ANNUAL THANKSGIVING HANDBOOK : PUMPKIN PIE : Sugar, Spice . . . Nice

It wasn’t an easy assignment. We asked The Times Test Kitchen to come up with the perfect pumpkin pie. Mayi Brady accepted the challenge and went to work this summer baking one pie after another.

It turns out everyone in the Food Section has his or her own ideas about what makes the perfect pumpkin pie.

Just as Brady thought she had the pie right, someone would walk in and say, “It’s too bland--add more spices.”

“No! It’s already too spicy,” someone else would say.

Others wanted more sugar. But Brady was trying to keep the sugar low enough so that the pumpkin flavor could come through.

Things went on like this for a while until Brady came up with a pie that satisfied everyone. It has a little more sugar than she originally wanted to add, but Brady didn’t give in on the issue of cloves: She hates them and believes that they overpower everything else in the filling. If you like your pumpkin pie on the spicy side, add a little. But don’t blame Brady if you can’t taste the pumpkin.

THE TIMES PUMPKIN PIE

CRUST

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tablespoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons butter, cut into 6 pieces

1 egg yolk

6 tablespoons water

Place flour, sugar, salt and butter in bowl of food processor. Process briefly until mixture resembles coarse meal, 20 to 30 seconds. Or combine flour, sugar and salt, then work butter into ingredients with fork or dough cutter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Add egg yolk and pulse or mix to combine. Add water, one tablespoon at a time, with motor running until dough forms ball. (May be done by hand.)

Turn dough out on floured work surface, roll flat and lay over 9-inch pie plate. Pat dough in plate, then trim and crimp edges. Chill 20 to 30 minutes. FILLING

1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin

3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups half and half

4 eggs, beaten

2 tablespoons melted butter

Combine pumpkin, brown and granulated sugars, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Beat until well blended. Add half and half, eggs and butter, then stir to combine. Pour filling into prepared pie shell. Bake at 425 degrees 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake another 35 to 40 minutes until toothpick inserted into center of pie comes out clean. Cool to room temperature or chill before serving.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Each serving contains about:

401 calories; 292 mg sodium; 193 mg cholesterol; 22 grams fat; 44 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams protein; 0.81 gram fiber.