To spruce up the timeless pumpkin pie, serve it in mini ramekins and brulee the top with your torch.  A party favorite, the act of torching any food brings an element of intrigue to your guests, and keeps even the most die-hard Thanksgiving cook from the tedium of the same old pie.

To make the most of the most of the holidays with friends and loved ones, slow down the process, make fewer things more enjoyable, reach out to local purveyors and farmers to use what is fresh and in season.  You'll be a happier cook and a better guest at your table!

~  Michael Chiarello

PUMPKIN PIE BRULEE    Michael Chiarello    Serves: 6

Ingredients

Rustic Dough:

• 9 ounces cake flour (about 3 cups)

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• Pinch gray salt

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into large pieces

• 1 tablespoon vanilla

• 2 tablespoon cold water

** option premade pie dough

Filling:

• 8 oz Mascarpone or natural cream cheese, softened

• 2 cups canned pumpkin, or roasted in the shell and pureed butternut squash

• ½ cup sugar

• ½ cup light brown sugar

• ½ teaspoon gray salt

• 1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten

• 1 cup milk

• ¼ cup (½ stick) melted unsalted butter

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Make the dough:

In a mixing bowl with a paddle attachment, add the dry ingredients and mix for 5 seconds to blend.  Add the butter and vanilla and mix until the butter is about the size of peas.  Add the cold water and blend until the dough just comes together. Form the dough into a roughly shaped ball, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.  Remove pie dough from the refrigerator.  With the plastic wrap still on, pound with rolling pin a few times to flatten to 1 ½ inch.  Remove from the plastic wrap and roll out on a floured surface to 1/8” thickness. Cut dough to the size of your brulee ramekins (I use 4” ceramic ramekins). Butter each ramekin and place dough circle in the bottom. Put the pie shell back into the freezer for 1 hour to firm again. Fit a piece of aluminum foil to cover the inside of the shell completely. Fill the shell up to the edges with pie weights or dried beans (about 2 pounds) and place it in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes, remove the foil and pie weights and bake for another 10 minutes or until the crust is dried out and beginning to color.

Make the filling:

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer. Add the pumpkin and beat until combined. Add the sugar and salt and beat until combined. Add the whole eggs, yolks, half-and-half and melted butter and beat until combined. Finally, add the vanilla, cinnamon and ginger, if using, and beat until incorporated.  Pour the filling over the warm prepared pie crust 1” thick (you can go deeper if you like and simply increase the baking time) and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the center is set. Place the pie on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. When cool, just before serving, make the brulee topping. Sprinkle the sugar over the filling in each ramekin.  (Be sure to completely cover the filling with a thin layer of sugar). Using a mini-torch, torch the top until sugar is caramelized. The ramekins can also be browned under a broiler. If using a broiler, stick the ramekins inside a pan and under the broiler until light brown.  Serve immediately