A Great Pumpkin Pie!

Welcome back everyone!  I hope you all had a pleasant Thanksgiving and that no one ate too much turkey or too much pie.  Recently,  Rhode Island pie maker and owner of Sakonnet River Pie, Paul Bergeron,  was a guest on my television show.  He shared his recipe for a most delicious pumpkin-pecan-praline pie.  Paul’s crust was flaky and beautiful and is made with butter and leaf lard from special pigs raised in Pennsylvania.  He also uses a special teardrop cookie cutter to make delicate little curls that he places all around the edge of his pie.  I was so inspired by his presentation that I asked Pierre to help me in the kitchen.  We baked off 36 pumpkin-pecan-praline pies.  I had no lard so I made my usual all butter pate brisee.  And because I don’t own a teardrop cookie cutter to make a curled edge, Pierre and I decided on a lovely flat leaf-edge.  I gave most of these yummy pies away as Thanksgiving gifts, making my friends very happy. You can get the full recipe on my website and view the video clip from my show by clicking here: Pumpkin Pecan-Praline Pie

Pre-baked crusts on top of one another

Pastry cut into leaves for edges and decoration

Applying the leaves to edge of pre-baked crusts

Filling the shells with pumpkin mixture

Baked pie (Not shown- top of pies sprinkled with pecan praline)

Cup of cappuccino- the house drink in a giant Limoges cup
\

Pate de fruits- black currant, raspberry, apple and pear packed in small brown cardboard boxes- tied with raffia and decorated with Dresden gold turkeys. This was another gift that I gave out this year.

 

Comments

[Karin D.Eyre]

Martha, Thank you for all the great recipes and commentary you have offered. I love listening to your radio station on Sirius as well as your show on TV when I am home and able to. I also Listen to the "Whatever" girls whenever I can. I would love to be in th audience of a show of yours when I am able to. You are a wonderful person. Thank you for your knowledge.

Sincerely, Karin

[Laurie Ivanchuk{Ukraine}]

Nice to see you back Martha the pies and gift box's look wonderful.

[Leanne]

Martha, thank you for your beautiful photos and informative blog...the pate de fruits in the exquisite little boxes are so lovely as well as the Limoges cup and saucer and the pretty, delicious-looking pies! the photos of everything make me quite happy to see!

[Jan Erickson]

Hi Martha, Welcome back to you also. It looks like you had a lovely, yummy Thanksgiving. Those pies look so delicious and I can almost taste them. I enjoyed watching your Thanksgiving Special and your Christmas Special on the Fine Living network. I also enjoy all of the episodes on Comcast On Demand. Take care. See you tomorrow on TV. Jan

[Ruth Simons]

How lovely, Martha. I, too, baked a pumpkin pie with your leaf edge and cutout lattice top from last month's Living. I should have tented the lattice with foil, as it came out a bit more browned, but nonetheless impressive. My guests were inspired. I was just thinking today about how much you've been the reason why I host and do things with graciousness and flair. Thank you.
==Ruth

[deezie]

Everything you do inspires me so much, I just recently lost my mom 6 weeks ago and haven't felt in the holiday spirit this year but looking at those Beautiful Pies and those little wrapped gifts just makes me want to do all the things I usually do. Thanks so much Martha! God Bless you!!!
dee lotz
Of course purchasing your new Holiday Magazine helped too :)

[Diane]

Martha,
Your pate brisee recipe is the one that I use for all of my pie baking. It never fails to turn out perfectly! Thank you for posting these photos of your pies in progress. They are very elegant.. what a perfect Thanksgiving gift!

[Amy Mowbray]

Wow! The pies look so delicious. I love the leaf edge. Super cool!

[Trish]

Welcome back Martha and I hope that your holiday was as nice as possible under the circumstances.

I envy the lucky recipients of those pecan pies! Wow, you give gifts at Thanksgiving; that is so generous! I love pecan pie but no one else will eat them so if I made one, I would have to eat the whole thing myself. Wait! What did I just say?

Thanks again for the best blog in town!

Trish

[Laura C.]

I'm waiting on the remaining supplies to make the pate de fruits for holiday gifts. I can't wait, usually only eat the ones at Payard and Maison du Chocolate.
Your pies look amazing, such attention to detail. I wish I had another chef to help out with holiday prep!! I love your blog, the photos are amazing.

