This is our best pumpkin pie recipe

A five-star winner from Melissa Clark, of course.

View in browser|nytimes.com November 23, 2024 Melissa Clark's brandied pumpkin pie. Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Hot take: Pumpkin pie is good (especially this one) By Mia Leimkuhler I'll come right out and say it: I love pumpkin pie. I know this seasonal treat has its detractors, but it's only because they've never had a good pumpkin pie. And I get it. A wan pumpkin pie — one without enough spiced oomph in its filling and a bland, stodgy crust — is just an aboveground pool of sugary squash mush. If you are pumpkin pie-skeptical, I have a recipe for you: Melissa Clark's brandied pumpkin pie, a New York Times Cooking classic with five stars and over 2,000 reviews. You can make it with canned pumpkin purée, but, as Melissa writes, roasted butternut squash is the move here. "Thin-skinned and easy to cut, butternut squash turns soft and velvety if you roast it," she writes, "and a quick whirl in the food processor or a blender quickly reduces to it to a luscious purée." Swap the brandy for bourbon if you like, and increase the cinnamon and ginger if you want more spice in your slice. "This pumpkin pie was the best we've ever made," writes AM, a reader. "Complex flavors, not your everyday pie." Featured Recipe Brandied Pumpkin Pie View Recipe → Another good thing about pumpkin pie is that it can be made quite cheaply, especially if, like me, you stuff your freezer full of butter when it goes on sale. Our associate editor Margaux Laskey has compiled a helpful list of 17 ways to save money on Thanksgiving, with a tip for snagging a free turkey: "Many grocery store chains offer free turkeys if you spend a certain amount of money in a set time period. Sometimes, they'll even run this same offer if you buy a ham. If that's the case, roast your turkey for Thanksgiving, and freeze your ham for Christmas. Two birds (or a bird and a ham), one stone." Speaking of turkey: Eric Kim has a gorgeous new recipe for a dry-brined turkey with chiles. If "chiles" gives you pause, know that Eric's bird is more assertively seasoned than flat-out spicy, balancing the heat with savory cumin and refreshing mint. He calls for a mix of fresh peppers to confit in the turkey drippings — Cubanelles, shishitos, poblanos, bells and jalapeños — so pick the peppers you prefer. You can watch Eric make his turkey here: Eric Kim roasted dozens of birds and taste-tested eight different recipes before landing on this clever approach. Jonathan Bang/The New York Times, David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews How to Make a Thanksgiving Turkey That Actually Tastes Good Watch video → Another one of Margaux's budgeting tips is to cook whatever you like for Thanksgiving, since "skipping the traditional menu can yield savings." Maybe, instead of a big hulking bird, you'd like to roast a chicken or two — Ali Slagle's paprika-roasted chickens and potatoes serves six to eight, a beautiful option that still feels like a feast. And never underestimate the power of salmon roasted in butter, a Mark Bittman recipe that welcomes any number of Thanksgiving sides. Rick Martínez's sopa de fideo y frijoles con chorizo — fideo and bean soup — is a budget-friendly, filling weeknight dinner, built on inexpensive pantry staples (black beans, canned diced tomatoes, chicken stock and pasta). That, with a slice of Millie Peartree's sweet potato poundcake as dessert, is a glorious cold-weather meal. And to use up the rest of your canned pumpkin (or squash purée): Yossy Arefi's pumpkin biscuits with honey butter. Pumpkin pie may remain a divisive dish, but I'm pretty sure nobody's ever said no to a pumpkin biscuit. With honey butter. IN THIS NEWSLETTER David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Paprika-Roasted Chickens and Potatoes By Ali Slagle About 4 hours, plus overnight brine Makes 6 to 8 servings Jim Wilson/The New York Times Salmon Roasted in Butter By Mark Bittman 15 minutes Makes 4 to 6 servings Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne. Sopa de Fideo y Frijoles con Chorizo (Fideo and Bean Soup With Chorizo) By Rick A. Martínez 40 minutes Makes 4 servings Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Vivian Lui. Sweet Potato Pound Cake  By Millie Peartree 2 ¾ hours Makes 8 to 12 servings Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Yossy Arefi. Pumpkin Biscuits With Honey Butter By Yossy Arefi 45 minutes  Makes 10 biscuits  Sign up for Dinner Tonight One quick and easy recipe in your inbox each night to answer that eternal question: What's for dinner? Get it in your inbox Sign up for The Veggie newsletter Tanya Sichynsky shares the most delicious vegetarian recipes for weeknight cooking, packed lunches and dinner parties. Get it in your inbox Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Cooking from The New York Times. To stop receiving Cooking, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. Subscribe to NYT CookingGet the NYT Cooking app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018