A couple of weeks ago, Cory's parents gave me a lovely pie pumpkin from their garden. They had a yield of 3 pumpkins, so I felt pretty special that they have one to me :). Pumpkins are very versatile, and can be used in a variety of dishes, including main dishes, soups and desserts. You can also use almost every part of the pumpkin and it can be used for a fall decoration prior to cooking, so it is a very cost-effective squash as well. From this pumpkin, I was able to make 2 pies, pumpkin custard, 2 jars of pumpkin butter and and caramelized spicy pumpkin seeds. Pumpkin pie is Cory's favorite, so after I made a pie to share with my family (to celebrate my sister's engagement!), I made one to bring down with me when I visited him. It didn't stand a chance- I don't even think his roommate got to try it :-). If you're not in the mood to clean a real pumpkin, this pie recipe can also be made with store-bought pumpkin.
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| The final product, finished off with butter-crust leaves |
There are multiple ways to prepare pumpkin puree for pumpkin pie and pumpkin butter. The two main ways are to steam or roast it, but both methods can be done with either peeled or unpeeled pumpkin. I think the fastest and easiest way is to steam it with the skin on (as described below). Once the pumpkin is cooked and cooled, the peels comes off very easily and you don't have to waste time trying to peel the raw pumpkin. I like steaming because it is faster and allows the pumpkin to retain its natural moisture. Stay tuned for the pumpkin butter and caramelized pumpkin seed recipes!
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| This slice was too small and required a second helping... |
Perfect Pumpkin Pie (adapted from Martha Stewart)
-1 1/2 cups fresh pumpkin puree (from sugar pumpkin) or solid-pack canned pumpkin (one 15-ounce can)
-4 large eggs (3 for pie, 1 for egg wash)
-4 teaspoons heavy cream (2 for filling, 2 for egg wash)
-3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
-1 tablespoon cornstarch
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1 teaspoon ground ginger
-3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
-1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
-1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
-1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
-white sugar for dusting crust
-white sugar for dusting crust
-Whipped cream/topping, for serving
For crust:
-use 1/2 of the basic pie crust recipe
For pumpkin puree:
-Cut pumpkin in half, scoop out seeds and loose pulp. Then, cut pumpkin into large chunks. Place them in a steamer basket with a cup or so of water. Place on a burner at medium heat until tender, about 15 minutes.
-allow pumpkin to cool, and scoop flesh from the skin with a spoon. Place in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
For pie:
-after preparing the crust, place it in the pie pan, crimp, and place in the freezer till frozen solid, about 15 minutes.
-Mix pumpkin, evaporated milk, 2 Tb cream, brown sugar, nutmeg, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, salt, cornstarch, and 3 eggs (beaten). Set aside.
-Remove crust from the freezer, line the inside with foil and fill with pie weights (or uncooked rice or beans). -Mix the egg wash using 1 egg and the remaining 2 Tb of cream. Brush over the edge of the pie crust and sprinkle with sugar. Return the crust to the freezer for about 10 minutes prior to baking.
-Place the crust in an oven preheated to 375 F. Bake for 10 minutes, then remove weights and bake for an additional 5 minutes, until the crust is set, but not yet browned.
-Cool the crust completely. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 F.
-Fill crust with filling, and bake pie at 350 F for about 60 minutes. The pie is done when only the center of the pie jiggles when the pie is moved. Cool completely at room temperature and then chill prior to serving.
-Garnish the pie with whipped cream and leaves made from extra crust, if desired.
*Note 1: To make the leaves shown on this pie, use some of the extra dough. Roll it thin, cut out shapes with a butter knife. The veins of the leaves were made with the edge of a butter knife and they were washed with the egg wash, sprinkled with white sugar and baked at 350 till golden brown. After the pie was baked and cooled, they were placed around the edges.
*Note 2: Pumpkin custard may be made by heating the leftover filling in a saucepan, over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat after it has reached the consistency of wet scrambled eggs. It's great if you can't wait to try the pie!
