Ingredients

• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon cloves
• 1 1/2 cups fresh Pumpkin Puree, recipe follows
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten, plus 1 egg for glazing
• 1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
• 1/2 recipe Pate Brisee, recipe follows
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar (optional)
• 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 (5-pound) sugar pumpkin
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, pumpkin puree, and 3 eggs. Beat well. Add evaporated milk and combine. Set aside.
3. Between 2 pieces of plastic wrap, roll pate brisee into a 12-inch circle. Fit pastry into a 9-inch glass pie plate; trim dough evenly along edge, leaving about a 1/2-inch overhang. Pinch to form a decorative edge. If the dough begins to soften, chill for 15 minutes.
4. Combine remaining 1 egg and heavy cream. Brush glaze very lightly on edges of pie shell. Fill pie shell with pumpkin mixture. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet.
5. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F, and continue baking for 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
6. Put the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor. All ingredients should be cold. Add the pieces of butter, and process for approximately 10 seconds, or just until the mixture resembles coarse meal. (To mix by hand, combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Using a pastry blender or 2 table knives, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.) Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water, drop by drop, through the feed tube with the machine running (or into the bowl if mixing by hand), just until the dough holds together without being wet or sticky; do not process more than 30 seconds. Test the dough at this point by squeezing a small amount together. If it is crumbly, add a bit more water. Turn the dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Grasping the ends of the plastic wrap with your hands, press the dough into a flat circle with your fists. This makes rolling easier than if the pastry is chilled as a ball. Wrap the dough in the plastic, and chill for at least 1 hour. Lightly butter or spray with vegetable cooking spray the pie plates or tart pans you will be using. On a lightly floured board, roll out the pastry to a thickness of 1/8-inch. Place the pastry in a plate, pan or in a pastry ring that has been set on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and press it into the bottom edges and along the sides. Trim the pastry using scissors or a sharp paring knife, or by rolling a rolling pin across the top of the pan. Cutting the pastry an inch or so higher than the edge of the tart pan and tucking this overhang to the inside of the pan will give extra height and reinforcement. Crimp or decorate the edges of the pastry, if desired. Chill the pastry-lined pan until ready to use. Unbaked pastry shells can be refrigerated, wrapped in plastic, for up to 1 day; for longer storage, they can be frozen.
7. Yield: 2 (8 to 10-inch) tarts or single-crust pies, 1 (8 to 10-inch) double-crust pie, or 12 (2 1/2 to 3-inch) tartlets
8. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut pumpkin into quarters. Rub flesh with vegetable oil and place on a baking sheet; flesh side up. Bake until soft, about 1 hour. When cool enough to handle, peel and put through a food mill fitted with a medium disc.
9. Yield: 5 1/4 cups