CHOCOLATE PIE CRUST

Place the flour, sifted cocoa powder, sugar, cinnamon and salt in a large mixing bowl and whisk together.

Cut in the cubed butter into the dry using either a pastry blender, two butter knives or by squishing it between your fingers, just be careful that the butter doesn't start to melt. Keep mixing the butter into the dry ingredients until mealy, pea sized granules form. *If using a food processor, place the flour mixture and cubed butter in the food processor. Gently pulse until the flour changes from silky to mealy; this should only take a handful of pulses so watch it carefully.

Use a pastry blender or fork to hydrate the mix with the ice cold vodka or water, adding 1 tablespoon at a time and mixing as you go. The dough should just start to combine, try not to over-hydrate. *If using a food processor, while pulsing, gently pour the vodka through the feed tube just until combined. Check the hydration level of the dough by gathering a small fistful; if it holds together, it’s ready. If it is still dry or crumbly, slowly add ice cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, using a pastry blender or fork until sufficiently hydrated.

Form the dough into a disk. The dough will come together without much effort or deliberate packing. Wrap the dough disk tightly in plastic wrap or place in sealing, reusable bags. Chill the dough disk for at least 1-2 hours before rolling and forming. *If you don't plan on using the dough on the day you prepare it, you can store the dough in the freezer, tightly wrapped for up to 3 months.

Remove the dough disk from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, roll out into a 12" round about 1/8" thick using a rolling pin.

Gently transfer the rolled dough into a 9" pan. Trim the excess dough, leaving a 1"-2" overhang all the way around. Tuck the edge underneath itself to form a ring around the edge of the pie plate.

Flute the edges by pinching the dough between your thumb and pointer finger on one hand and your pointer finger knuckle on the other. Use a fork to prick small holes into the bottom of the pie shell. Place the pie shell in the freezer and chill for at least 20 minutes.

*Don't waste the scraps, gather them together and re-roll, then cut fancy leaf stamps or desired shape. Place on a lined baking sheet in the freezer until ready to bake.

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Place the frozen pie shell on a baking sheet and line the shell with a layer of parchment paper or aluminum foil. Fill the lined shell with beans, pie weights or rice. Be sure the weights fill the entire shell and reach to the edges and up the sides.

Bake with weights for about 15 minutes, until the crust barely begins to turn a deeper chocolate color and starts to look dry. Carefully lift and remove the lining and weights. Bake for another 5 minutes until the bottom of the shell looks dry, too. Allow to cool on a rack.

If you have dough scraps and plan to add leaves, lightly beat the egg for egg wash. Gently brush the leaves with the egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake on a lined baking sheet alongside the pie shell, until the leaves are crisp and a deep brown color, 10-15 minutes.

MAPLE PUMPKIN PIE FILLING

Set oven to 325°F.

Combine all of the ingredients together in a blender and blend on a medium-high speed for 3-4 minutes until the mixture is super smooth and airy.

Place the cooled pie shell on a lined baking sheet (preferably lined with a silpat mat to keep if from sliding around on the pan). With the remaining egg wash, gently brush the bottom, sides and fluted edges of the blind baked pie shell with the egg wash.

Gently pour the blended pumpkin pie filling into the shell and carefully transfer to the center rack of the oven. Bake for 30 minutes and then lower the temperature to 300°F. Bake for 30-35 minutes more, until the filling is set and the top of the pie has begun to caramelize. It should still jiggle a bit in the center when you remove if from the oven.

Allow the pie to cool completely at room temperature then gently top with the baked pie crust leaves to decorate the top.

BOURBON WHIPPED CREAM - optional

1. Place a metal mixing bowl and metal whisk into the freezer and chill for 15 minutes.
2. Pour the whipping cream and sugar into the chilled mixing bowl. Whisk, slowing pouring in the bourbon, just until the cream reaches stiff peaks, around 3-5 minutes. When you take the whisk out of the cream, the peaks should hold firmly but have soft tips. Stop whisking before the cream turns grainy.
3. Store in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve atop the pie.