American Pie Council

Alberta Dunbar

Pumpkin Chocolate Surprise Pie
1st Place Pumpkin
2012 National Pie Championships
CRUST
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 stick Crisco all vegetable shortening
3 to 6 Tbsp ice water
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spoon the flour into measuring cup and level. Mix flour and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in shortening using pastry blender or two knives until flour is blended and forms pea size chunks. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of water at a time. Toss lightly with a fork until dough forms a ball. Roll out on lightly floured board to fit a 9-inch deep dish pie plate with 1/2 inch overlap. Fold under and flute edges. Prick bottom and sides with a fork. Line pastry with a double layer of foil. Bake 8 minutes. Remove foil; bake 5 to 6 minutes more or until golden brown. Cool on rack completely before filling.
FILLING
12 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
15 oz can pumpkin
2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
4 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup light cream
Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees after baking pie crust. In a medium mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, and egg; beat on low speed until smooth. Spread cream cheese mixture on bottom of cooled pastry shell. Sprinkle with chopped chocolate.
In a bowl, combine pumpkin, brown sugar, and spice. Stir in 4 eggs. Gradually stir in light cream. Slowly pour pumpkin mixture on chocolate layer. To prevent overbrowning, cover pie edge with foil. Bake 60 to 65 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Remove foil. Cool on wire rack. Cover and refrigerate within 2 hours.
TOPPING
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla extract
chocolate curls
In a medium bowl, combine cream, sugar, and extract; beat on high speed until stiff with an electric mixer. Fill a pastry bag with small tip and decorate top of pie as desired. Add chocolate curls to top of pie.

Alberta Dunbar
San Diego, CA 2012 Amateur Pumpkin