Part of pumpkinpalooza

Pumpkin spice

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Ingredients

2 tbsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground nutmeg (fresh is always better)
1 tsp ginger powder
1/2 tsp ground cloves

Instructions

Mix well. That's it. Store in an airtight container, and shake well before using.
I like to keep this in a separate container, and for an extra burst of flavour, grind it in a mortar & pestle right before using.

Pumpkin Pie Filling

Alton Brown

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Ingredients

16 oz can Pumpkin puree, (2 cups)
1 cup 10% cream
1/2 tsp nutmeg (freshly grated) ( see below )
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup dark brown sugar (use 2x the molasses)
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 blind baked 9" pie crust (10-12 mins)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F
Simmer puree over medium heat for 3 minutes, or until slightly thickened.
Stir in the cream, nutmeg, salt.
Return to a simmer, remove from heat, and let cool 10 minutes.
In a separate bowl, whisk the sugar, eggs, and yolk until smooth.
Whisk in the pumpkin puree until thoroughly combined.
Pour into warm pie crust, and bake until centre jiggles slightly, 45-50 mins
Let cool on a rack at least 2 hours before slicing. It's best the next day.
Optional - sprinkle light brown sugar over the pie and torch it to make a crisp top.

Notes

Using just the nutmeg is great if you want your pumpkin pie to taste like pumpkin. What most people really want is for it to taste like the commercial version, so add 2 tbsp (yes, tablespoons) of my pumpkin spice mix.

Pumpkin Chip Muffins

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Ingredients

4 large eggs
2 cups brown sugar
1 15 oz can pumpkin puree (2 cups - 2 tbsp)
1 1 cup neutral vegetable oil
3 cup AP flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp each cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger ( see below )
1 package dark chocolate chips (standard pkg is 12 oz, or 2 cups)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F
Mix wet ingredients well.
Slowly blend in dry ingredients, and do not overmix.
Bake in paper liners filled 2/3 to the top for 16-20 minutes, depending on size (10-012ish for small, 21-24ish for large). Toothpick test.
Remove from pan and let cool on a rack.

Notes

My usual pumpkin spice mix is

2 tbsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground nutmeg (fresh is always better)
1 tsp ginger powder
1/2 tsp ground cloves

I'd be much more inclined to use 1 tbsp of this, which I'm going to try and then edit the post.

I'm also going to adjust how much chocolate chip to add - 2 cups seems overkill. I know, there's no such thing as too much chocolate, right?

Pie Crust

Makes 1 double pie crust (top and bottom, 9" pie plate)

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Course Dessert

Ingredients

1 lb flour see #1 below
8 oz unsalted butter, cold, and cut into 1" cubes 2 sticks
1/2 tsp salt if using unsalted butter
1/2 cup ice cold water see #2 below

Instructions

Place the flour, butter, and salt in a food procecssor, and pulse a few times, until the smallest pieces of butter are about the size of large peas.
Slowly add 1 tbsp of water and pulse a few more times. Repeat until the dough starts to come together, but is still a little crumbly. The amount of water will vary a lot based on the flour you're using.
Shape into a ball, cover with clingwrap, and let rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Notes

Measure the flour by weight, not volume (approx 4 cups).
You might need up to 3/4 cup of cold water. The dough should hold its shape when you squeeze a small ball in your hand.