickly, so keep an eye on them! Once done, remove from the oven and cool on a cooling rack before garnishing the pie.

Brulee and serve:

Directly before serving, sprinkle 3-4 tablespoons of granulated sugar over top of the pie. Use a kitchen torch to melt the sugar until it turns golden. Keep the torch moving across the pie as you go, so you don’t burn the sugar. This will form a delightful crackly topping that adds a great texture to the pie. Alternatively, you can place the entire pie in the oven and broil it until the sugar caramelizes. This will heat the entire pie up a bit, so if you prefer a warm pie you’ll prefer this method!

tips:

I prefer a slightly overbaked pumpkin pie versus an underbaked one…so I always advise giving your pie a few more minutes whenever you’re in doubt! Overbaked pies may end up cracking, but I don’t find the taste is compromised. An underbaked pie may not be set properly in the center, which is sad and soggy when you serve it!
Make sure to brulee the pie directly before serving for the best crackle top! Doing so too soon beforehand may result in the sugar melting back into the pie.