The Perfect Thanksgiving Pie Is a Pumpkin-Pecan Hybrid

Alex Beggs

We asked our food editors to test and retest the Thanksgiving classics: to compare Idaho potatoes to German Butterballs, to weigh the merits of whole birds against cooking in parts. And we asked them to do it while filming Making Perfect, a six-part video series documenting every success and setback. Somehow, it all worked out...perfectly. Here’s how the Pecan-Rye Pumpkin Pie came together.

Find all of the recipes from the Absolutely, Positively Perfect Thanksgiving menu here.

The Dream Team

Brad Leone and Claire Saffitz

The Challenge

Hold on to tradition (which is to say, pumpkin pie) tighter than a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon handler, but dream of details that would bring it to 2019 in the best possible way.

The Solution

Imagine a pumpkin pie with pecan pie’s best feature— obviously, the candied nut topping. Now spike the custard with rye whiskey, up the flavor of the crust with rye flour, and voilà: pecan-rye pumpkin pie.

Watch Now: Bon Appétit Video.

Started From the Libby’s Can, Now We’re Here

Claire and Brad began with the classic Libby’s pumpkin pie recipe straight off the label. From there they upped the eggs for a richer custard, DIY’d their own pumpkin pie spice mix, and swapped in heavy cream for the evaporated milk. And, yeah, the whiskey.

The only can we stan.
The only can we stan.
Photo by Alex Lau

Extra Dark

Your crust isn’t burning! The rye flour will make the crust look darker than your standard pie dough. If you’re really worried it’s burning, tent it with a ring of foil.

Have you ever seen a better-looking slice?
Have you ever seen a better-looking slice?
Photo by Alex Lau, food styling by Susie Theodorou, prop styling by Kalen Kaminski

No Soggy Bottoms Ever

There’s so much moisture in the pumpkin custard that it can soften the crust if there aren’t protective measures in place. But we’ve got you. The egg wash added during the blind bake serves as a moisture-fighting barrier—a seal-tight guarantee that the bottom crust won’t get mushy.

The Tool: Immersion Blender

We use an immersion blender to mix the custard filling—eggs, pumpkin, everything at once—because it’s fast, easy, and thorough. (Don’t have one? Don’t worry, a regular blender will get the job done too.)

Get the recipe:

Pecan-Rye Pumpkin Pie

For more Absolutely, Positively Perfect Thanksgiving menu ideas:

Originally Appeared on Bon Appétit