IT’S RAINING PIES HALLELUJAH…SIMPLE PUMPKIN & CREAM PATISSERIE
Jonathan Swift
My love affair with pumpkin pie, all things pie continues. The first ever one I made was the Praline Pumpkin Pie from this stunning book Park Avenue Potluck CELEBRATIONS, a book published for cancer cure research & a celebration of food in every way. It’s a gorgeous book, with stunning photographs taken in stately NY homes, and is divided into seasonal menus. I found that quite a unique and novel idea. 
That pie was quite the best pie I’ve ever made, and so I decided to explore my love for pumpkin more. There are a lot of folk who don’t like ‘pumpkin’ anything & I’m really glad to discover we’re a pumpkin loving family as far as desserts go in any case. So now I try and keep some puree in the fridge to try something new. Pumpkin puree on hand makes pie making easy. Cookie dough makes it fun. 
This was a less luxurious pie as compared to the Praline Pumpkin Pie, which would be my first choice for special pie, but was delicious nevertheless. The kids enjoyed chomping straight warm slices of it. The shortbread cookie dough added some luxury and delicious flavour to it. You can use a regular pie base too if you like.
Simple Pumpkin Pie Adapted from Megans Cooking here
Ingredients:
One regular pie shell, or a pie shell made out of brown sugar shortbread dough, baked blind & cooled
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Drizzle
1/4 cup low fat cream
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Method:
Filling:
Stir in the flour mixture until well blended. Spread evenly over the pie shell.(mixture will be thick and cookie batter-ish.)
Combine white sugar, walnuts & cinnamon in a little bowl. Evenly sprinkle cinnamon mixture over the top of the batter.
Bake for 33-40 minutes (maybe more depending on your oven) or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean. Let the pie cool completely (about an hour).
Optional: After the pie is completely cool, mix a little low fat cream with pumpkin pie spice and drizzle over the top. Alternately, serve warm slices with unsweetened whipped cream.
From one who never quite made pies of this sort before. Looking back, I now am amazed at how far I’ve come & how adventurous I’ve become. From someone completely eggophobic, to someone who now makes pies using eggs … WOOT! Makes me do a happy jig, and keeps the family guessing what the next dessert is going to be.
The second pie is a result of a what I thought was a ruined pastry shell meant for the Praline Pumpkin Pie, a dessert which was an absolute celebration of everything pie … smooth, luxurious & satisfying. My first attempt was far from perfect, maybe given the warm weather. Had to use it elsewhere.
I also had 4 egg yolks left over from the Daring Bakers macaron challenge and a shout out on twitter had Pam @ The Cooking Ninja to my rescue, with MILs cream patisserie recipe. For me, who wouldn’t touch egg yolks with a barge pole, it was a paradox of sorts. But the cream patisserie was a real breeze. I even began to enjoy the ease of working with the yolks!! Could I dunk it into the shell and make pie? Did!!
A while later Hilda gave me words of assurance that it may just work, and Pam was all enthusiastic about experimenting. I had nothing to lose…and the experiment came out a winner. WE HAD PIE!! A delicious pie, topped with a strawberry concentrate I made with frozen strawberries & topped with grated chocolate curls… Can you tell how good it was? The family loved it!
Crème Pâtissière, Strawberry & Chocolate Pie
Ingredients:
A 9″ pie shell (Pam has a good recipe for short crust pastry/pâte brisée)
1 quantity French Pastry Cream (recipe at bottom)
1/2 cup strawberry conserve
Dark chocolate at room temperature for topping
Method:
Pour the cool pastry cream into the pie shell and leave to set overnight.
Ladle the strawberry conserve/concentrate, and spread gently but uniformly. Grate chocolate directly over the pie. Refrigerate till ready to serve.
Crème Pâtissière (French Pastry Cream)
as adapted minimally from The Cooking Ninja
Enough for 1 9″ pie shell (serves 4 otherwise)
Ingredients:
½ litre milk
4 egg yolks
130g fine sugar
2 sachets vanilla sugar
30g cornflour
a pinch of salt
Method:
Bring the milk, vanilla sugar & a pinch of salt to a gentle boil in a pot.
In the meantime, whisk the egg yolks and sugar with a wooden spoon in a big bowl until the mixture becomes pale and light. Stir in the flour slowly until it is thoroughly mixed with the egg mixture.
Pour the boiling milk into the mixture a little by little while whisking continuously to avoid curdling. And then stir in the rest of the milk until the mixture is well combined.
Transfer the whole mixture into a pot, with seeds scraped from the vanilla bean, and heat it under low setting. Stir it constantly with the wooden spoon or spatula scraping the sides and bottom until it has thickened.
Once the custard has thickened, take it off the heat, pour it into a clean bowl and let it cool down.
Spread the word to other foodies and food bloggers! Don’t be afraid! Let the Mac Games begin!
