| The smell of homemade pumpkin pie conjures images | | | | into fall leave to decorate the edges or center of the |
| of family and celebration, gently seasoned with love, | | | | pie. |
| comfort and good cheer. It is the ubiquitous dessert | | | | There are a variety of pumpkin pie recipes and it is |
| of fall and harvest. Whether served warm or cold, | | | | even possible to make a pumpkin pie using fresh |
| home crust or pre-made, pumpkin pie completes a | | | | pumpkin, however, canned pumpkin often yields |
| hearty, fall meal. | | | | more reliable results with less work. Following is a |
| Many cooks are afraid to try homemade pie crust | | | | very easy recipe for you to follow: |
| recipes, but really, they are quite simple. The most | | | | Simple Pumpkin Pie |
| important thing to consider is your liquid and the | | | | 8 servings |
| actual heat of your oven. It is a good idea to keep a | | | | Ingredients |
| thermometer in your oven so you can monitor how | | | | 3/4 cup granulated sugar (you can substitute ½ |
| hot you are actually cooking. Below is one of the | | | | cup sugar + ¼ cup brown sugar for a deeper |
| simplest pie crust recipes: | | | | flavor) |
| Makes: 1 9-inch (4-cup volume) | | | | 1/2 teaspoon salt |
| 1 cup all-purpose flour (Unbleached flour is great) | | | | 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon |
| 1/2 teaspoon salt | | | | 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger |
| 1/3 cup vegetable shortening or margarine | | | | 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves |
| 2 – 3 tablespoons cold water (cold is very | | | | 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg |
| important). | | | | 2 large eggs |
| Combine flour and salt in a medium bowl; cut in | | | | 1 can (15 ounces) packed (canned) pumpkin |
| vegetable shortening until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle | | | | 1 can (12 fluid ounces) evaporated milk |
| with water a little at a time until just moist; blend until | | | | 1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell |
| mixture holds together. Do not over mix or your | | | | Whipped cream or dessert topping. |
| crust will not be flaky. | | | | 1. Combine sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and |
| Next, shape the dough into a ball; place on a lightly | | | | cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in a separate bowl. |
| floured surface. Roll out to 1/8-inch thickness and line | | | | Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Slowly stir in |
| pie plate with crust. Trim the edges leaving a 1-inch | | | | evaporated milk. |
| overhang to fold under and crimp. | | | | 2. Pour mixture into prepared pie shell in pan. |
| If you are making two pies, double all above | | | | Bake in preheated 425F oven 15 minutes. Reduce |
| ingredients, follow the recipe above but divide the | | | | temperature to 350F; bake 40 to 50 minutes or until |
| dough in half. | | | | knife inserted near center comes out clean. |
| To make a truly delicious pumpkin pie, make the | | | | 3. Cool on wire rack 2 hours. Serve immediately or |
| batter ahead, if you need a little extra time on the | | | | refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving. |
| day of your big meal, but pour the batter into the pie | | | | It is possible to substitute 1 ¼ teaspoon of |
| shell just before baking. This will keep the crust crisp. | | | | pumpkin pie spice for the spices, but the taste is not |
| Add a dusting of cinnamon or nutmeg to the top of | | | | quite the same. |
| your pie, but be careful as these are very potent | | | | If you choose to prepare homemade whipped cream |
| spices. Be sure you follow the directions that say to | | | | (and you should), simply whip one small container of |
| begin with a high baking temperature, then reduce | | | | heavy whipping cream with ¼ cup of sugar and 1 |
| the heat part way through the baking. Failure to | | | | teaspoon of vanilla until firm. If you like, you can |
| follow this step will result in a soggy, underdone crust. | | | | even add a dash of cinnamon to your whipped cream |
| Even a store-bought crust can be given a | | | | for an extra special flavor. Vanilla and whole bean |
| made-at-home flair by using interesting, decorative | | | | vanilla ice cream is also delicious with a freshly baked |
| crust crimping. One of my favorites is to take pieces | | | | pumpkin pie. |
| of left-over crust (after trimming) and fashion them | | | | |