Pumpkin Slab Pie – Bakes in a 15″ x 10″ Pan (Sided Cookie Sheet)

Pumpkin pie is not just for Thanksgiving anymore – especially when you serve pumpkin pie in a whole new way … like this slab pie!  I couldn’t wait to finish my photos ’cause I couldn’t wait to try this. (I ate three pieces!)

A ‘no-roll’ homemade crust – which comes together in minutes – is pressed into a 15″ x 10″ sided cookie sheet. (Also known as a jelly roll pan.)  The crust is covered with aluminum foil and baked for 10 minutes.  The filling is quick to prepare – brown sugar, pumpkin spice, brown sugar, half and half and eggs are stirred and poured over the partially baked crust.  After baking for a half hour the pan pie is cut into 16 pieces and, if you’re like me, smothered with whipped cream

‘Nuff Said – I think you’re gonna love this!

Love the taste of ginger?  Add a bit to the filling before baking.

++  Preheat oven to 400 F      Line pan with aluminum foil   

++  Note – crust bakes (covered with two layers of foil) for 10 minutes.  Filling is then poured in and pie bake for 30 minutes.

++  Filling is fully cooked when a knife, inserted in the middle, comes out clean.

++  Pie should be refrigerated within two hours.

Ingredients

   Pie Crust

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup COLD butter – OR – 1/2 cup additional shortening
• ice water  ++ Add ice cubes to 2/3 cup water.  ++ You probably will NOT use all the water.

   Pumpkin Filling

• 1 ( 15 oz.) can pumpkin  ++  1 3/4 cups pumpkin
• 3/4 cup PACKED brown sugar
• 1 1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten with fork until combined
• 1 1/2 cups half and half
• sweetened whipped cream – for topping

METHOD

Line 10″ x 15″ pan with aluminum foil.

In a large bowl stir – using a fork – combine 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour and 1 tsp. salt. Using a pastry blender (or two forks), cut in 1/2 shortening and 1/2 COLD butter until mixture resembles oatmeal, and butter/shortening is fully mixed in.

Sprinkle part of the flour mixture with 1 Tbs. ice water and mix gently with a fork. Push moistened pastry to side of bowl. Repeat until mixture begins to come together.  Gather pastry into a ball, kneading gently until it holds together.

++ You will probably only need 5 – 6 tablespoons ice water. You do NOT want a sticky pastry.

Divide pastry into two balls.  Starting at one end, press half the pastry onto bottom and sides of half the pan.  ++ At first, I thought, “This is NOT going to be enough. But it was!   ; o ) Repeat using second ball of pastry.  ++ Do NOT prick pastry.  Cover pastry with TWO layers of aluminum foil.  Bake for 10 minutes. Remove foil.

In a large bowl combine 1 3/4 cups pumpkin, 3/4 cup PACKED brown sugar, 1 1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice and 1/2 tsp. salt.  Stir in 4 slightly beaten eggs until just combined. Gradually stir in  1 1/2 cups half and half. Pour filling over partially baked pastry.  Bake for 30 minutes, or until knife inserted in middle comes out clean.  Cool on wire a rack.  ++  Pie should be refrigerated within two hours.

Dollop on some whipped cream, sprinkle on a tiny bit of pumpkin pie spice and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from ‘Good Housekeeping’ magazine – Oct 2016.