Pumpkin Pie

Preparation

1. Bland

   Step 1

   You are planning to serve your pie with whipped cream, yes? You may want to flavor your whipped cream. You can use any extract or perhaps coffee, a liqueur, orange or lemon zest, or spices such as cinnamon or ginger. You can also add in a teaspoon of rum or brandy. You can also sprinkle your pie with pieces of something (see “Cracked Top,” below, for some good suggestions). (For problems with whipped cream, see whipped cream.)

2. Cracked top

   Step 2

   No one will care. If you care, cover the top of your pie. If you have any extra pie crust, roll it out, cut with small cookie cutters, and bake them until golden brown. Arrange them on top of your pie for a nice-looking dessert. Other tasty options include topping the pie with whipped cream, crushed candy (peanut brittle and toffee marry nicely with pumpkin), a streusel (cooked on a baking sheet), nuts (spiced or caramelized are super), or caramel sauce (which will look nicer if you slice and plate the pie before drizzling it on).

3. Crust browning too fast

   Step 3

   It’s usually the edges that start browning first. Cover them with a thin strip of aluminum foil, shaped to fit.

4. Crust too tough

   Step 4

   If it’s already cooked, there’s no way to untoughen it. Either you’ll just have to tough it out and serve it as is (never apologize!), or, if you think it’s not servable, then see “Utterly Ruined,” below, for an idea.

5. Utterly ruined

   Step 5

   Is the pie crust blackened? Is the pie all over the floor? One Thanksgiving one of the authors did, in fact, take her pumpkin pie out of the oven with a little too much vigor, thereby flinging dessert clear across the kitchen.

   Step 6

   No, we are not recommending serving a pie off the kitchen floor, even if the floor is spotless. But if a portion of dropped pie stays in its dish and is salvageable, scoop the filling into parfait dishes and sprinkle with something you have on hand. The suggestions for topping a cracked pumpkin pie are all good, as would be cookie crumbs (particularly gingersnap), butterscotch chips, and banana. Be inventive.