The Perfect Pumpkin Pie and the Flakiest Pie Crust Ever

As long as I can remember, Thanksgiving has been my favorite holiday.

Here is a short list why:

• Pumpkin flavored EVERYTHING
• My grandparents come in to celebrate with us
• I love how every part of the Thanksgiving dinner is the same every year. Tradition is great.
• Pumpkin is the best flavor
• I am allowed to eat as many carbs as I want on that glorious day
• The Macy's day parade is so much fun to watch! I always love the dancers.
• Pumpkin rolls are a family tradition
• We always put the Christmas tree up the day after Thanksgiving
• Two words: BLACK FRIDAY
• As long as I can remember, I've gotten to help my mom cook Thanksgiving dinner.

And last, but certainly not least: The Pumpkin Pie. 

Mmmm... 

I capitalized the name because The Pumpkin Pie is so gloriously delicious that it deserves to be capitalized. 

The Pumpkin Pie is so smooth and perfect, held in a deliciously flaky pie crust that begs you to eat one more slice (I always find it is best to obey The Pumpkin Pie). 

The Pumpkin Pie is perfect ("Those are really... good alliterations!" Okay, excuse the Princess Diaries reference).

The Pumpkin Pie uses my favorite flaky pie crust, brought to us by America's favorite baker, Martha Stewart. The trick is the ice-cold water. 

Perfect Flaky Pie Crust

Yield: 1 single crust 9-inch pie 

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

9 tbsp butter (1 stick plus 1 tbsp), chilled and cut into 1 tbsp cubes

1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp ice-cold water

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. 

2. Using a pastry cutter, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles crumbs.

This is a pastry cutter. 

3. Slowly add the water while cutting until it's incorporated and flaky but sticks together. 

4. Form into a ball with your hands and flatten slightly so it's a disk shape. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour, up to 1 day. You can freeze it for up to a month, as long as you thaw it for 24 hours in the fridge before using. 

5. Roll it out and transfer to a pie pan. Cut the extra on the edges of the pie pan. "Fork" the crust. Preheat oven to 425 F. Refrigerate pie crust for 15 minutes while the oven is heating. 

6. Bake for 15 minutes, making sure to puncture the crust with a fork if it gets puffy while it's baking. 

The Pumpkin Pie

3/4 cup sugar

3 tsp pumpkin pie spice

2 eggs

1 (15 oz, or 1 3/4 cup) can of pumpkin puree

1 (12 oz) can of evaporated milk

1 recipe of the Perfect Flaky Pie Crust

1. In a large bowl, beat the two eggs with a whisk. In a separate bowl, whisk the two dry ingredients. 

2. Add the sugar mixture to the eggs. Whisk. Add the pumpkin and whisk.

3. Slowly pour the evaporated milk into the pumpkin mixture and whisk until thoroughly incorporated. 

Unbaked The Pumpkin Pie still looks delicious. 

4. Pour into prepared pie crust and bake at 425 Fahrenheit for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 Fahrenheit and bake for 40-50 more minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. 

I'll cover up that toothpick hole with fresh whipped cream. 

5. Cool completely and top with fresh whipped cream. 

Cinnabon Copycats and Scentsy Cravings!

I've finally moved into BYU! It's been great so far. We've been on tons of adventures! We've hiked the Y and gone on midnight runs for random groceries. My "family" group that I have activities with on Monday nights recently went to Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon.

The water was absolutely freezing. 

After all these wild adventures, we always seem to end up back at our apartment baking something.... which I'm totally fine with. 

My friend Lian bought me a Scentsy (I promise this is totally related) for college, which I was very thrilled about. You see, Lian knows me very well. She bought me only food-scented wax thingies to melt in my Scentsy. 

The wax thingy I picked for this week to make my room smell like was the "Cinnamon Bun" wax, and for about a week I craved cinnamon rolls without understanding why. But worry not, for I have discovered the source of my craving and have been able to satisfy it with a recipe I found for Cinnabon Copycat Cinnamon Rolls!

Cinnabon Copycat

Via: The Girl Who Ate Everthing

Yield: 12 cinnamon rolls

Dough:

1 cup warm milk (microwaved for about 60 seconds or until it's warmer than your finger)

2 eggs, room temperature

1/3 cup butter, melted, cooled down to room temperature

4 1/2 cups flour (I used all purpose although bread flour would be a good replacement)

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 package yeast (1/4 oz)

Filling:

1 cup brown sugar

2 1/2 tbsp cinnamon

1/3 butter, softened

Frosting:

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

4 tbsp butter, softened

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp salt

1. Dissolve yeast in warm milk for about 10 minutes. 

2. Add eggs and butter. Combine flour, salt, and sugar, and add to the wet ingredients. 

3. Mix well and knead with your hands (or your stand mixer if you're not a poor college student) for about 1 minute. Spray a bowl with cooking spray and put the dough inside. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place (I used my oven at 175) for 1 hour or until doubled in size. 

4. In a separate bowl, combine brown sugar with cinnamon. 

5. Once the dough has risen for 1 hour, roll it out on a lightly floured surface to 16"x21". Spread the softened butter across the dough and sprinkle the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture on top of the butter. 

6. Roll up the dough so that it's 21" long. Cut it in half, then each of those in half (so you have four equal pieces). Cut each of those into three so you end up with twelve equal pieces. Hopefully that wasn't too confusing. 

7. Butter up (or cooking spray if you're in a hurry) a 9x13 pan. Place the cinnamon rolls 4 by 3 in the pan. Let them rise another 30 minutes, or until doubled, covered in the warm place. 

***If you're making them the night before, now is when you put them into the fridge***

8. Preheat the oven to 350 fahrenheit. Bake cinnamon rolls for 20-24 minutes, or until golden brown.

9. While they're in the oven, beat the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt until well combined. 

10. Slather the frosting all over the cinnamon rolls and devour!

They smell even better than the Scentsy, if that's possible.