Ashley Rodriguez’s beautiful, multi-hued, bay-scented pumpkin pie

On Hallowe’en, I had the honor of judging the Queen Anne Farmer’s market pumpkin pie competition. The criteria was simple: 10 points for taste, 5 each for Creativity, Appearance, and Technique. There were nine pies entered (one not pictured–Kimberly McKittrick’s delicious Winter Luxury squash pie, which arrived after I had put my camera away–it was very pretty and tasty too.)

Traditional pumpkin pie with egg nog whipped cream

I tasted each pie a minimum of three times–not difficult, since they were all so tasty. I waffled between first and second place, and re-tasted them some more. For the most part, the fillings were absolutely delicious–some used real pumpkin or squash, and the flavor was evident. (I did note on the judging sheet which pie fillings tasted fresher, and confirmed after the winners were announced that those people used fresh pumpkin/squash, so for those of you who think there’s no difference, there is!)

A delicious, cardamom-scented pumpkin pie

There were five pies that really stood out from the rest of the pack, and so the competition was extremely close. In particular, I loved the pastry leaves on Ashley’s pie (photo 1), the ultra-delicate, paper-thin crust on Pie #9  (2nd photo), the blend of spices in Pie Photo #3, and the dense, rich flavor of Kimberly’s Winter Luxury pie (not pictured.)

caramel apple pumpkin pie

Where some pies lost marks were in the crust–it is always the crust that’s the most difficult part to get right, isn’t it? Some of the crusts had a gummy, undercooked layer right next to the filling. (Not the caramel apple pumpkin though–great, flakey crust on that pie!)

this pie had cheese, pumpkin seeds, and bourbon–I appreciated the creativity that went into this savory pie

traditional pumpkin pie made with fresh pumpkin

the winning pie–a truly unique pie made with citrus zest, spices, and…a puréed banana

In the end, the winning pie was won by a lady named Ann-Marie Driver from Dublin. This pie had a mousse-like texture, and a most intriguing blend of spices, citrus zest, and finely ground pecans in the crust. Her “secret ingredient” was a puréed banana, which lent a sweetness in the filling I couldn’t quite place. Ann-Marie won a Le Creuset pumpkin cocotte for her talents, and was wonderful enough to share the recipe.

ANN-MARIE’S FIRST PLACE PUMPKIN PIE

FOR THE CRUST
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 pound sweetened butter, melted

FOR THE FILLING
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
1 cup light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3 large egg yolks
1 package unflaored gelatin
1 ripe banana, pureed
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/2 cup cold heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar

FOR THE DECORATION
1 cup cold heavy cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
orange zest

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Prepare crust: Combine crust ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Pour into an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and press evenly into the sides and then the bottom. Bake for 10 minutes and then cool to room temperature.

Prepare filling: Set a heat proof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Add half & half, pumpkin, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg to bowl. Stir until mixture becomes hot, about 5 minutes.

Whisk egg yolks in a separate bowl. Add a spoonful of the hot pumpkin into the egg yolks to heat them. Then pour the pumpkin/egg mixture back into the heated bowl and stir well. Heat the mixture over the simmering water for another 4 to 5 minutes, until it begins to thicken, stirring constantly (you don’t want the eggs to scramble!) Remove from heat.

Dissolve gelatin in ¼ cup of cold water. Add the dissolved gelatin, banana, lemon and orange zest to the pumpkin mixture and mix well. Set aside to cool.

Whip heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and continue to whisk until you have firm peaks. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the pumpkin mixture and pour it into the cooled tart shell. Chill for 2 hours or overnight.

For the topping: Whip the heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and vanilla and continue to whisk until you have firm peaks. Pipe or spoon the whipped cream decoratively on the tart and sprinkle with orange zest. Serve chilled.