Pumpkin Swirl Slab Pie

To make the crust, first stir together the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the cubes of cold butter and mix together until the mixture resembles tiny pebbles or large grains of sand. I like to use my (clean) hands to blend, but a pastry blender works well too. Then add 1/2 cup cold water. Mix together and try to form a dough ball. If the mixture is too crumbly, add another tablespoon or two of cold water. Just enough so the dough comes together. Then wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least a couple hours or overnight. When you're ready to make the pie, roll the dough out to fit your 12x17 jelly roll pan. There should be a good amount of extra dough that you can trim off and roll out to make little pumpkins, acorns, leaves, or letters to decorate the pie with (see photo).

Butter the pan before adding the dough. Beat the egg in a small dish with a little bit (maybe a tablespoon or less) or water. On a separate baking sheet lined with parchment paper, add the extra crust pieces. Brush the edges of the crust with the egg wash. Also brush the extra pie crust pieces with the egg wash. Bake at 375°F for 8-10 minutes.

In a bowl, beat together the pumpkin filling until mostly smooth. Same with the cream cheese filling (in a separate bowl).

Once your crust as been partially baked, add the pie filling. Then add dollops of the cream cheese filling all over. Use the bottom of a spoon or fork to gently swirl the dollops of cream cheese throughout. Bake (still at 375°F) for 35-40 minutes.

Remove from the oven and add the extra crust pieces around the edges. Allow to fully cool before slicing. This is a great dessert to make the night before a big dinner so it can fully cool and you can spread out the work.