Sure, canned pie filing is easy. Plop, bake, done. But cooking something from scratch not only gives you a better since of appreciation for the food, but the process can be joyful, it can slow you down, and the taste…mmmm…there is that.
Pie Pumpkins are in season now. They can stored, typically, into the winter months, but can also be canned or frozen.
Following is a recipe for pumpkin pie from scratch that does not use evaporated milk (what is that anyway?).
Ingredients:
1 pie pumpkin/3 cups of cooked pumpkin–these are the little round ones, not the jack-o-lantern types. Although you can eat the big ones, pie pumpkins are grown for their sweetness and texture.
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp of vanilla
4 eggs
1.5 cups of fresh whipped cream
One pie crust (click the link for a pie crust recipe)
Directions:
Wash the pumpkin and cut it in half.
Remove the seeds (save for planting, or roasting)
Cook the pumpkin. You can bake or steam it. To bake, place the halves cut side down on a baking sheet and cook at 350 degrees for about an hour. To steam, cut the halves into quarters if necessary to fit and steam for 20-30 minutes.
When the pumpkin is cooked it should be soft and be easy to remove the pulp from the skin. Remove the skin, mash the pulp in a bowl. Note– if you notice there seems to be excess water, you can pour it off.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Mix the pumpkin pulp with the other ingredients using a hand blender, until it is well mixed and fluffy.
Pour the mixture into the pie crust to about 1/4 inch or so from the top.
Bake for 15 minutes at 400, then turn the heat down to about 350 and bake for an additional 35 minutes. Test with a toothpick, knife, or cake tester, if it’s not done (knife doesn’t come out clean), bake for another 10 minutes.
Let the pie cool or eat it warm. Ice cream? Whip cream? Yes, yes and yes!
To find locally grown pie pumpkins or homemade pumpkin pies check out Pick-A-Pepper.com!
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