pumpkin pie

I love fall, the holiday season, and all the seasonal flavors associated with this time of year. Starbucks and Peet's have barely rolled out their seasonal lattes, and I've already had my fill of pumpkin spice lattes and gingerbread lattes. Eggnog isn't in the grocery store yet, but I've already picked up a bottle of apple cider. Did I already mention that I love this time of year? All that's missing is cold weather, winter coats, and of course, snow.

After the pecan pie fiasco last weekend, I took a stab at pumpkin pie today. I don't think I've told you how much I absolutely love pumpkin pie. When October rolls around, I crave it. When I lived in New York City, I had two friends who shared my enthusiasm and love for pumpkin pie. We used to buy a pie and whipped cream, split it three ways and indulge ourselves in the pumpkin-y goodness.

Baking pumpkin pie is a lot easier said than done. Let me tell you, it is a challenge. Pretty much the only reason that I decided to learn to bake pie is so that I can bake my own seasonal pies, and so far, those have been the most challenging. I made the crust and the filling with no trouble at all, and the difficulty arose during the baking time (I blame my low quality oven). Anyway, the baking time was for about an hour, but the filling refused to set so I baked the pie for about an hour and a half. It came out dark, still a little jiggly, and the edges were burnt.

Despite my initial disappointment in the pie's appearance, it actually turned out pretty good. I'm not going to lie to you; I'm eating my second piece right now as I blog. The crust is a tad bit too done and a touch crispy, but it's not burnt. It's not too bad. The filling is heavenly. It is a conglomeration of creamy, pumpkin-y goodness chock full of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and a hint of lemon zest. It melts in my mouth and glides down my throat. It is a wonderful contrast to the buttery, flaky crust.

Even though I had some trouble with the baking, this is my favorite pie. Maybe that's just because I love pumpkin pie. It's not too sweet, and no single flavor overpowers the pie. Every spice melds together with the pumpkin, and the result is simply satisfying.