Pumpkin Cream Pie

Directions

1. Make the pumpkin pastry cream: In a medium saucepan, combine the milk and pumpkin. Set on the stove over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until just starting to steam. Meanwhile, in a medium heatproof bowl, combine the egg yolks, brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, and pumpkin pie spice; whisk until smooth. When the pumpkin-milk is hot, add a small splash to the sugar-egg mixture. Whisk to combine. Add another small splash and whisk to combine. Continue this process until you’ve added about three-quarters of the pumpkin-milk. Now pour the tempered sugar-egg mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over medium to medium-low heat, whisking slowly but constantly (making sure to scrape along the edges, too), until the mixture thickens like a dense pudding, with your whisk leaving a distinct trail. (This took me about 6 minutes, but it can significantly vary by your stove.) Remove from the heat. Add the butter and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Press the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a heatproof bowl. Cover the top with plastic wrap to avoid a skin forming, then refrigerate until cool.
2. Heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch pie pan with butter.
3. Make the gingery graham cracker crust: In a medium bowl, combine the cracker crumbs, brown sugar, ginger, and salt. Pour the melted butter on top. Mix until the crumbs are completely moistened. If you grab a palmful of the mixture and gently squeeze, it should easily hold together (but not seem overly saturated or greasy). If it doesn’t hold together, add another tablespoon of melted butter or even water, mix, and test again.
4. Press the cracker mixture into the greased pie pan, evenly distributing along the bottom and up the sides (a measuring cup really helps here). Bake for about 13 minutes, until the crust is browned. Let cool at room temperature, then freeze for at least 30 minutes before filling with the pastry cream (this makes filling it a lot easier and neater).
5. Make the sour cream whipped cream: In a medium bowl, whisk the sour cream and brown sugar until smooth. Add the cream and whisk until soft-ish peaks form. You want it a little stiffer than you would for, say, dolloping on top of a sundae, because the pie needs to cut cleanly without the whipped cream slouching all over.
6. Assemble the pie: Fill the just-frozen graham cracker crust with all the pumpkin pastry cream, spreading evenly to completely fill the crust. Top with the whipped cream. Using a spoon or offset spatula, create swoops and swirls. Chill for at least 1 hour or up to 18 hours before serving. Sprinkle with more pumpkin pie spice just before serving.