Shape & Bake the Pie Crust

Allow the chilled dough disk to warm up and slightly soften for a few minutes on the counter.

On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll out the pie dough disk into a 11"-12" round about ¼" - ⅛" thick.

Gently transfer the rolled dough into a 9" pie pan, 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 or 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.

Position a rack in the lower half of your oven and preheat to 425°F.

Place the frozen pie shell on a lined baking sheet. Then line the chilled pie 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 in the lower half of the oven for about 15-17 minutes, until the crust begins to turn a golden color and starts to look dry. Take out of the oven and carefully remove the lining and weights, then bake for another 3-4 minutes until the bottom of the shell looks dry, too. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

Turn the oven down to 350°F.

Filling and Baking

In a medium saucepan, whisk together the granulated sugar, cornstarch, spices and salt. Then whisk in the cream. Add the butter cubes.

Place the saucepan over medium high heat, and simmer, stirring frequently to prevent scorching, until the mixture starts to thicken like pudding and and bubble up. About 10-15  minutes. 

Remove from the heat and whisk in the rum and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Allow to cool slightly.

Transfer the baked and cooled pie shell back to the lined baking sheet. Then pour the filling into the crust.

Place the pie in the lower half of your oven and bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes, until the crust is evenly golden brown and the filing appears set around the outer edges. The center of the pie will likely still be jiggly, like pumpkin or pecan pie. The filling will firm up as it cools.

Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. The filling will set as it cools. Then transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least a few hours.

Topping the Pie

When ready to serve, remove the pie from the refrigerator and lightly brush the surface with a very thin layer of melted butter. In a small bowl mix the cinnamon and sugar together, then evenly sprinkle over the top of the pie. 

Use a kitchen torch to softly brûlée the sugar on top. Alternatively, place the pie under the broiler in your oven for 2-ish minutes, watching carefully to be sure the top doesn't burn. 

Allow the brûlée topping to harden set and harden slightly before slicing and serving. Optionally top with dollops of fresh whipped cream and a fresh grated nutmeg or cinnamon, if you're feeling festive. 

Optionally top with fresh whipped cream, sprinkled with more cinnamon to really get the full Hot Buttered Rum effect.