Dirty Chai Pumpkin Pie (aka Espresso Chai Pumpkin Pie)
If you’re a coffee lover and a chai lover, or if you just frequent coffee shops, you’ve probably at least heard of a ‘dirty chai’: a chai latte spiked with a shot of espresso. When I was a barista back in the day: I actually hated when people would order a ‘dirty chai’ because I didn’t like the name and would call the drink out by its proper name: an ‘add shot chai latte’ instead. I know, such a brat, lol. What can I say, I’m a stickler for correct terms and such. Same goes for pretty much all those secret menu drinks nonsense. Cotton candy Frappuccino and all that other junk. But I digress.
I was brainstorming complimentary flavors for a pumpkin pie twist and this just happened to come to me and I was like “is that crazy?”. Perhaps. But it also really works together. The hint of espresso adds such a delicious depth of flavor and richness to the pumpkin flavor and the chai spices add a cozy and slightly exotic warmth. It’s seriously so good! And I really wanted to create a pumpkin pie recipe without using evaporated milk and after some tests, I discovered regular ole heavy cream works perfectly! Yay.
Full disclosure: braiding for pie crust is quite fiddly and you shouldn’t do it if you’re in a hurry. I got overly ambitious and tried to shoot 4 recipes in 1 day. My max is normally 2. I’ve tried to do this many times and I’m always mentally and physically drained, cranky, and sucked of most of my creativity by the last recipe so I don’t know why I’ve still not learned this lesson. This pie was the last recipe of the day and I’d lost my good light to shoot it so I decided to just bake it off and shoot it the next morning. I braided the rim and affixed it and it looked perfect. I chilled the crust for only about 10 minutes because I was in a hurry to start making dinner for my sister and I before we headed out to see Bohemian Rhapsody (SO GOOD, btw). I popped it in the oven then started on the chicken and when I looked through the oven window 15 minutes later, I wailed “my pie!”. The dough was not chilled enough so the perfect braid was sinking into the filling. I didn’t cry but I was close, folks. This is why you shouldn’t push yourself creatively when you’re tired. No good comes of this state. I was able to salvage it but then I proceeded to dump my entire pepper grinder full of peppercorns onto the chicken I was trying to season. Ya… I was done lol. My sister was like “uh, I’ll take over. Just go curl your hair”. So, if you want to be an overachiever like me and braid your crust, go for it! But allow yourself plenty of time and be sure to chill the crust in the freezer for a good 20 minutes to an hour before you add the filling and bake! This will ensure your braiding stays put.
I really hope you guys give this one a try and enjoy it! It’s honestly one of my favorite recipes I’ve ever developed and that’s saying a lot coming from someone who isn’t a fan of pumpkin pie usually. If you make it, be sure to share using #allpurposeflourchild and tag me at @all.purpose.flour.child so I can see it! I love seeing your creations!
Dirty Chai Pumpkin Pie
makes 1 9 inch pie
crust
1 2/3 c all purpose flour
1/2 t Himalayan pink salt (kosher works too)
1/2 c + 2 T unsalted butter unsalted butter (1 stick + 2 T), cold and cubed in 1/2 inch cubes
2 t apple cider vinegar
1 large egg yolk
3 - 4 T ice water
filling
1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
3/4 c light brown sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 t vanilla extract
3/4 c heavy cream, room temperature
2 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground ginger
1/4 t ground cardamom
few grates of fresh nutmeg
few cracks fresh black pepper
pinch ground cloves
2 t instant espresso powder (such as Starbucks Italian VIA)
½ t Himalayan pink salt (or kosher)
for optional pie dough cookies
1 egg, beaten
splash of water
raw sugar
garnish
whipped cream or ice cream
ground cinnamon, for dusting
make the dough
In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add in the butter and toss to coat in the flour mixture. Using your hands, pinch the pieces of butter between your thumbs and pointer fingers to flatten into thin shards of butter. Continue until all butter has been flattened, working quickly to prevent the butter from getting too warm. In a small bowl mix together the egg yolk, vinegar, and 2 tablespoons of the ice water. Drizzle mixture over the flour mixture and use a wooden spoon or spatula to incorporate. Drizzle over the last 1 to 2 tablespoons of ice water as needed, a little at a time, just until the dough comes together and is no longer dry and crumbly. You may not need all of the remaining 2 tablespoons, depending on the humidity of the day. Pat the dough out into a rough rectangle about an inch thick. Slice the rectangle into quarters and stack pieces on top of one another. Gently pat out with your hands into a rectangle about an inch thick again. Repeat the cutting and stacking once more. This is going to give us all those flaky layers. Pat dough out and shape into a round disk about an inch thick, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge at least two hours or overnight, ideally.
blind-bake the crust
Preheat oven to 400 F. On a well-floured work surface, roll out the dough in a circle a few inches larger in diameter than your pie dish, to about an 1/8 inch thickness. Arrange the dough in a 9 inch pie dish, letting the dough slump naturally into the crease where the bottom and sides of the pan meet, so as not to stretch the dough. Stretching the dough to fit the pan rather than allowing it to naturally settle into it will cause it to shrink when baked later, and we don’t want that! Fold over the excess dough, tucking it underneath itself to form a thick crust. Crimp the edges however you’d like. If you’d like to top with a halo braid, see instructions below. Place in freezer for 30 minutes, until very firm. Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet. Line the pie pan with foil or parchment paper and pour in dried beans or pie weights, spreading in an even layer. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until just starting to turn light brown around the edges and the bottom is set. Remove the pie weights and foil or parchment and bake another 15-20 minutes, until bottom is golden brown. If you notice the crimped top is getting too brown during this portion of the baking, you can wrap the crimped parts lightly with some foil.
make the filling
While the shell is baking, make the filling by whisking together the pumpkin puree, sugar, eggs, vanilla, heavy cream, spices, espresso powder and salt in a large bowl until combined. Set aside.
assemble + bake
Lower oven temperature to 325 F. Pour the filling into the blind-baked pie shell and bake for about 45-50 minutes, or until center is just set and still wobbly in the center and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 175 F. Allow to cool completely before slicing. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream and leftover pie crust cookies if you’d like (directions below). Dust with ground cinnamon.
optional but fun: create a braided halo crust and pie dough leaf cookies
You’ll need to make a double batch of dough. For the second half of the dough, create a braid by rolling dough out into an 1/8th inch thick round and use a ruler and a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut long strips to whatever thickness you'd like (though the thinner the strips, the more difficult and fiddly it will be to make the braids). Pinch three strips together at the top then just braid like you would hair, being gentle with the dough. If it gets too warm, pop in the freezer for a few minutes. If your braid isn’t long enough to go around the perimeter of the pie, you can make another and simply attach multiple braids together by pressing them together, being sure to line up the strands as best you can. Leave the top of the pie crust folded over as directions above instruct but do not crimp. Brush lightly with egg wash then arrange braid around the top to attach it. Freeze then blind bake as directions state above.
Re-roll any dough scraps out and use cookie cutters or even just cut out shapes free-hand with a paring knife, brush with egg wash, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, arrange on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and bake at 350 F until golden brown. Decorate the top of your pie with them or serve alongside the pie with whipped cream and ice cream.
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