What happens when pumpkin pie meets deep-dish pizza?

"Every time I am feeling a little too much, or sometimes not enough, I bake a pie. I bake a pie when I celebrate something, make a new friend, figure out something hard, go on an inspiring trip, and, most of all, when I am trying to create a feeling of home. For my project-turned-cookbook, "50 Pies, 50 States," I decided to learn about America by creating a pie for each state that said something about its people and included meaningful regional ingredients."

"About 85% of canned pumpkin consumed in the United States comes from Illinois, and pumpkin pie is the official state pie. But I couldn't just make a regular ol' pumpkin pie! I had to think outside the box. Then it hit me: I could make the love child of a pumpkin pie and a deep-dish pizza, which is thick and baked in a skillet and requires a fork and knife to eat 'cause it's too dang hard to pick up!"

Pie baking marks celebrations, friendships, problem-solving, travels, and creating a feeling of home. The project 50 Pies, 50 States maps regional ingredients to state identities. Illinois represents pumpkin pie because about 85% of canned pumpkin in the U.S. comes from Illinois and pumpkin pie is the official state pie. The recipe reinvents pumpkin pie as a deep-dish, skillet-baked pie with a thick crust that demands a fork and knife. The crust is the most challenging element; use a double crust (preferably all-butter) and egg-wash for a golden finish: one whole egg, one yolk, and two tablespoons milk or water, blended. Chill dough and make filling a day ahead to ensure a thicker custard. The recipe makes one 9-inch pie, start-to-finish six hours with one hour active.

Read at Boston Herald