This recipe found me while I was cruising through my Facebook feed, and the words ‘Fireball’ and ‘Pie’ captured my stomach’s attention. It was originally made by the BBQ Pit Boys, and cooked on a charcoal grill.
Yum, except this workin’ momma doesn’t have all day to stoke charcoal. So I baked it in the oven, and let me tell you, it’s still amazing. Worthy of the Thanksgiving spread.
The recipe simply calls for you to replace the pie’s cinnamon with a shot of Fireball, and the whiskey manages to add a depth to the flavor that sits on the tongue like subtle poetry. Sweet, with just a touch of spicy.
Warning: There is such a thing as too much Fireball in the pie. If your pie is more spicy than sweet, and the poetry isn’t hitting you, then it’s too much Fireball. The shot glass shouldn’t be full to the brim when adding.
I made this with a fresh Pillsbury Pie Crust because I don’t have time for kneading and beating and rolling and cutting a homemade crust either. Pillsbury is hard to beat. A graham cracker crust works well too, with frozen crust being the least preferred.
I used sweetened condensed milk, rather than evaporated. I prefer condensed over evaporated for a simple reason – it’s easier. If you use evaporated milk instead, make sure to add 3/4 cup sugar to the recipe.
If you’re lucky enough to taste one of my pies, you’ll notice another slight difference – because I’m the spice queen (ask my husband about my collection), I add a 1/4 teaspoon cloves for additional complexity. The best part is Fireball Whisky is a local product blended and bottled right here in Owensboro at the Glenmore Distillery.
Fireball Pumpkin Pie
1 can (15oz) pumpkin (not pie ready -just pure pumpkin)
1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 shot Fireball Whisky (do not overfill)
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp salt
1- 9-inch pie crust, your choice
Bake pie crust according to instructions on the package, if using a purchased crust. For the fresh Pillsbury crust, preheat oven to 425°F, mold pie crust into a dish, poke with a fork a couple of times, and bake for 12 minutes before adding filling.
In a large bowl, add eggs, beat slightly. Add in the rest of the filling ingredients, being sure not to overfill the shot glass when adding whisky. Stir until mixed smooth.
Pour mixture into prepared pie crust.
In a preheated oven, bake at 425°F for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking for 35 to 40 minutes.
Here’s a trick to avoid cracking – once the timer goes off, turn off the oven and allow the pie to cool in the oven. It should come out perfect! If not, simply run a spatula over the top of the pie filling like you’re frosting a cake. This will smooth it out for a picture-perfect beauty.
Let the pie cool before cutting — or do like I do, and eat it while it is still warm.
Refrigerate the leftovers.
