Arielle Johnson says pumpkin pie can be overwhelmed by sweetness if it's not neutralized by other flavors. Traditional pumpkin pie spice, which entails cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and allspice, trend sweet with the same warm notes. Inspired by her years living in Scandinavia, Johnson grew fond of cardamom and spices that Medieval cooks liked but have fallen out of favor, such as long pepper and grains of paradise. Because pumpkin is savory, Arielle uses it as a canvas for playing with spices and she has created her own blend.
Underappreciated Fragrant Spice Pumpkin Pie
Serves 6 to 8 as dessert
Blended pumpkin pie spice is usually cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves, sometimes with allspice. Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger were all super popular spices in medieval and Renaissance Europe, for both sweet and savory dishes, which got me thinking about how other spices that you might have used alongside these in 1300 in Paris or Florence but aren’t so widely familiar now, like grains of paradise and cubeb pepper, would be in a pumpkin pie. The answer is: really good. They’re both deeply fragrant spices, with some notes in common with allspice and black pepper, but a bit fresher resinousness.
This recipe uses those two spices along with two types of cardamom: korarima (Ethiopian cardamom) and green cardamom. The result is a less sweet, very fragrant and earthy-spiced, somewhat spicy pumpkin custard, which goes well with a flaky and well-browned pie crust.
If you can’t find some of the spices below, think about experimenting a little: black pepper, black cardamom, and more green cardamom are good starting points from the dry and fragrant section of the spiced spectrum; star anise, allspice, or fennel seeds are good candidates if you want to push it sweeter.
Ingredients
- 9-inch pie crust
- 2 teaspoons (4 g) cardamom seeds (not pods)
- 1 teaspoon (2 g) korarima seeds
- 1 teaspoon (2 g) cubeb peppercorns
- 1/21/2 teaspoon (1 g) grains of paradise
- 11/41/4 cups (300 ml) heavy cream
- 14 ounces (400 g) pumpkin puree
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup (200 g) dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) salt
Instructions
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Have ready a flaky, rolled, blind-baked single 9-inch pie crust. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
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In a spice grinder or high-powered blender, grind 2 teaspoons (4 g) cardamom seeds (not pods), 1 teaspoon (2 g) korarima seeds, 1 teaspoon (2 g) cubeb peppercorns, and 1/21/2 teaspoon (1 g) grains of paradise.
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In a large saucepan, mix the ground spice mixture with 11/41/4 cups (300 ml) heavy cream. Heat over medium heat until it just reaches a simmer, then remove from the heat and steep (covered) for 30 minutes.
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In a large bowl, thoroughly whisk the spiced cream into 14 ounces (400 g) pumpkin puree (either from one can of pureed pumpkin or your own roasted pumpkin). Add 3 eggs, 1 cup (200 g) dark brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon (4 g) salt while still whisking.
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Pour into the pie shell and bake 30 to 45 minutes, just until the center no longer sloshes when you wiggle it and the outer edges of the pie are firm. Cool to room temperature and eat. Consume within 3 days.
"Flavorama: A Guide to Unlocking the Art and Science of Flavor" explores the building blocks of yumminess. Photo courtesy of Harvest.