This is the perfect dessert for all your family holiday parties including Thanksgiving and Christmas. It’s a delicious make ahead pumpkin pie that’s smooth and creamy, and will impress all of your guests.
Preheat oven to 400° F. Adjust oven rack to lowest position, and place rimmed baking sheet on the rack.
Whisk cream, milk, eggs, yolks, and vanilla together in medium bowl, and set aside.
Combine pumpkin puree, yams, sugar, maple syrup, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in large heavy-bottomed saucepan; bring to sputtering simmer over medium heat, 5 to 7 minutes. Continue to simmer pumpkin mixture, stirring constantly and mashing yams against sides of pot, until thick and shiny, 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove pan from heat and whisk in cream mixture until fully incorporated. Strain mixture through fine-mesh strainer set over medium bowl, using back of ladle or spatula to press solids through strainer. Re-whisk mixture.
Place pie crust in pie plate and carefully place plate on the preheated baking sheet. Pour the filling into the pie crust, and bake for 10 minutes at 400° F. Without taking the pie out of the oven, reduce the heat to 300° F, and continue baking until edges of pie are set (instant-read thermometer inserted in center registers 175° F), 20 to 35 minutes longer. The center 2 inches of the pie should look firm but jiggle slightly; the pie finishes cooking with residual heat.
Transfer to wire rack and cool to room temperature and not in the refrigerator to ensure that the filling sets, 2 to 3 hours. Cut into wedges and serve at room temperature or chilled with whipped cream.
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Notes
Makes one 9-inch pie Cook’s Notes: If candied yams are unavailable, regular canned yams can be substituted.You may have leftover filling after filling the pie. I usually have a ramekin or two’s worth. If this is the case, simply pour the filling into small ramekins and bake on the side. The ramekins will take less time to bake than the whole pie, so check early them for doneness, probably about 15-20 minutes early. Check out my recipe for Pumpkin Custards for more details.Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen