By Late October. Halloween again. Lucas is going as a superhero this year — Spider-Man — which is a departure from last year's chef costume and which I receive with the diplomatic acceptance of a grandmother who preferred the chef costume but who understands that a three-year-old's identity is a work in progress and that Spider-Man is a phase and the kitchen is forever. Isabella, at fifteen months, is going as a pumpkin because Jenny bought the costume and because Isabella, at fifteen months, does not have opinions about Halloween costumes, she has opinions about tostones.
I made Halloween cookies with Lucas on Saturday — not Puerto Rican, not traditional, entirely American, sugar cookies cut into bats and ghosts and pumpkins and decorated with frosting that Lucas applied with the precision of a Jackson Pollock and the enthusiasm of a Delgado, which is to say: too much frosting, everywhere, on the cookies, on the counter, on the floor, on Eduardo, who was holding Isabella and serving as a secondary frosting target. The cookies were chaotic and beautiful. I ate three. Lucas ate five. We did not tell Jenny about the five.
Rosa is due in two weeks. I called her on Thursday and she sounded like a woman who is thirty-eight weeks pregnant and carrying a human who is running out of room and expressing opinions about the reduced square footage. She said, Mami, this baby never stops moving. I said, You never stopped moving either. She said, Was I this uncomfortable? I said, Rosa, you were breach until week thirty-six and you kicked me in the ribs for three months. She said, I'm sorry. I said, Do not apologize. The kicking was the introduction. The kicking said: I am here and I have opinions. You have been here and you have had opinions for twenty-nine years and I would not change a single kick.
The sugar cookies were a triumph of love over order, and I would do it again tomorrow — but after Lucas went home and Eduardo wiped the last of the orange frosting off his shirt, I wanted to make something for myself, something that smelled like late October without requiring me to supervise the frosting bag. Rosa is almost here, a new baby is almost here, and the whole house feels like it is holding its breath in the best possible way; a pumpkin pie felt exactly right — something to set on the counter and let the smell do the announcing. This one has a little frost, a little spice, and it asks almost nothing of you except patience while it sets.
Frost On The Pumpkin Pie
Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 55 min | Total Time: 1 hr 15 min | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 (9-inch) unbaked pie crust
- 1 (15 oz) can pure pumpkin puree
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Frost Topping:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven. Heat your oven to 425°F. Place the unbaked pie crust in a 9-inch pie dish, crimp the edges, and set aside.
- Mix the filling. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg until well combined.
- Add the wet ingredients. Stir in the beaten eggs, evaporated milk, and vanilla extract until the filling is smooth and uniform.
- Fill the crust. Pour the pumpkin filling into the prepared crust, spreading it evenly to the edges.
- Bake at high heat. Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F without opening the door.
- Finish baking. Continue baking for 40–45 minutes, until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean and the edges are set (the very center may have a slight jiggle).
- Cool completely. Transfer the pie to a wire rack and allow it to cool fully, at least 2 hours. The filling will firm up as it cools.
- Make the frost topping. Just before serving, beat the heavy cream with powdered sugar and cinnamon using a hand mixer or stand mixer until stiff peaks form.
- Finish and serve. Spread or pipe the whipped cream over the top of the cooled pie in a generous, frost-like layer. Dust lightly with a pinch of extra cinnamon and serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 320 | Protein: 6g | Fat: 16g | Carbs: 40g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 220mg