Pumpkin pie

[Becky]

I'm planning on making a pumpkin pie this week using the Stella Parks recipe in Bravetart (this one). Instead of using regular condensed milk I was planning on using coconut condensed milk, but other than that I'll be sticking to the recipe. I've only made pumpkin pie once before, but it was a vegan and gluten free recipe and I wasn't impressed. I have high hopes for this recipe though.

Anyone got any tips or advice?

 

[Norcalbaker59]

I'm planning on making a pumpkin pie this week using the Stella Parks recipe in Bravetart (this one). Instead of using regular condensed milk I was planning on using coconut condensed milk, but other than that I'll be sticking to the recipe. I've only made pumpkin pie once before, but it was a vegan and gluten free recipe and I wasn't impressed. I have high hopes for this recipe though.

Anyone got any tips or advice?

By condensed coconut milk I am assuming you’re referring to the coconut milk in the can that contains coconut pulp and that the coconut milk in a milk type of carton. I would think that would work because the purpose of the condensed milk is the fat and sugar.

Since sweetened condensed milk contains a lot of sugar you will need to increase the amount of sugar for this pie as well. Maybe a mix of sugars because all brown sugar might be too sweet. Perhaps 125 grams brown sugar and 52 grams of granulated sugar.

The purée is 395 grams. So 177 grams of total sugar would be about 45%.

I’ve not made Stella’s pie, but I have made a butternut squash pie. And I do prefer to be canned pumpkin. Though this Thanksgiving I will be making pecan pumpkin pie because my little niece requested it. She says it’s her favorite pie.

I made Stella’s brown butter carrot cake last week. But I never got to take it to the Halloween party I was going to because the power went out and I was not able to finish the icing. So I’m going to make it again for Thanksgiving. It looked really good.

 

[Becky]

I made the pumpkin pie yesterday so unfortunately I didn't see your post! Oh well, I'll know for next time. Overall I was really pleased with it, it was really delicious. There were a couple of things that I'd change next time though. Firstly I wasn't impressed with the pastry. I've never done her technique before, it kinda felt like somewhere between rough puff pastry and shortcrust. The big lumps of butter (which she insisted should be there) melted out of the pastry while it was baking, as you'd expect given that there wasn't a protective layer around them. It was very crisp, flaky, and tasty, but overall I prefer Nigella Lawson's method so I'll stick to that in future. Secondly it was very sweet, so I think I'd reduce the amount of sugar next time. Everything else was delicious though, the flavour was amazing!

I've been struggling with my oven again, it browned a little too much on top before the middle had set. God I'd love a new oven!!

 

[Norcalbaker59]

I made the pumpkin pie yesterday so unfortunately I didn't see your post! Oh well, I'll know for next time. Overall I was really pleased with it, it was really delicious. There were a couple of things that I'd change next time though. Firstly I wasn't impressed with the pastry. I've never done her technique before, it kinda felt like somewhere between rough puff pastry and shortcrust. The big lumps of butter (which she insisted should be there) melted out of the pastry while it was baking, as you'd expect given that there wasn't a protective layer around them. It was very crisp, flaky, and tasty, but overall I prefer Nigella Lawson's method so I'll stick to that in future. Secondly it was very sweet, so I think I'd reduce the amount of sugar next time. Everything else was delicious though, the flavour was amazing!

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I've been struggling with my oven again, it browned a little too much on top before the middle had set. God I'd love a new oven!!

I have to say @Becky that pie looks amazing. I’m a lover of that crispy, flaky crust, so I’d eat your pie just as you baked it in a heartbeat if I could eat gluten.

Oh that caramelized top…that must’ve been amazingly delicious!! To me, that’s a perfect pie. That’s my idea of pumpkin pie.

I’m surprised it was really sweet giving the sugar at 29% and omitting the sweetened condensed milk. Was the coconut milk sweetened?

 

[Becky]

Was the coconut milk sweetened?

Yep it was very sweet, about 59% sugar if I remember correctly. I think that may even be slightly higher than its dairy equivalent! It worked great through, there was no detectable coconut flavour.

I'm glad that the top was meant to look like that! It looked darker than the one in the book, so I was worried I had overbaked it.

Clearly I'm just going to have to bake another one...

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Yep it was very sweet, about 59% sugar if I remember correctly. I think that may even be slightly higher than its dairy equivalent! It worked great through, there was no detectable coconut flavour.

