Martha Stewart's Pumpkin Pie Tastes So Good Because Of These Extra Additions

Martha Stewart, doyenne of the home, has built her vaunted career on tips and tricks that can turn even the most basic dish extraordinary. Stewart enlivens banana bread with one secret ingredient, for instance, and now we'll never bake it any other way. So, it shouldn't surprise us that Stewart knows how to turn out a delightfully picturesque pumpkin pie, but what is surprising is how simple her "hack" actually is. When compared to Libby's pumpkin pie, which is, for many home bakers, the gold standard, Martha Stewart riffs on a classic by swapping white sugar for light brown sugar. She also adds two magic whammies that are likely already sitting in your kitchen: an extra egg and a tablespoon of cornstarch.

We've heard of swapping cream for eggnog in pumpkin pie to improve taste, but the big change in Stewart's pumpkin pie is in its texture. Compared to a "normal" pie, Stewart's is smoother and more velvety. Cornstarch is a thickening agent, while an additional egg (for a total of three) makes the filling denser. Of course, it wouldn't be a Martha Stewart baked good without a delectable homemade pie crust — Stewart uses a pâte brisée dough that flakes beautifully — and spices ground fresh by hand. She utilizes many of the standard seasonings that make up a pumpkin spice blend but prefers to grind whole nutmeg for the most expressive flavor. The end result is a pie that not only looks like it belongs on a holiday greeting card, but also tastes silky and rich and represents the perfect ending to a lavish family feast.

When the recipe for Stewart's pumpkin pie dropped on Facebook, those who have tried it came out of the woodwork to sing its praises. "I love using brown sugar versus white, it creates such a fantastic depth of flavor!" one commenter gushed. "The more basic, the better," another stated approvingly. "There is a reason why she is so successful!" a fan added.

Interestingly, Stewart's standard pumpkin pie is not the only one she makes for her holiday table. In a 2007 issue of "Martha Stewart Living," Stewart published a recipe for a maple pumpkin pie that is much like a standard version, only with dark brown sugar instead of light brown and with a sweet kiss of maple syrup to round out the custard. While Stewart's basic pumpkin pie lets the smoothness of the filling do the aesthetic work, the maple pumpkin pie had a latticed top crust ringed by cookie cutter leaves.

With an amazing foundational recipe from Martha, you can play with additions and substitutes more confidently. We've seen at least one blogger riff on Stewart's pumpkin pie with a version that uses phyllo dough for a lighter, airier crunch and Chinese five spice for an unexpected zing. If you wanted to go sweeter, use a crushed graham cracker or gingersnap crust with butter. We're also not opposed to whisking in orange zest or bourbon into the custard for a slightly more elevated flavor profile.