Step 1

Grate (using a cheese grater) a half stick (1/4 cup) of very chilled unsalted butter into a bowl. Add 6 tablespoons of very chilled shortening cut into cubes, and put the whole bowl in your freezer for 10 minutes.

Step 2

Add flour and salt, and cut the flour into your butter and shortening using a pastry cutter. Then add 2-3 tablespoons of ice cold water, one at a time. Use a rubber spatula to bring the dough together. You may need to get in their with your hands as well. Give the dough a few sprays with the spray bottle if the dough needs more moisture to come together.

Step 3

Wrap your dough with plastic, shape it into a round, flat disk. Refrigerate for at least four hours, or freeze until ready to use.

Step 4

Sprinkle a generous amount of flour onto a piece of parchment paper, dust the top of your dough with flour, and slowly roll the dough out.

Step 5

Transfer the dough to the pie plate (dough side down, parchment paper up), using the parchment paper underneath to lift it. Carefully peel away the parchment paper.

Step 6

Trim any excess dough around the edges (reserve for later), fold the crust under itself and then crimp the edges.

Step 7

Roll out reserved dough, and cut out leaf shape. Place pie crust and leaf decoration in the freezer to chill before filling.

Step 8

To make the filling, whisk together the pumpkin puree, sweetened condensed milk, softened cream cheese, eggs, and pumpkin pie spice. I used my Blentec to just very briefly pulse (three one second pulses) the ingredients together. You definitely don’t want to blend too much or you will incorporate air into the filling. Of course, it is fine to just whisk by hand too.

Step 9

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees, and pour the pumpkin filling into your frozen, unbaked crust. Place your pie on the center rack of your oven, along with the leaf in a separate small baking pan. Remove the leaf from the oven when it is just turning golden brown around the edges, about five minutes. Bake your pumpkin pie for five more minutes on 425 degrees, and then turn the heat down to 350 degrees, and set your timer for 40 more minutes. Total cook time for the pie is 50 minutes.

Step 10

Allow your pie to cool at room temperature for an hour, and then refrigerate until ready to serve. Top the pie with your leaf decoration just before serving.