I'm glad that the top was meant to look like that! It looked darker than the one in the book, so I was worried I had overbaked it.

Clearly I'm just going to have to bake another one...

Yeah trust me that caramelization is beautiful and it’s means TASTY!

In the recipe the brown sugar (115g) to purée (395g) is about 29%. Did you increase the sugar to 59%?

 

[Becky]

In the recipe the brown sugar (115g) to purée (395g) is about 29%. Did you increase the sugar to 59%?

Sorry, I meant that the condensed coconut milk was 59% sugar, not the pie as a whole.

Given there is 540g condensed milk in the pie filling, that adds around 300g of sugar and brings the total sugar content to over 40% by my calculations (just looking at brown sugar + puree + coconut condensed milk). I would probably reduce the brown sugar by about 25g next time and see how it is

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Sorry, I meant that the condensed coconut milk was 59% sugar, not the pie as a whole.

Given there is 540g condensed milk in the pie filling, that adds around 300g of sugar and brings the total sugar content to over 40% by my calculations (just looking at brown sugar + puree + coconut condensed milk). I would probably reduce the brown sugar by about 25g next time and see how it is

Ohhh, so the coconut milk was sweetneed. Ok that makes sense then. You’re like me, cannot take too much sugar.

 

[Becky]

too much sugar

Is there such a thing?!

Condensed coconut milk is a really useful thing to have in the cupboard for vegan / dairy free recipes. I've made fudge with it before (it was divine!!) and I'd like to try it in ice-cream sometime.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Is there such a thing?!

Condensed coconut milk is a really useful thing to have in the cupboard for vegan / dairy free recipes. I've made fudge with it before (it was divine!!) and I'd like to try it in ice-cream sometime.

I didn't know there was such a thing as condensed coconut milk. I buy coconut milk in a can that is unsweetened and taste pretty strange. Does the condensed coconut milk have a lot of coconut flavor? Last year I was experimenting with a gluten free coconut cake. I tried a number of brands of the canned coconut, but I couldn't taste the coconut. I even tried adding some coconut flavoring--yuk, don't recommend it So I finally gave up on coconut cake...of course I still ate the test cakes. As Julia Childs said, "A party without cake is just a meeting." To which I might add, "You can still throw a one woman party as long as there's cake."

 

[Norcalbaker59]

BTW, I just looked at your pumpkin pie pics on my computer screen (normally I use my iPhone). I'm telling you Becky, that is a beautiful pie. That caramelization is perfect.

 

[Becky]

I didn't know there was such a thing as condensed coconut milk. I buy coconut milk in a can that is unsweetened and taste pretty strange. Does the condensed coconut milk have a lot of coconut flavor? Last year I was experimenting with a gluten free coconut cake. I tried a number of brands of the canned coconut, but I couldn't taste the coconut. I even tried adding some coconut flavoring--yuk, don't recommend it So I finally gave up on coconut cake...of course I still ate the test cakes. As Julia Childs said, "A party without cake is just a meeting." To which I might add, "You can still throw a one woman party as long as there's cake."

It's a recent discovery for me to be honest! I only learned of its existence when I stumbled across it at a Chinese supermarket. It's easy enough to make too, you just use coconut milk instead of dairy milk. It does have a coconut flavour but it isn't particularly strong. When I've made coconut cakes before I tend to make sure there is a coconut frosting (made with coconut cream) to enhance the coconut flavour. This is a recipe I've done before: Coconut Cream Cake. It's a bit crumbly, but very delicious.

BTW, I just looked at your pumpkin pie pics on my computer screen (normally I use my iPhone). I'm telling you Becky, that is a beautiful pie. That caramelization is perfect.

Ah thank you! I do have a bit of leftover filling in the freezer, I might have to make a couple of mini pies...

 

[Norcalbaker59]

It's a recent discovery for me to be honest! I only learned of its existence when I stumbled across it at a Chinese supermarket. It's easy enough to make too, you just use coconut milk instead of dairy milk. It does have a coconut flavour but it isn't particularly strong. When I've made coconut cakes before I tend to make sure there is a coconut frosting (made with coconut cream) to enhance the coconut flavour. This is a recipe I've done before: Coconut Cream Cake. It's a bit crumbly, but very delicious.



Ah thank you! I do have a bit of leftover filling in the freezer, I might have to make a couple of mini pies...

I'm really curious about the condensed coconut milk...I'm definitely going to hunt a can down. One of the men in our circle of friends is vegan. Thanks for the information.