Spiced Chai Pumpkin Meringue Pie

If you wish to serve one thing conventional but distinctive for Thanksgiving dessert, do that spiced chai pumpkin meringue pie. This recipe combines my tried-and-true flaky pie crust, easy pumpkin pie filling, and a candy meringue topping, and is flavored all through with warming chai spices.

That is pumpkin pie with a twist!

You all know the way a lot I like this nice pumpkin pie recipe. It’s a reader favourite too, particularly for Thanksgiving. However this yr I felt like doing issues a bit of otherwise—spicing issues up a bit. Chai spicing them up, if you’ll. In case you’ve ever had hassle deciding whether or not to order a pumpkin spice latte or a chai latte, this pie is for you!

Why You’ll Love This Spiced Chai Pumpkin Meringue Pie

• This can be a spice-forward pumpkin pie, with fragrant chai spices in each the filling & the meringue.
• Clean, creamy pumpkin filling sits atop a buttery, flaky pie crust.
• Candy meringue topping tastes like toasted marshmallows.
• An exquisite mixture of candy + spicy!
• Pumpkin pie freezes effectively, so you may make it forward after which add the topping earlier than serving.

You Want a Par-Baked Pie Crust

Like my conventional pumpkin pie recipe, at this time’s spiced chai pumpkin meringue pie consists of partially blind-baking the pie crust, which implies that we’re pre-baking the crust earlier than including the filling. Are you aware the way to blind bake pie crust? Let’s overview:

1. Make pie dough forward of time, then refrigerate or freeze till you’re able to make the pie. Pie crust should chill for at the very least 2 hours earlier than rolling out. You should utilize both my favourite pie crust or my all butter pie crust recipe. I want the shortening/butter mix in my pie crust as a result of the shortening guarantees that prized flaky texture.
2. Roll the dough out, then match right into a 9-inch pie dish. Crimp or flute the sides. My trick to lovely edges: don’t trim the surplus pie dough. See step 2 within the printable recipe beneath.
3. Brush the sides with egg wash: Because you want so many egg whites for the meringue topping, go forward and use one of many yolks to your egg wash. An egg wash is usually an entire egg blended with some milk, however right here you may simply use one of many leftover egg yolks and blend that with milk.
4. Chill the formed pie crust for at the very least half-hour. This prevents shrinking. Do not forget that pie dough have to be chilly when it hits the oven. You may chill the formed crust earlier than or after you fill with pie weights (subsequent step).
5. Fill with pie weights. Because the pie dough bakes, its fats will soften. The melting fats causes the pie crust to shrink down the perimeters of the pie dish. To stop the pie dough from utterly shedding its form, weigh it down with pie weights. Rigorously line the pie dough with parchment paper first, then pour in pie weights and even dry beans. (Be aware: 2 packs of these pie weights are wanted.)
6. Bake till the sides are comparatively set, about 10 minutes.
7. Take away pie weights + parchment paper, then dock the crust, add a bit of egg wash across the edges, and bake for a bit of longer.

Let me present you this course of in a number of pictures. Right here is the pie dough formed into the pie dish. You may crimp the sides with a fork or you may flute them. Now, add some parchment paper and pie weights:

Bake the crust with the weights for less than about 10 minutes, to assist set its form. Then take away the pie weights and dock the crust with a fork.

FAQ: What Does “Dock the Crust” Imply? As a result of it’s coated with weights, the underside of the pie crust doesn’t actually prepare dinner. That’s a simple repair. As soon as the sides of the crust have flippantly browned, fastidiously take away the parchment paper + weights, then let the crust prepare dinner a bit of longer by itself. However earlier than you come back the pie crust to the oven, use a fork to prick holes all around the backside of the pie crust. This permits steam to flee and prevents the crust from puffing up an excessive amount of. Pricking holes within the crust can be referred to as “docking” the pie crust.

Brush an egg wash throughout the sides earlier than returning the pie crust to the oven for about 7-8 extra minutes, with out the weights AND with out the filling.

FAQ: What Is an Egg Wash? An egg wash is what provides the pie crust its golden sheen. Pie crust seems to be very boring with out it. To make an egg wash, merely beat an egg with a Tablespoon of milk. As a result of we’d like so many egg whites for the meringue topping, you may simply use an egg yolk + milk for the egg wash for this pie, as a substitute of cracking one other entire egg.

Now that you’ve the crust able to go, let’s transfer on to the filling. First, make the spice combine.

