CP Photo: Stacy Rounds
My version of the 1993 QED Cooks: D is for Dessert Pumpkin Chiffon Pie recipe
Call me “basic,” call me whatever you want, but I’m a proud pumpkin spice girl. I’m also an apple tart, pumpkin chili, honeynut squash-loving autumn foods fanatic. So I ventured to my local library and scoured the WQED collection for a fall dessert with a little twist, something slightly off the beaten path without being too crazy (no more Jell-O molds for a while).
The original QED Cooks companion cookbooks were a fundraising product of the long-running QED Cooks TV show with Chris Fennimore. Each of these spiral-bound volumes features dozens of recipes in a specific category. D is for Dessert — which was printed in 1993 — is the volume in which I found this lovely recipe courtesy of Carol Loughner of Jeannette, Pa., in memory of her mother Agnes.
Full disclosure: I strayed from the original recipe just a bit. For one thing, the original left out an important detail about the eggs. I wasn’t sure if I needed to use both the whites and the yolks, so I incorporated both separately. At the end of the day, I’m happy I did. And though I didn’t add it to the recipe card, I did add a pinch of vanilla to this pie. I love pumpkin and vanilla together, so if you’d like the option of adding ½ tsp. of vanilla to round out the flavor, go for it. You won’t regret it. Another thing I changed (you can see in the video) was the spices. Why bust out three separate spices when you can substitute pre-mixed pumpkin spice?
Also, I used a store-bought unbaked pie shell. I can make pie crusts, but only with the help of my partner who doesn’t mind the fuss or patience (or manhandling globs of Crisco) needed to craft the perfect crust. So, in the middle of a busy work week, store-bought was faster and more convenient.
Here’s everything you need for this recipe on a printable PDF:
First, I preheated my oven to 450°F and set out all my ingredients, separated my eggs, and lightly beat my egg yolks. Then, I prepared my crust. In a large bowl, I mixed all the ingredients, except for the egg whites. Then I used my immersion blender to beat my egg whites until they formed stiff peaks. I used a rubber spatula to carefully incorporate the beaten egg whites into the rest of the pumpkin mixture.
My fancy pie pan is a bit shallow, so I was careful not to overfill it with the mixture. I popped this bad boy in the oven for 10 minutes then turned the temperature down to a balmy 325°F for 45 minutes.
Yinz, this pie is good. If you don't like the denseness of a traditional pumpkin pie, give this fancy chiffon pie a shot. It's much lighter and creamier yet still maintains that good ol' pumpkin pie flavor. It only took about 20 minutes to put together and 45 minutes to bake. You can be super last-minute with this dish and still get high-fives at holiday dinners.