Don’t miss a post 
Deeba @ PAB
About me: I am a freelance food writer, recipe developer and photographer. Food is my passion - baking, cooking, developing recipes, making recipes healthier, using fresh seasonal produce and local products, keeping a check on my carbon footprint and being a responsible foodie! I enjoy food styling, food photography, recipe development and product reviews. I express this through my food photographs which I style and the recipes I blog. My strength lies in 'Doing Food From Scratch'; it must taste as good as it looks, and be healthy too. Baking in India, often my biggest challenge is the non-availability of baking ingredients, and this has now become a platform to get creative on. I enjoy cooking immensely as well.
35 Comments
Happy cook
I love that there is so much filling in the pie, you can just see how yummy it is.
I have never made a pie.
The Cooking Ninja
U had me drooling right in front of my screen. If only I can lick it off my screen. lol! In my household, we just the creme pâtissère right out of the bowl. :p
Rosa's Yummy Yums
I really love pies! They are so scrumptious and there are so many different recipes to choose from…
Both look fantastic! i'll have a slice of both, please.
Cheers,
Rosa
Alicia (The Red Deer)
I wish Pumpkin Pie was a done thing here in Australia – because that pie looks divine! And the second pie with strawberry and chocolate – drooool!
ABowlOfMush
Wow these look gorgeous!
The perfect pies to go with afternoon tea 🙂
Amanda
Beautiful post as usual deeba 🙂 I am only recently a pumpkin appreciator. The only thing I had ever tried was traditional pumpkin pie and it never really did anything for me. About a year ago I started trying different recipes for muffins, cake and cookies with pumpkin and now i'm sold. My daughter has been harping on me about pumpkin pie, i need to get one made. These look fabulous!
shaz
Both pies look so good Deeba, can't decide which to try. And mac attack mach 2 sounds like fun! (I think I'm obsessed now after the DB challenge 🙂
Barbara Bakes
You have been busy! Two fabulous pies and a new kitchen! Wow I'm so impressed!
Alyssa
Your blog is a feast for the eyes! Our family is thrilled that autumn is full of pumpkin recipes, and we're always happy to try another. But it's the second pie, the one with Crème Pâtissière, that has really captured my imagination. If I wasn't committed to a carrot cake for my daughter's birthday this weekend, I'd be making that one!
Megan
Oh dear, now I want pie! They look amazing. I better call the SIL and tell her I want to make the pies for Thanksgiving!
Question on the macs. Does the weather affect the outcome of Macs? I know you shouldn't make meringue on humid days and I just wondered if that would be true with Macs. Love the new kitchen!
lisaiscooking
Both version of pumpkin and the Crème Pâtissière pie sound wonderful! I'd like to try a slice of each, please.
Steph
Your pie looks so good that I would eat it (and I can't stand pumpkin pie). Excellent photos!
Julie @ Willow Bird Baking
Gorgeous pies!! I'm having a love affair with pie lately too, and pie CRUST in particular! Mmm. Planning a coconut cream and chocolate pie for Thanksgiving 🙂
Gera @ SweetsFoods
Love both pies Deeba!
Why I read and enjoy these wonderful delights and I'm so far for a slice of something sweet…gorgeous pics as well.
All the best!
Gera
Christine aka Mistress of Cakes
such beauty!
Clumbsy Cookie
I came to check out your blog but arrived in pie heaven instead! They look so perfect and delicious!!! I'd take a piece (a big one) of each!
foodie ffanatic
I LOVE pie! I'm going to check out your Praline Pumpkin Pie, too. I just adore your blog.
One complaint, though, if I may…
Now I can't get the song "It's Raining Men" out of my head!!!
noble pig
I would love it if it rained pies! Especially this kind!
Helene
This looks beyond delicious. I love apple pie so much. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Naz
Wow..That pie looks so yummy! Can you cook for me? I'm starving!! er.. 🙂
Gloria
Love pies Deeba, never bored me! and these are amazing! tres belle! love it, huggs! gloria
Heavenly Housewife
what a stunning pies, works of art!
I have joined the mac attack challenge 🙂 am really looking forward to it.
onesilentwinter
looks delicious!
Natashya KitchenPuppies
Such a beautiful and generous pie! I want to use it as a pillow and have sweet dreams.
WizzyTheStick
Not a big fan of pumpkin in desserts. Funny tho how your gorgeous pics will always make me think about eating – even stuff I don't like as in this pumpkin pie:-)
Curry Leaf
I must make something with pumpkin .this is awesome.
Kerstin
I love the topping on your pumpkin pie, it looks fantastic!
Arwen from Hoglet K
Sounds like a pie party! The praline version of the pumpkin does sound yummier, but I like the idea of eating it warm too.
Barbara
Your pies are spectacular.. but I have to admit the pumpkin one is my favorite!
Kelsey B.
I am SO happy you are continuing to bake with pumpkin!
The Cooking Photographer
Wow. Your pies always look so beautiful. I didn't know pumpkin anything could look this pretty.
Jamie
Great pie! I love it and this one I could do! Great pia-athon you have going here! Keep it coming, dahling!
Thao Phan
Oh that looks so good!!!!
Nicisme
I've never made a pumpkin pie! I do keep drooling over them though, especially that piece that has the icing on.
Peter M
Darlin', I don't think there is anything you do "simply"…this is exquisiste.