Fireball Whisky Pumpkin Pie

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Pumpkin pie is a fall recipe necessity.  Pumpkin pie made with Fireball Whisky is on the next level!  Because why have just regular, boring, plain old pumpkin pie when you can add flaming hot cinnamon booze to it!?  It’s good.  Really good.

I had leftover Fireball Whisky from by baby shower (yes, you read that right) and am glad I finally found a use for it because this pie is delicious.  It’s definitely a different taste than regular pumpkin pie; there’s some bite in the back of your mouth from the strong cinnamon flavors.  You’ll notice!

But this pie must be eaten cold.  Trust me.  We tried a bite when it was still warm and my husband and I both commented that the taste was “different” and the cinnamon kick in the back of the mouth was more like an alcohol burn.  Thankfully I didn’t throw it out but instead put it in the fridge and tried it again when a friend came over hours later–it was delicious!  So serve this one cold!

The pie crust is amazing.  Seriously.  I have never failed with this pie crust and I always get compliments on it.  I’ve used this crust for blueberry, apple, cherry, pecan, meat, and now pumpkin pie and it’s always flaky and buttery and perfect.

I have three tips to ensure the pie crust comes out just right:

one: chill it in the fridge flattened.  This way you are not wasting muscle power and adding warmth by having to roll it flat from a dough ball.

two: roll it between two pieces of plastic wrap.  Chill the disc of dough in plastic wrap, then unwrap it and lay it on the plastic wrap plus add a second large piece of plastic wrap on top.  Then roll it sandwiched between the two pieces of plastic wrap.  Your rolling pin never touches the dough so you don’t need extra flour, nothing sticks, and everything stays smooth.  Plus, it’s extremely easy to transfer the dough to the baking dish because you move the dough by holding onto the plastic wrap.  I’m convinced that the reason this crust tastes so buttery is because I don’t add extra flour when I roll.

three: chill the dough before moving to the baking dish.  Once your dough is the right size, keep it sandwiched between the plastic wrap and move it back to the fridge for 5-10 minutes to get it cold again.  This makes it strong and firm and easy to move on the plastic wrap without it melting and tearing from being too warm.  You can then let it warm up on the counter a little bit before you do your decorative edging.

This is part two of my three part pumpkin spice series (here is the ActiFry Pumpkin Spice Donuts recipe and the Pumpkin Spice Macarons).  The pie crust recipe is from “Back to Baking: 200 Timeless Recipes to Bake, Share and Enjoy” by Anna Olson with my tips added in.  The filling recipe is from The BBQ Pit Boys but I’ve substituted pumpkin pie spice and modified the recipe to make just one pie (though even with halving their recipe it almost didn’t fit in my Le Creuset pie dish which holds more filling than a typical 9” pie dish, so there may still be some leftover filling).

Pie Crust (makes two 9” pies, so freeze one for next time)

1 cup cold unsalted butter

2.5 cups all-purpose flour

4 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 cold egg

2 tbsp cold water

2 tsp lemon juice or vinegar

one: cut the cold butter into small pieces then let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.  Combine the flour, sugar, and salt.  Add the butter then using a KitchenAid stand mixer (or food processor or by hand), combine until rough and crumbly.

two: in a separate bowl whisk the egg, water and lemon juice or vinegar (I use lemon juice) and add it to the dough all at once, mixing until it comes together.  Shape the dough into two flat discs, wrap with plastic wrap and chill one in the fridge for one hour and the other in the freezer for up to 6 months.

three: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Remove the dough from the fridge and unwrap it but keep it on top of the plastic wrap.  Place a second large sheet of plastic wrap on top (so the dough is sandwiched between the plastic wrap) and roll the dough to fit a 9” baking dish at 1/8” thickness.  Use any leftover dough to create optional decorative leaves.  Return to the fridge sandwiched between the plastic wrap for 10 minutes.

four: transfer the dough to the baking dish and create a decorative edge.  Cover with aluminum foil and fill with pie weights.  Bake for 20 minutes then uncover and remove weights and bake 10 minutes, or until the centre is dry and the edges are lightly browned.  If making decorative leaves, bake these on a cookie sheet for approximately 10 minutes covered with foil then 5 minutes uncovered, or until dry and lightly browned.  Allow to cool before filling.

Fireball Pumpkin Pie Filling (makes one 9” pie)

15 oz canned pure pumpkin

9 oz evaporated milk

2 eggs

0.75 cup sugar

0.5 tsp salt

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

3 oz fireball whisky

one: whisk the eggs then mix in all the pie filling ingredients.  Pour into the pie shell.

two: bake at 350 degrees for about 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and the filling is set.  Press optional decorative pie shell leaves onto the surface.  Cool to room temperature then refrigerate for at least 3 hours.  Serve chilled (this pie must be served cold, trust me!).

There you have it, delicious pumpkin pie with a kick!  Let me know in the comments if you like the fiery cinnamon!

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Le Creuset Pie Dish in Caribbean:  Hudson’s Bay

Ralph Lauren Clock Appetizer Plates: Ralph Lauren (no longer available)

“Back to Baking: 200 Timeless Recipes to Bake, Share and Enjoy” by Anna Olson: Amazon

Christmas Plaid Tablecloth: Bed Bath and Beyond

Camera: Olympus O-MD E-M10 Mark II with 14-42mm IIR lens