Seize These Spices for the Chai Spice Combine

• Floor cinnamon
• Floor ginger
• Floor cardamom
• Floor allspice
• Floor cloves (or substitute nutmeg, if most popular)

This spice mix is just like pumpkin pie spice, however the addition of natural cardamom adjustments the flavour profile with its fragrant heat. I like utilizing aromatic chai spices in baked items, like chai spiced cinnamon swirl Bundt cake, apple pie with chai spices, and chai latte cupcakes.

Different Elements within the Filling

• Pumpkin Puree: Canned pumpkin is greatest for this pie, however if you wish to use puree from recent pumpkin, flippantly blot out some moisture it earlier than utilizing. Bake time could also be longer.
• Eggs: Eggs arrange the pumpkin pie filling. They offer the filling its wealthy, luxurious texture.
• Brown Sugar: The molasses in brown sugar provides a depth of taste to the filling.
• Cornstarch: A starch thickener is likely one of the most necessary elements in a creamy pie filling, reminiscent of this coconut cream pie, to actually assist arrange the pie. Makes it a bit of sturdier and agency, whereas preserving every part easy.
• Salt: Taste enhancer, a key ingredient.
• Heavy Cream: Heavy cream makes pumpkin pie creamy and silky easy.
• Complete Milk: Don’t substitute a lower-fat milk—the fats in entire milk is required.

Listed here are the elements you want, plus egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar for the meringue topping.

Whisk the filling elements collectively, after which pour into the nice and cozy par-baked crust. The pie takes about 55-60 minutes within the oven.

Chai pumpkin pie! However let’s not cease there…

Chai Spice Meringue Topping

I typically make 2 forms of meringue toppings for pies. The primary is a very fluffy topping that I exploit on lemon meringue pie. The second, which is what we’re making for this spiced chai pumpkin meringue pie, is extra of a billowy, gentle and creamy topping. It’s mainly Swiss meringue buttercream, solely with out the butter. And it tastes like melted marshmallows!

I exploit this topping typically and have a whole separate put up about the way to make do-it-yourself marshmallow meringue; it’s really what I exploit because the topping for brownie baked Alaska! I barely lowered the portions in at this time’s model so it yields much less, and I additionally lowered the sugar and ignored the vanilla so you may actually style the chai spices.

You want room-temperature egg whites, sugar, a bit of cream of tartar, among the remaining chai spice combine, your range, and a mixer. Cream of tartar is a non-negotiable as a result of the egg whites gained’t arrange very effectively with out it. And because you’ll have cream of tartar, a batch of quick-and-easy snickerdoodles on the facet is at all times a good suggestion. 😉

Gently prepare dinner the three elements collectively in a double boiler OR in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Whisk continually till sugar is dissolved and combination has thinned out. The combination will probably be thick and cheesy at first, then skinny out and seem frothy on high. (As you may see above, left.) As famous within the printable recipe beneath, you should use your finger to check for doneness or an prompt learn thermometer. Switch combination to your mixer, add some extra of your chai spice combine, and beat till stiff peaks type, pictured above on the suitable.

You may spoon and unfold it on high of the pie, like I do with this bourbon candy potato pie, or pipe it with massive star piping ideas reminiscent of Wilton 1M:

3 Useful Suggestions for the Meringue Topping:

1. That you must separate your eggs as a result of meringue is made out of egg whites. Use 1 of the leftover yolks to your egg wash on the crust.
2. Room-temperature egg whites whip quicker, and right into a higher quantity, than chilly egg whites. So be certain that your egg whites are at room temperature earlier than beginning the meringue.
3. Toasting is non-obligatory, however you get the added bonus of a caramelized sugar/toasted marshmallow taste on high of your pie. You should utilize a kitchen torch. I not often use mine, however once I want it, I’m very grateful I’ve one. It’s wanted for treats like crème brûlée, s’mores brownie cupcakes, and, after all, meringue-topped pies. As an alternative of a torch, you should use your oven. Preheat to 450°F (232°C), and bake till the meringue begins to brown, often about 2–3 minutes—maintain a detailed eye on it. You possibly can additionally use the broiler, however I discover this methodology rapidly burns the uncovered crust, so I typically don’t advocate it until you cowl simply the crust with some aluminum foil.

If you wish to skip the meringue topping, you may serve this pie plain or topped with whipped cream. (Be at liberty so as to add among the chai spice combine, to style, to the whipped cream elements earlier than you begin whipping it.)

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