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Sheri Castle
Sheri Castle
Sheri Castle is a professional food writer, recipe developer, recipetester, and culinary instructor. She is known for melding storytelling, humor, and culinary expertise, so she can tell a tale while making a memorable meal.
updated May 1, 2019
halloween
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It’s been said that whomever coined the phrase “easy as pie” had never made one from scratch. Perhaps, instead, they were talking about this pretty slab pie. Slab pie solves problems during the hubbub of Thanksgiving feast preparation. Here’s why:
First, a slab pie feeds a crowd, yielding at least 24 generous servings. If there are fewer guests around your table, leftovers hold well for days.
Second, this is a low-stress, high-success approach to homemade pie crust. It comes together quickly in a food processor (or bowl) and is pressed into the baking pan. No rolling. No crimping. No worries.
Third, the filling works equally well with canned or home-cooked fresh pumpkin.
Making Your Own Pumpkin Purée?
There are two secrets to preparing perfect pumpkin purée to use in recipes such as this one.
- Use a pie pumpkin or other pumpkin meant for eating instead of carving. These are easy to find in grocery stores and farmers’ markets, usually near the winter squash and sweet potatoes.
- Home-cooked purée must have the same thick, smooth consistency as canned purée. If your purée is too wet, drain it in a fine-mesh strainer lined with a paper towel or large coffee filter. Fit the strainer over a bowl and refrigerate overnight, and then discard the collected liquid. Pumpkin purée freezes well for up to six months when stored in an airtight container, so you can make it ahead to have on hand when it’s pie time.
But either way — canned or homemade — this pie will be beautiful, delicious, and easy as only a (slab) pie can be.
Pumpkin Slab Pie with Ginger-Pecan Streusel Topping
Serves 24
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 3 cups
all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon
kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon
granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup
(1 stick) butter, cut into small cubes and chilled
- 1/2 cup
vegetable shortening, cut into small cubes and chilled
- 1
large egg
- 1 tablespoon
white distilled vinegar
- 5 to 7 tablespoons
ice water
For the streusel topping:
- 1 cup
rolled oats
- 1 cup
firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup
all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup
(1 stick) butter, cut into small cubes and chilled
- 1/2 cup
coarsely broken pecan halves
- 1/4 cup
finely chopped crystallized ginger
For the pumpkin filling:
- 6
large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups
granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons
cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons
ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon
ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon
ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon
ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon
kosher salt
- 2
(15-ounce) cans pure pumpkin purée or 3 1/2 cups homemade pumpkin purée (Recipe follows)
- 1 cup
heavy cream
Instructions
To make the crust: Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Scatter the cubes of butter and shortening over the flour and pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand with a few pieces of fat the size of small peas.
Whisk together the egg, vinegar, and 5 tablespoons of the ice water in a small bowl until well-blended. Pour over the flour mixture and pulse to form large clumps of dough; if it doesn’t hold together, sprinkle in more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse only until incorporated. Pour the clumps onto a work surface and gather into a smooth ball.
Press the dough evenly across the bottom and up the sides of a 17 1/2- x 11 1/2- x 1-inch rimmed baking sheet (half sheet pan). Use your fingers or the bottom edge of a metal measuring cup to press the dough evenly into the pan and against the edges — the edges should be straight, not sloped. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day.
To make the streusel: Stir together the oats, brown sugar, and flour in a large bowl. Work in the butter with a pastry blender or fingertips until the mixture is crumbly. Pinch together about one-third of the mixture into balls the size of a marble; leave the rest crumbly. Gently stir in the pecans and ginger. Cover and refrigerate until the butter is firm, at least 30 minutes.
To make the filling and bake the pie: Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Whisk together the eggs, sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl until smooth. Whisk in the pumpkin. Whisk in the cream. Pour the filling into the chilled pie crust and smooth the top.
Bake 30 minutes or until filling just begins to set. Sprinkle chilled streusel evenly over filling. Continue baking until filling is set and streusel is golden, about 25 minutes more. The tip of a sharp knife inserted into the center should come out clean.
Cool to room temperature on a wire rack. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours and preferably overnight.
Recipe Notes
How To Make Homemade Pumpkin Purée
Be sure to use a pumpkin made for eating, such as a pie pumpkin, sugar baby, or cheese pumpkin. Most winter squashes, like butternuts, make good “pumpkin” purée as well. Do not use large Halloween pumpkins; they are meant only for carving, and will taste flavorless, stringy, and watery.
Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the pumpkin in half from top to bottom. If the pumpkin weighs more than 4 pounds, cut it into large wedges. Scoop out and discard the seeds. Place the pieces cut-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Roast until it is easily pierced with a knife, 45 to 90 minutes depending on the size and type of pumpkin. Let cool enough to handle and then scoop the flesh from the shells.
Purée the flesh in a food processor or force it through a food mill into a bowl. The purée must have the thick, firm consistency of canned pumpkin. If it is too watery, spoon it into a sieve lined with a couple of layers of white paper towels or a large coffee filter set over a bowl. Press a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface of the purée. Refrigerate overnight. Discard the collected liquid. Store covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- This recipe can also be made in 2 jelly roll pans; double the amount of pie crust.
Filed in:
autumn
Baking
children
Dessert
Ingredient
Keeps Well
