Are you looking for some unique pumpkin pie recipes for your Thanksgiving table? Look no further, this uniquely flavored orange maple pumpkin pie with a short pastry crust will wow your guests and give them something to talk about.
I have to tell you I used to hate pumpkin pie. Last year I was determined to recipe test pumpkin pie until I liked it.
Through much trial and error and a full week of recipe testing, I came up with some unique pumpkin pie recipes and variations that I LOVE!
The trick for me was to add flavor blasts of citrus and different flavorings to give it a little twist. I created a few variations of bars and a few variations of traditional pies.
If you want to check out how I made pumpkin pie into an easy bar you can check out my pumpkin pie bars or my pumpkin ice cream bars. They both are super easy and quick to make.
For the traditional pies my favorite by far was this Maple Orange Pumpkin Pie with a short pastry crust.
This will not be your typical pumpkin pie. It’s unique because the crust is made out of a short pastry dough. Using a short pastry dough will give a shortbread like crust which pairs well with the pumpkin pie filling. The crust will look more rustic than a typical pie crust, but that is one reason why I love it so much!
Using a short pastry crust is definitely a fun surprise for this pumpkin pie. I love the rich, buttery flavor of short pastry. It’s perfect for this unique pie. Here are the steps to making a short pastry pie crust.
Just keep in mind that this crust is meant to be rustic. It is not a dough that you can roll out and create patterns or designs since it spreads quite a lot.
I hope you enjoy this pie as much as I do!
Unique Pumpkin Pie Recipe:
Maple Orange Pumpkin Pie With Short Pastry Crust
This is the perfect pumpkin pie recipe if you are looking for a unique pumpkin pie flavor.
Ingredients
Short Pastry Crust:
- 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Cup Cold Butter, Cubed or Grated
- Zest of 1 Orange
- 2 Egg Yolks
- 1 1/2 Cups Flour
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
Filling:
- 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
- 1/2 Tablespoon All Purpose Flour
- 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
- 2 Eggs
- 1 Cup Canned Pumpkin
- 1/2 Cup + 2 Tablespoons Evaporated Milk
- 1 Teaspoon Maple Syrup
- 1/2 Teaspoon Orange Zest
- 1/2 Teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
Whipped Cream Topping:
- 1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1/4 Cup Powdered Sugar
- Zest of 1 Orange
- 2 Tablespoons Honey Roasted Slivered Almonds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- To make your short pastry place the butter and sugar into your food processor and pulse 2 times. Add orange zest and egg yolks and pulse 2 times.
- Add your flour and salt and pulse 5-10 times to create "wet sand." Transfer the mixture to a piece of saran wrap and press to form a dough ball. Form the ball into a flat disk and wrap in the saran wrap. Place in the freezer for 1 hour.
- When you are ready to roll out the dough, place another piece of saran wrap on top of the disk so you have the pie dough sandwiched between the two layers of saran wrap. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin to 1/4''. Remove the top layer of saran wrap and invert the dough into your pie dish. Remove the other layer of saran wrap. Poke holes with a fork all over the dough, even up the sides.
- Cut a piece of parchment paper 2 inches larger that your pie dish. Place the parchment paper into the pie dish and then fill the crust with dried beans until it reaches the top of the pie plate.
- Bake for 10 minutes (dough will not be fully cooked) and remove from the oven, let cool while you make the filling.
- To make the filling combine brown sugar, flour and salt in a bowl. Set aside. Combine eggs, pumpkin, milk, maple syrup, orange zest, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon and whisk until well combined. Add the mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
- Pour mixture into the cooled par-baked crust just until it reaches the top. Cover the edges of the pie crust with foil or use a pie shield. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until set. Remove and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours to cool.
- When ready to serve make the whipped topping by placing the heavy whipping cream in a stand mixer, fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on high until the cream forms soft peaks. Fold in the rest of the ingredients.
- Top the chilled pie with the whipped cream. Slice the pie in 10 equal portions and serve.