Pumpkin Chocolate Swirl Pie

Ingredients

• One half recipe Easy Pie Dough, shaped and chilled in a pie plate
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 12 ounces cream cheese
• 14 ounces granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 8 ounces pumpkin or butternut squash puree
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• Pinch of salt

Directions

1. Set an oven rack in the lower middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Once the oven is hot, cover the chilled pie shell with foil or parchment paper, add pie weights (dried beans work for this), and bake it on the lowest rack for 15 minutes. Lift out the liner and weights, rotate the pie, and continue baking until the bottom crust is golden brown, or a little paler if that is your preference, about 10 minutes. Take the crust out of the oven and let it cool all the way.
2. Put the butter in a small microwave safe bowl and heat it for 30 seconds, just until melted. Add the chocolate, microwave for 30 seconds, pause to stir, then microwave the mixture for another 30 seconds. Repeat that short heating and stirring process until the chocolate is fully melted, glossy, and smooth. Set it aside.
3. Move the oven rack back to the lower middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed. Add the sugar and keep beating until the mixture is light, smooth, and fluffy. Mix in the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each one. Turn the mixer down and blend in the pumpkin, spices, vanilla, and salt until the filling is evenly mixed.
4. Pour half of the pumpkin filling into the baked pie shell, leaving the rest in the bowl, and bake for 10 minutes so it can begin to set. Stir the chocolate mixture into the reserved pumpkin filling until the color is even. When the 10 minutes are up, take the pie out of the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes. Slowly and carefully pour the chocolate filling over the top. Pull a spatula through the filling, lifting as you go, to make a marbled swirl. Put the pie back in the oven and bake for 35 – 40 minutes, until the filling is fully set and the edges puff slightly. Let the pie cool completely; it will sink a little as it cools. It may be refrigerated for up to 2 days, though no more than 1 is best for flavor.