Thursday, November 13, 2008

Yummy Yummy Pumpkin Pie...

Have you ever made a pumpkin pie out of fresh pumpkin?

The first year that my husband and I were married, I decided to try and use my Halloween pumpkins for pumpkin pie. We were on a very tight budget and I though that by using the pumpkins I had already purchased, we could save a few dollars. So my experimentation with fresh pumpkin pie began.

Getting the pies just right was a process. After several years of trying, I finally succeeded at making a decent pumpkin pie from fresh pumpkin.

I learned that the main secret to a successful fresh pumpkin pie was the actual pumpkin. The large "carving" pumpkins that my kids loved to buy didn't make the best pies. The flesh in the inside was very fibrous and didn't breakdown smoothly when it was cooked. So I moved on to different varieties.

Over the years, I have found that the best pumpkins to use are the smaller "sugar" pumpkins and pie pumpkins that are sold in the produce section. They are great because they can still be carved if you so choose, or they can just sit whole as a fall decoration until you are ready to cook them.

The best way to cook them that I have found has been to simply cut them in half and scoop out the "guts" and seeds. Roast or bake them in the oven at 350 degrees until they are fully soft -generally about 2 hours for a small 3 lb. pumpkin. Once they are cooked, simply scoop the pumpkin meat out of the shell, and your fresh pumpkin is ready to be put in a pie! A pumpkin that size yields approximately 3 c. of pumpkin. If you have more, don't worry, pumpkin freezes very well and can be used later for another pie.

Below is my recipe for my fresh pumpkin pie. I admit...the pie crust is store bought, but hey, I have my limitations. I know my limitation is that I fail miserably at making a good pie crust. I leave that up to the professionals. But, if you use this recipe, you can brag to all of your friends and relatives that you made your pumpkin pie from "real' pumpkins.

Enjoy!

Fresh Pumpkin Pie

3 c. fresh pumpkin
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 c. evaporated milk
3 eggs
1/2 dark brown sugar
2 T. pumpkin pie spice
1/8 t. salt
2 9inch frozen pie shells (you can make the crust if you feel ambitious)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Combine the pumpkin, condensed milk and evaporated milk in a bow. Mix on medium speed until it is well incorporated. Add in the eggs one at a time, mixing after each until well blended. Add the dark brown sugar, the pumpkin pie spice and salt. Mix again until the filling is creamy.

Pour the filling into two 9 inch pie crusts to 1/8 of an inch of the top. Bake for 1 hour or until the filling is firm when the pie is moved.

Let cool, and serve with whipped cream. Yummy!!!

3 comments:

BetsyR said...

Thanks! Maybe I'll try to do some with my pumpkins...but don't hold your breath. You have gotten me in a baking mood.

Anonymous said...

Looks delicious! About the most I have ever done with our pumpkins is bake the seeds. Every year I do it different, but this year they came out great. Maybe now I will try a pie!

Unknown said...

I tell the kids to cut out BIG eyes, noses, etc. from the pumpkins. That's what I cook for pies & breads. Sometimes I will buy one of those white pumpkins & cook it all. Tons of good stuff in those. Than pack into 1 cup portions & freeze. Pumpkin bread all year long :) Love your blog!!