I've been busy the last few days shooting pretty girls in clothes so beautiful I want to cry...alas, I do not foresee dropping what amounts to a mortgage payment on a dress. I'm much more inclined to spend that on olive oil (in my lifetime), and so here I am, back to more important endeavors. Pie and chai. I've been drinking chai before Starbucks was even an idea. The cloying, insipid stuff served everywhere has little resemblance to the real thing. Yes, my back to the land parents had a guru, and when he would roll into town from India everyone would set up camp and boil up buckets of steaming, sweet, spicy chai to inspire morning meditation at undgodly hours. I'm digressing, but the point is, my dad got his hands on this recipe way back when and if he'd bottled it up like he imagined perhaps my Thanksgiving would include pie, chai....and that dress. It's really that good and the perfect tryptophan antidote that pairs perfectly with pumpkin pie.
Dad's Chai(...or more precisely, Chai adapted from the Sant Bani Ashram).
Makes 9 cups of chai, stores well in the refrigerator for a few days.
Bring 6 cups of water, 2 tsp cardamon powder, 1/4 tsp ground cloves, and 1 tsp ground black pepper to a boil.
Lower heat to a simmer and add 9 tsp mamri tea. Allow to brew for 5 minutes. Mamri refers to tea that has been cured into granules, it can be Assam, Orange Pekoe, etc... It is available at any Indian grocery or online.
Add grated and strained ginger to the tea. I like a lot of ginger use a piece about 1.5" square, adjust to taste.
In a separate pot slowly warm 3 cups of whole milk.
Remove the milk from the flame and strain the brewed tea into the pot. Sweeten to taste. I like honey but sugar or maple syrup are good as well.
Be careful not to overheat the chai. The ginger will curdle the milk if it gets too hot.
The Ultimate Pumpkin Pie:
I always made pumpkin pie according to the recipe on the back of the can. A few years ago I discovered this recipe from Bon Apetit that uses real cream instead of condensed milk. It is so much better!!! Happy Thanksgiving!! xoxo
Crust
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1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
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1/2 cup powdered sugar
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1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled butter, cut into pieces
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3 tablespoons whipping cream
Filling
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3/4 cup sugar
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1 tablespoon packed golden brown sugar
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1 tablespoon cornstarch
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2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
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3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
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1/4 teaspoon (generous) salt
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1 16-ounce can solid pack pumpkin
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3/4 cup whipping cream
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1/2 cup sour cream
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3 large eggs, beaten to blend
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1/4 cup apricot preserves
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Preparation
For crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Blend first 3 ingredients in processor until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add cream and process until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball, flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic; chill 15 minutes.
Roll out dough on floured surface to 14-inch round. Transfer dough to 9-inch glass pie dish. Trim overhang to 1 inch. Fold overhang under. Make cut in crust edge at 1/2 inch intervals. Bend alternate edge pieces inward. Freeze 15 minutes.
Line crust with foil, pressing firmly. Bake until sides are set, about 10 minutes. Remove foil. Bake crust until pale brown, about 10 minutes more. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
Spread preserves over crust; pour in filling. Bake until filling puffs at edges and center is almost set, about 55 minutes. Cool on rack. Cover; chill until cold. (Can be made 1 day ahead.)
For filling:
Using whisk, mix first 6 ingredients in bowl until no lumps remain. Blend in pumpkin, whipping cream, sour cream and eggs.
Spread preserves over crust; pour in filling. Bake until filling puffs at edges and center is almost set, about 55 minutes. Cool on rack. Cover; chill until cold. (Can be made 1 day ahead.)
Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/The-Ultimate-Pumpkin-Pie-826#ixzz1eXqRSRfP
