Everyday Food, November 2008

Home-whipped cream is a treat, and it’s fairly simple to prepare. When preparing a feast, however — for Thanksgiving or otherwise — cooks need to remember that whipped cream loses its loft after a few hours. Perhaps that’s why frozen whipped topping sells so well.

Taste the two side by side, and you probably won’t ever go back to whipped topping. It’s greasy, almost slick, and overwhelmingly sweet. Real whipped cream, on the other hand, is as sweet as you wish to make it, and scented with vanilla or whatever you like (try a few drops of bourbon in the topping for chocolate pecan pie).

This recipe, from the November issue of Everyday Food, solves the perishability problem. You’ll dissolve a little gelatin in the cream before whipping it. Pile the the whipped cream on the pie, slide it into the refrigerator, and the cream will still be fluffy when dinner’s done.

Also in the issue: A one-page Thanksgiving 101, with advice on thawing, prepping, stuffing and roasting the big bird; Thanksgiving recipes with a Southern accent, including pecan cornbread dressing and stewed green beans with bacon; a glazed vegetable primer, cooking with cranberries; and a dandy banana-oat smoothie that will get Thanksgiving off to a healthy start. (To make it, combine 1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats, 1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt, a banana, cut into thirds, 1/2 cup skim milk, 2 teaspoons honey and 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon; whirl in a blender until smooth. 342 calories, 3.9g fat, 1.6g sat. fat, 14.7g protein, 67.4g carbs, 5.3g fiber.)

Pumpkin Cream Pie

PUMPKIN CREAM PIE

Yield: 10 servings

For crust:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for rolling

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

2 to 4 tablespoons ice water

For filling:

1 (15-ounce) can  pure pumpkin

2 large eggs

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more for garnish

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup heavy cream

For topping:

3 tablespoons cold water

1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin (from a 1/4-ounce envelope)

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup granulated sugar

To make crust: In a food processor, briefly pulse flour, salt and sugar. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed. (If necessary, add up to 2 tablespoons ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.) Don’t overmix.

Turn dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Fold plastic over dough; press into a 1-inch-thick disk. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour (or up to 3 days).

On a floured piece of parchment paper, roll dough to a 14-inch round with a floured rolling pin. Wrap dough around pin, discarding paper; unroll over a 9-inch pie plate. Gently fit into bottom and up sides of plate (do not stretch dough).

Using kitchen shears, trim dough to a 1-inch overhang. Fold under to form a rim, and press to seal. Using thumb and forefinger, crimp rim of crust. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 1 day.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Press a sheet of foil onto crust, draping over rim of pie plate. Fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake until edge of crust is firm, about 20 minutes. Remove beans and foil. Let crust cool completely. Place pie plate on a rimmed baking sheet.

To make filling: Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla and salt. Whisk in cream. Pour into crust. Bake until filling is set, about 1 hour. Let cool on a wire rack for 1 hour, then refrigerate until cold, about 2 hours.

To make topping: Place cold water in a small saucepan; sprinkle with gelatin, and let soften, about 5 minutes. Place pan over very low heat; stir until gelatin dissolves. Let cool slightly.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat cream and sugar until very soft peaks form. Slowly beat in gelatin mixture; continue to beat until soft peaks form.

With a rubber spatula, mound topping in center of chilled pie. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 1 day. Just before serving, sprinkle with cinnamon.

Per serving: 457 calories; 32.5g fat; 19.8g sat fat; 5.2g protein; 38.5g carb.; 2.4g fiber.