11. Pear-Cranberry Make Apple Pie, replacing the apples with pears and the lemon juice with orange juice. Cook the pears with 1/2 cup cranberries; stir in 2 extra tablespoons flour and orange zest instead of cinnamon.
12. Pear-Chocolate Make Apple Pie, replacing the apples with pears. Add 1/3 cup chocolate chips to the cooled filling. Sprinkle the top crust with sliced almonds.
Pumpkin Pie
MAKES: one 9-inch pie
1 disk dough for Cream Cheese Crust
All-purpose flour, for dusting1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
1 cup evaporated milk
2/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Roll out the dough into a 12-inch round on a lightly floured surface. Ease into a 9-inch pie plate; fold the overhang under itself and crimp. Chill 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Prick the bottom of the crust with a fork. Line with foil, fill with dried beans and bake until the edges are golden, about 20 minutes. Remove the beans and foil and bake 10 more minutes. Cool on a rack.
Whisk the pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, eggs and spices in a bowl; pour into the crust. Bake until the center is just barely set, about 1 hour. (Cover the edges with foil if they brown too quickly.) Cool on a rack.
14. Pumpkin-Orange Make Pumpkin Pie, replacing half of the sugar with honey, reducing the cinnamon to 3/4 teaspoon and adding 1 teaspoon orange zest.
15. Pumpkin-Sorghum Make Pumpkin Pie, replacing the sugar with 1/2 cup sorghum molasses and replacing the cinnamon and ginger with 3/4 teaspoon ground allspice.
16. Pumpkin Streusel Mix 2/3 cup flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 stick melted butter and 1/4 cup chopped walnuts. Make Pumpkin Pie; sprinkle with the streusel mixture after 20 minutes of baking. Bake until set.
17. Pumpkin-Ricotta Make Pumpkin Pie, replacing the evaporated milk with ricotta cheese and omitting the ginger.
18. Pumpkin Brulee Make Pumpkin Pie; cool. Just before serving, sprinkle generously with sugar and caramelize with a torch.
19. Pumpkin-Sesame Make Pumpkin Pie; cool. Cook 1/2 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon water over medium-high heat until amber, 7 minutes. Stir in 1 1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Thinly spread on greased foil; cool and break apart. Sprinkle on the pie just before serving.
20. Pumpkin Meringue Make Pumpkin Pie; cool. Beat 4 egg whites, 1 teaspoon cream of tartar and 2 cups confectioners' sugar in a heatproof bowl over simmering water with a mixer until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and beat until stiff. Spread on the pie and broil or torch until golden brown.
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