Thanksgiving Game Plan and Pumpkin Pie

Its holiday time, and Kevin and I have been baking up a storm. I am posting my plans for Thanksgiving preparations, since that my help any readers who may be cooking this year for friends or family.  My best friend during the holidays is the freezer--I'm all about planning ahead, freezing, and baking things off right before I need them for the next potluck or family gathering. It makes it easier to plan a large meal, especially when you have one oven and 10 (or more!) hungry people.

So here's to the first blog post of the holiday series, in honor of Thanksgiving-pumpkin pie. Its easier than you may think-only a few ingredients. If you're nervous about making your own crust, you can go with a store-bought frozen pie shell or refrigerated crust, but the following recipe is actually quite easy and foolproof. You can multiply the amount of pie dough to make a double or triple batch, wrap the extra dough in the freezer in plastic wrap, and keep the frozen dough for up to a month. Let the frozen dough thaw in the refrigerator overnight before rolling out and filling your pie dish. I used a mixture of whole-wheat and unbleached white flour so that its healthier, but you can also go with all white flour. I wouldn't recommend using all wheat flour, because the crust will be too tough and not flaky. You can also try whole wheat pastry flour, which is ground finer than regular whole wheat flour and tastes less "healthy."

If you have room in your freezer, you can also roll out the dough, fill the pie dish with the dough, and freeze the whole thing, pie tin and all, in the freezer--wrapped very well in plastic, of course. The day before thanksgiving, I bake all of my pies, clean any vegetables, make the cranberry sauce, and chop any veggies for stuffing. Of course, recruit any help as needed, that will also ease the worry of cooking a large meal. Here's my Thanksgiving game-plan:

Sunday or Monday:

• go grocery shopping for Thanksgiving
• if buying a frozen turkey, thaw in refrigerator for two days, so that it is defrosted enough to put in a brine by Tuesday
• make pie doughs and freeze; or make pie doughs, fill pie tins with dough and freeze

Tuesday:

• brine the turkey (recipe coming soon!)--yes, its worth it to ensure a juicy turkey

Wednesday:

• bake all pies and other desserts
• I make a sugar-free apple gallette for my dad, which I assemble and freeze until the next day. On Thanksgiving, after the turkey comes out of the oven, I bake the gallette, as it is best eaten within a few hours of baking.
• clean vegetables-pick ends off green beans, clean brussel sprouts, etc.
• Make "kits" for recipes--chop all vegetables for stuffing or other side dishes (onions, carrots, celery, fennel) and package the ingredients for each dish together. Store in the refrigerator. When you're ready to cook the next day, just pull out the pre-chopped, measured vegetables for each recipe--this saves a lot of time!

Thursday (day of Thanksgiving): to be done in this order

1. Stuff and bake turkey 
2. Mashed potatoes
3. Candied Yams
4. Green Bean side dish
5. Brussel Sprout side dish
6. Whipped cream for pies
7. When turkey comes out of the oven, bake the apple gallette.
8. Have a glass of vino and enjoy family time-you've done a lot of hard work!

Pumpkin Pie
for the crust (makes one single crust 9-inch pie):
4 ounces cream cheese
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2/3 cup whole wheat flour 

In a food processor fitted with the dough blade, process the cream cheese and butter until mixed and looks like a smooth paste. Add the salt and pulse to combine. In a separate bowl, mix together the flours, then add the flour mixture to the cream cheese and butter. Process until the dough just until it comes together in a ball. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, forming the dough into a flattened disk. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to form into the crust. (If freezing, thaw the dough disk overnight before rolling.)

You can also do this recipe with a stand mixer--mix together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the salt and flours, mix until smooth, just until it comes together in a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap, forming the dough into a flattened disk. Refrigerate until ready to use.

To form the crust, remove the dough disk from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. Line a cutting board or the countertop with plastic wrap. Sprinkle a small amount of flour on the plastic wrap, and place the dough disk on top. Place a little more flour on the dough, and another piece of plastic wrap on top. Using a rolling pin or heavy wine bottle, roll out the dough disk to 1/4 inch thickness, rotating the dough as needed to make an even circle.  (Use more flour only as needed.) Place the upside down pie tin on top of the dough--there should be about a 1-inch border around the edge of the pie tin.

Remove one piece of plastic wrap, put the upside down pie tin in the center of the dough circle, and quickly use the other piece of plastic wrap still on the dough to flip the dough onto the pie tin, flipping the pie tin with your other hand so it is right side up. Remove the other piece of plastic wrap.

Let the dough settle into the sides of the tin. Use the pads of your fingers to push the dough into the edges of the tin. Trim the edges so there is an even 1 to 1 1/2 inch border of dough standing up around the edge of the tin.

Roll the edge of the dough onto itself, tucking the dough into a neat, even mound around the edge of the tin, rotating the pie tin as you roll. To create a crimped edge, pinch the edge of the crust with the two fingers of one hand, and push in the middle of the pinched fingers with your index finger or thumb in your other hand (see picture). You can also just stamp a fork around the edge of the dough.

Prick the bottom of the pie shell with a fork or knife about 10 times in different spots- this helps release air pockets from the dough as it bakes, keeping the crust even and flat. Set the crust aside to fill with pie filling, or wrap in plastic and freeze until ready to fill and bake.

For the filling:
3/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 15 ounce can pumpkin (easier than making your own pumpkin puree, trust me)
1 12 fluid ounce can evaporated milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger, cloves, and allspice in a small bowl. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and vanilla extract lightly. Stir in the pumpkin and sugar/spice mixture. Add the evaporated milk slowly, mixing until combined. Pour the mixture into prepared pie shell.

Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and bake for 40-50 minutes until a knife inserted in the center of the pie comes out clean. (The pie may still jiggle slightly-its ready when it jiggles all together and looks set on top.) Cool for two hours and serve, or refrigerate. Serve with freshly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.