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Want
to try you hand at making a pumpkin pie like they
did in the old days, from scratch? Its not that hard
and people will be very impressed that you made it from
a real pumpkin and not canned filling.
First off, you don't use the same type of
pumpkins that you use to carve. You use want are
called cooking or baking Pumpkins and are smaller
than carving pumpkins. Baking pumpkins are usually available
at the grocery stores during the month of October.
 INGREDIENTS
1 Baking Pumpkin
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1-1/2 cups (12 oz can) evaporated milk
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 tsp.ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
3/4 tsp. ground cloves
TIP: You can
substitute pumpkin pie spice for all the individual
spices. Use 3 tsp. of pumpkin pie spice instead.
PREPARING
THE PUMPKIN
Take the baking pumpkin and
cut out the top and bottom stems about two inches around
them.
Slice the pumpkin vertically into four or six large wedges
and clean off all the seeds and stringy pulp.
Next, use a potato peeler
or paring knife to
remove the outer skin of the pumpkin. Dice into smaller pieces and
boil as
if you were preparing mashed potatoes. When the pumpkin is soft,
drain in a colander and let it cool. Once they have cooled
down,
mash them with a potato masher, just like you were making mashed potatoes.
Lastly using a hand mixer on medium-high to blend the
pumpkin mash to a nice smooth consistency. You will need a total of
1-3/4 cups of pumpkin mash for one pie.
Combine
1-3/4 cups pumpkin mash,
sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in a
large mixing bowl. Beat the eggs lightly in a separate bowl
and combine with filling mix. Next, gradually stir in
the evaporated milk until well mixed. The filling is
now ready.
THE PIE CRUST
Instead of buying a pre-made pie crust, why not try making
your own. The recipe below will make enough dough for two,
nine inch pies.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Crisco (solid shortening)
1 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons water
Mix the flour and salt in a
large mixing bowl. Blend in the Crisco using either a
pastry blender or two butter knives held together. As you
blend the mixture it will begin to get crumbly, until
it starts to ball-up and becomes the size of peas. Start adding water one teaspoon at a time,
stirring
with a fork until it becomes one large ball of dough. Divide
the dough in half. Lay a sheet of wax paper that is
larger than the pie pan, onto a flat surface, such as a
cutting board and sprinkle
with flour.
Place the dough ball on the wax paper and
flatten it with your hand. Next, roll the dough out with a
rolling pin dusted with flour, until it is a large circle
about an inch larger in diameter than the pie pan. Place the pie pan over the
flattened dough and slip your hand under the wax paper, then
flip the pie crust over and into the pan. Remove the wax
paper. Use a knife or kitchen scissors to trim the crust and
then pinch the edges.
BAKING
Pour the pumpkin pie filling into the pie pan.
Cover edge of the crust with strips of aluminum foil
to prevent it from burning. Bake the pie in a pre-heated
oven at 425º F. for 15 minutes,
then reduce the temp to 350º F., and bake for 40 to
50 minutes or until a knife tip inserted in the
center of the pie comes out clean. Cool on a wire
rack or counter top for at least an hour before
serving. This gives it time to set up, so when you
cut it and set it on a plate, it will stay in one
piece.
STORAGE
& SERVING
You have now made your own pumpkin pie filling from scratch,
just like they did in the old days! Store in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap
or aluminum foil. Chilling will cause the crust to
separate from the pie slightly, but it's better than
getting botulism. Top with homemade whipped cream
before serving and there
you have it!
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 Homemade whipped cream
1/2 pt. heavy whipping cream
3 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Starting on medium speed, whip the
heavy cream, vanilla and
sugar with mixer. As it begins to stiffen
increase speed to whip. Be careful not to over beat or it will
become to thick. Refrigerate
in an air tight container. |
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