3tablespoonsice waterup to 6, JUST to bind, not wet.
Pumpkin Pie Filling
2cupsfresh pumpkin pureeor 1 15 oz can
3/4cuppalm sugarcould use erythritol or cane sugar too, or any combo thereof.
3/4cupfull fat coconut milkor thick homemade nut milk. Extra fat needed for best texture, carton milk not ideal. Half & half or evaporated milk would also work.
3largeeggs
2teaspoonsvanilla extract
1 1/2teaspooncinnamonor pumpkin pie spice. More allowed if you like it extra 'spicy!'
In the bowl of a food processor, place all ingredients EXCEPT the butter, egg, and water.
Pulse a few times to mix thoroughly. Drop in the extra cold (even frozen!) chunks of butter. Lock on lid, pulsing until fat resembles pea size or smaller crumbles. Do not run so long that there are no visible chunks left.
Pulse in the egg.
Now pulse in 3-6 tablespoons ICE water...just until the dough can be easily pressed together and hold. (please refer to picture above in post to observe proper look)
Turn out onto a tapioca floured surface (or make your life easy and use a pie crust bag!, pictured above). Knead a couple times to gather into a cohesive ball. The dough should feel nice and cold. Don't handle it so much your warm it up and melt all the visible fat pieces (they're a key to the flaky texture). Roll out to about a 12" circle. large enough to have extra laying over the outside of the pie plate.
Invert pie dough over into a 9" pie plate. Use scissors to trim the edges evenly so that there is about a 1/2" hanging over the edge. Gently fold the extra under the edge. Crimp as desired. If any cracks appeared when you flipped, no biggy to pinch and press together with your finger tip! Place in the freezer while you continue.
Make Pie Filling
In the jar of the same food processor, place all the filling ingredients and whir until all blended and creamy.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Once the oven is ready (we wanted extra time for the crust in the freezer), pour the filling into the cold crust. Cover the edges with a pie crust shield (pictured above) to prevent over-browning. Place in oven and set timer for 20 minutes. We're preheating all that filling at this high temp!
Once timer beeps, reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking 45-55 minutes. Edges should be firm, middle should be just set.
Pumpkin pie needs to chill completely to achieve the right texture. I speed this up if needed by starting the cooling in the freezer before finally moving to the fridge for a few hours. Otherwise. Place in the fridge for 4-6 hours!