*thunk, thunk* Is this thing on?

Cooking, who doesn't love cooking? Ok, plenty of people, and I am one of them. But I love to bake and I am like to cook when it is something new and 6pm is hounding me.

So, with that, I am going to start this someday fabulous blog with a recipe....a baking recipe. Because I am like that! Get used to it!!

Oh, and please, no mocking of my picture comment skills.  I am sure I will get the hang of it, someday, but for now, some are captions on each picture.  Well, you will see soon enough!

Thanksgiving is 2 days away and my mad skillz are known throughout the family, so I am allowed to bring dessert this year! DESSERT! It is the holy grail, behind turkey and gravy, which is usually the host's gig. And, as the alcohol infused whipping cream on top, I get to bring pumpkin pie! So, I am sharing here with you the completely delicious pie I will be baking and sharing this year.

I know, I am nothing if not giving.

So, let's start out. Please note, I got this recipe from America's Test Kitchen and follow it almost to the letter. Except that I am currently off vanilla extract, and totally on ground vanilla beans.  Oh, and I forgot to get fresh ginger from the store, which they said made this pie wonderful (whoops).  But other than that, the letter, people!

To start, take your dough and let it defrost.  No, I am not making my own dough.  I was going to, and then I forgot that I was going to, and it started to snow A LOT, so I decided that making my own was not in the cards.

Use of a pretty pie plate is always encouraged.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Next up, open up yer can of pumpkin (yes, can. According to the Gods, ie America's Test Kitchen, canned in this case is just as good as baking your own and then blending it.  And According to me, who in the last 10 days has made one pie with canned and one with my own, canned was EVEN BETTER) and put it into a heavy saucepan.  Drain the candied yams

 I like to use real maple syrup (I imagine ATK feels the same way, being from Vermont and all)

 So, put the punkin, potatoes, sugar, syrup, salt and spices in a heavy saucepan.  Put it on medium high 5 - 7 minutes until it simmers.

 Meanwhile, mix up the cream, milk, eggs, yolks and vanilla into another container (I like my liquid pour thingy)

Open up your pie dough

and put it all nice and pretty into your pie pan

Line with foil and fill with beans or pie weights

Put it on a rimmed sheet on the lowest rack position in the preheated oven for 10 minutes

After 10 minutes, take out the beans and foil and bake 5 or 10 minutes more.

 Now, back to the pumpkin.  It should be simmering (if you look closely at this picture, there is a geyser of steam)

 For the next 10 - 15 minutes, you should stir a lot (ATK says constantly, but I don't have that kind of attention span), pressing the potatoes against the sides to mash them up.  I use a masher, but to be honest, a whipper works best.

 Cook it up until the lumps are gone (mostly gone is how far I can get) shiny and thicker.

 Add the cream egg mixture and stir it up

Gorgeous!

Now put it through a sieve

Push it through with a spatula

Keep going, even when you only have thick goop left

And remember to scrape off the outside....the smell will be distracting you but do not waiver from your mission!

 Yumm!  Whisk it up again

 and pour it into your gorgeous, empty pie shell

Bake for 10 minutes at 400, then turn the oven down to 300 and bake 20-35 minutes.  Mine took about 45, I think my oven is a few degrees off!

Voila!

America's Test Kitchen Pumpkin Pie Filling Recipe
1 c heavy cream
1 c whole milk (I used 1%, just do not use skim)
3 large eggs plus 2 large eggs
1 t vanilla extract (I used 1 t powdered vanilla; looks like loose vanilla beans)
1 (15 oz) can of pumpkin
1 c drained candied yams from 15 oz can (oops, I use the whole can!)
3/4 c sugar
1/4 c maple syrup
2 t grated fresh ginger (I used 1/2 t ground dried....conversion is 1/4 t ground to 1 t fresh)
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t ground nutmeg (I used freshly grated)
1 t table salt

Enjoy!