Difficulty: Intermediate
Do you love all things pumpkin? I know I do. Though I enjoy the occasional Pumpkin Spice Latte, I prefer my pumpkin in the form of baked goods. I love pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin roll, pumpkin cookies and of course pumpkin pie.
There is nothing like ending your Thanksgiving meal with a slice of pumpkin pie. Although if I’m being completely honest it would be a slice of pumpkin pie with a slice of pecan pie right beside it, because those are my two favorites. Don’t judge. It’s a special occasion and I can wear sweat pants until I fit back into my skinny jeans. I have it all figured out.
People, I’m about to blow your mind here. Try making your pumpkin pie from an actual pumpkin. Gasp! Yes I know you can buy a can of pumpkin purée. In fact you can even buy a can of pumpkin pie filling and all you have to do is add the eggs and evaporated milk.
Why should you bother with an actual pumpkin when there are so many short cuts? Because it is just that good. Of course you can use canned pumpkin and produce a decent pie, but if you love pumpkin treats you owe it to yourself to try making your pie with a real pumpkin.
Tips
First things first. You can’t just use any pumpkin. The kind of pumpkin you use to make a jack-o-lantern for Halloween is not the kind of pumpkin you want to use for pumpkin pie. Pie pumpkins are labeled as pie pumpkins or sometimes “Sugar Pie”. They are usually smaller pumpkins and darker in color, not Halloween orange, but Thanksgiving orange, if that makes any sense.
You will need to wash, cut, seed and cook the pumpkin before it can be used to make a pie. It is a bit labor intensive, but so worth the end result. Keep in mind that if you don’t want to use a fresh pumpkin you can follow this recipe and method using pumpkin purée and it will produce a better pie than if you just dump everything together, mix and bake.
Thanksgiving is just around the corner, so it’s time to up your pumpkin pie game!
Recipe adapted from Jane Dillner of Dillner Family Farm in Gibsonia PA
Pumpkin Pie
1 Pie Pumpkin
1 Cup Sugar
1 ½ tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Cloves
1 tsp Allspice
½ tsp Ginger
½ tsp Salt
4 Large Eggs (beaten)
3 Cups Pumpkin
1 ½ Cans (12 oz. each) Evaporated Milk
1 Prepared Pie Crust
1 Egg White (beaten)
Wash the outside of the pumpkin with water and remove the stem.
Cut the pumpkin in half and scoop out seeds and stringy stuff. A table spoon is great at this job.
Place in a microwave safe bowl with a few inches of water and cover. Microwave on high for 15 minutes then check to see if it is soft. Continue to cook in 5 minute increments until it is soft, usually 20-30 minutes total.
Meanwhile preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a 9” deep dish pie plate with non-stick cooking spray and line with pie crust. Crimp or flute edges of crust and line with a piece of plastic wrap. Fill with dried beans, lentils, uncooked rice or pie weights and bake crust for 15-20 minutes. Once pumpkin is cooked, drain and let cool for 10 minutes. Take a table spoon and scoop the cooked flesh away from the skin and transfer to a bowl.
Discard the skins. In a blender add evaporated milk and 3 cups of cooked pumpkin. Purée until smooth.
In a large mixing bowl combine remaining ingredients.
Transfer pumpkin mixture to remaining ingredients and whisk to combine.
Remove pie crust from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Meanwhile raise oven temperature to 425°F. Check temperature of pie filling with your hand if it feels warm let it rest until pie crust is cooled. If filling is cool or cold you will need to heat gently on the stove or in the microwave. Baking warm pie filling will prevent a crack from forming in the center of the pie. Once pie crust has cooled brush bottom of crust with beaten egg whites to seal the crust and help prevent a soggy bottom.
This recipe makes enough filling for 2 pies, so pour 3 ½ cups filling into crust and transfer to the oven. You can bake a second pie or freeze the unused portion for a later date. Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes then reduce the heat to 250°F and bake for an additional 45-60 minutes. When the pie is done it will have a slight jiggle in the middle, but the edges will be set. Over baking can also produce a crack. Remove the pie from the oven and cool on a wire rack until it comes to room temperature. Pie is best served at room temperature or cold. Top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream to serve. Serves 8-10
Say no to crack!