[Margie]

And Martha and Pierre I am glad you were not around watching me make "a" pie. Even the cat bailed on me after awhile. If only I knew a cup of cappuccino- the house drink in a giant Limoges cup would have been the secret....

[Rebecca C.]

Makes me wish I were one of those 36 lucky guests at your place this holiday! Looks devine, and thanks, as always, for sharing.

[Andrew Ritchie]

They look gorgeous, Martha! (And I love those little boxes!)

I assume a teardrop cookie cutter is on your Christmas list this year...

-Andrew Ritchie
Ottawa, Canada

[Claudine]

I love the Dresden Turkeys and those look like the same boxes I use for one of my events. I am sure it was a wonderful Thanksgiving with some wonderful Pumpkin Pie!
Claudine

[Barb]

I am glad you had such a nice holiday. I really envy anyone who can make pies. I have tried but can not make pie crusts. Your pies look beautiful

[pinknest]

i think i'm going to make pate de fruits this year for gifts as well! apricots. mmm. and that pumpkin pie looks scrumptious.

[Callie]

I bet it tastes as good as it looks!

Callie
Xylem & Phloem

[Gabrielle]

Those pies look delish!! I think the leaf around the pies give it that extra detail to make it sing...those turkey boxes are so simple and sweet. Did you put them at the place settings at your table?

[Susan94]

Dear Martha, that is such a lovely gift to give out. I have spots on your Pies and Tarts book (old one?) from making all the pies in there. I use that book the most and just recently made the pumpkin maple, pumpkin with brown sugar and also the pate brisee to go with it. I never buy crust!!! Thanks for sharing your life with us.

[Alcea Alba]

This Thanksgiving, we were without a stove due to a kitchen renovation project that we are undertaking. Our friends took pity on us and graciously invited us to share in their Thanksgiving meal. The single thing I missed the most about being sans stove was baking my annual pumpkin pies, which I undertake with enthusiasm each Thanksgiving. Thank you for posting your photos. They were very satisfying to view. How yummy!

[Carrie]

Martha, loved this blog. You're learning from Alexis!! Your daughter does such a wonderful job! I'm learning so much from her, as I have done from you for years!

[Kathleen]

Dear Martha:

While watching your show today, I noticed how rich the soil looked that you were adding to the bulbs. Why don't you market your own soil at K-Mart along with your other garden products. I for one would buy it.
Thanks,
Kathleen

[SUE]

HI MARTHA...I SUCCESSFULLY MADE YOUR APPLE PIE WITH THE GREAT "GOLD COIN" TOP CRUST..MY HUSBAND ATE THE ENTIRE PIE. I LOVE THE LEAF IDEA ON THE PUMPKIN PIE AND WILL TRY THAT NEXT. THANKS FOR ALL YOUR INSPIRATION!!

[Amy]

MARTHA!! I must tell you that I made two of the Cranberry Almond Cinnamon Tarts from the November MSL and they were FANTASTIC!! One went at Thanksgiving and the other at the office. OHMYGAWD there is no better thing to make for Turkey Day. And BRINED TURKEY ROCKS!! For AFTER Turkey Day, Cranberry Compote with Lemon Ricotta--no sugar, of course.

FANTASTIC!!

Amy

[Sylvia]

Martha, just beautiful -all the pie crusts & wrappings. I love your blog, very cool.

[Bertie Dixon]

Martha,

They say you cant teach old dogs new tricks, but you sure showed me.I tried the cheese cloth on my turkey this Thanksgiving & it was the best & the most beautiful turkey I have ever made. This was my 42nd year making Thanksgiving dinner & I hope I have some more Thanksgivings so I can do it again.

Thank you so very much,

Bertie

[Tatiana Jaramillo]

Hi Martha
I want to tell you that everytime I need a recipe I look out in your web site, all your recipes are great and they are alway a succes.
Thanks for all the recipes you give us!!
Love
Tatiana

[Jessica Austin]

Martha -
You were such a wonderful and gracious guest at our Thanksgiving Day dinner. Your pumpkin pie and pate de fruits were absolutely scrumptious. Thank you so much for sharing this special day with us.
Love,
Jessica (Robert's niece)

[lucy]

You pumpkin pie looks absolutely wonderful, the decorative edge really makes it special.

I've really enjoyed watching your shows this season, and love the fact you have started a blog! It's such a great way to stay (as your title reflects) 'up close and personal' with all your fans.