Classic Pumpkin Pie Recipe

For the Pie Crust: Combine flour and 1/2 tsp salt in a large bowl. Work the shortening cubes into flour mixture, using a pastry cutter or two butter knives, in an up-and-down chopping motion, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some small pea-sized pieces remaining.

Sprinkle 2 tbsp ice water over the flour mixture. Using a fork, stir and draw flour from bottom of bowl to the top, distributing moisture evenly into flour. Press chunks down to bottom of bowl with fork. Add more water, 1 tbsp at a time, until dough is moist enough to hold together firmly when pressed together. Gather dough into a ball, then flatten into a 1/2-in disc. Wrap dough in plastic. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 2 days.

Position rack in bottom third of oven, then preheat to 350ºF.

Roll dough on a lightly floured counter into a circle 2 in wider than a 9-in pie plate. Transfer dough to pie plate by loosely rolling around rolling pin. Centre the rolling pin over the pie plate, and then unroll, easing dough into pie plate.

Gently press dough into plate, then trim edges of dough leaving a 3/4-in overhang. Fold edge under itself. Flute dough as desired.

For the Filling: Whisk pumpkin purée, sugar, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg and remaining 1 tsp salt in a large bowl until smooth and combined. Whisk in cream and vanilla. Fill pie shell with mixture.