Classic Pumpkin Pie with a Twist

I bring you my new love: A Classic Pumpkin Pie with a twist.

A twist of lemon that is!

I love that this pumpkin pie doesn’t have one predominant flavor. The lemon zest, ginger, cinnamon, freshly ground nutmeg and vanilla all come together to create an harmonious symphony of pumpkin flavor.

A touch of lemon, pumpkin and brown sugar linger on the tongue, tempting you to take another bite…or another piece.

I don’t do light and fluffy pumpkin pies. My husband and I agree that they need to be dense, flavorful and fully set. I have a failsafe Pumpkin Pie recipe already on AHC, but I wanted to experiment with a riff on the classic and try a recipe that doesn’t rely on sweetened condensed milk.

Oh, and it had to have brown sugar. Because I am all about the brown sugar.

My father in law gave me a 1943 edition of The Joy of Cooking, and I have been itching to use it. I cracked it open to Pumpkin Pie as soon as we got back from Cleveland and Ruth’s recipe involved whipping egg whites and folding them into the batter.

Ain’t nobody got the time or patience for that. I like my pumpkin pies as easy as they are delicious.

The Joy of Cooking will have to wait for another time.

My husband, the Grand Master Pumpkin Pie Tester, approved, whole-heartedly, of this pie! {Phew} And we both agreed that it was even better the second day after the flavors had melded and the custard had set overnight in the refrigerator.

Bonus make-ahead points for Holiday dinners!

And it’s throw-everything-in-a-bowl EASY! Double bonus points.

Pumpkin pie has always been my favorite Thanksgiving or, really, anytime pie. When I was younger (like last week) I used to just eat the pie filling and leave the crust, but that was before I discovered the joy of homemade pie pastry!

But sometimes I still eat just the pie filling because it seems like a much more reasonable breakfast without the crust. Right? #justagree

I was experimenting with new crust recipes with this pie and let’s just say I wasn’t the biggest fan. #crustsnob The husband liked it but it wasn’t perfect, and perfection is all that I bring you up in here. So I will guide you to a foolproof pie crust that is my go-to in the recipe below.

Even with the lackluster crust I didn’t want this pie to end.

But it barely lasted 24 hours. How did that happen? There are only two of us…

A side note: These photos were taken about 2 hours of cooling on a wire rack. The pie was MUCH better when completely cooled and even more flavorful after refrigeration over night.

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This recipe is linked to: Inspiration Monday, Merry Monday, Munching Monday, Monday Funday, Two Cup Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Party Time, Moonlight & Mason Jars, Gluten Free Wednesday, What’s Cookin’ Wednesday, Gluten Free Friday, Foodie Friday, Food on Friday, Flashback Friday, Saturday Night Fever, Show Stopping Saturdays, Sweet and Savoury Sundays