Its time to make something with some of the pumpkins we grew in the garden this year. These are pie pumpkins, which are smaller and meatier than the large jack-o-lantern pumpkins that we grow for the chickens.
After cutting the pumpkins in half and scraping out the seeds and pulp we put the halves in a large roaster with a bit of water, cover, and bake at 350 for an hour or so.
Scrape the soft pumpkin out of the shell and process it until smooth.
Some of the pumpkin will go into the freezer in pre-measured amounts for pumpkin soup.
Today we are making pumpkin pie.
For this recipe you will need:
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp white sugar
1 cup of Evaporated milk
3 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp flour
We like lots of spice but you can use what you prefer.
2 tsps cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Preheat the oven to 425
First mix the eggs with a fork, then add the combined sugars and spices. Mix well, using a whisk until the sugars are melted and everything is combined and smooth.
Add 2 cups of the fresh pumpkin puree and mix well. (You can also use butternut squash for this recipe)
Mix the evaporated milk into the pumpkin mixture ( We were making two pies here, so all the ingredients were doubled)
Now to roll the piecrust. Its easy to use wax paper, but you can use flour to prevent it from sticking if you prefer.
Pour the pie mixture into the crust. There was some left over...so pumpkin pudding!
Carefully put the pie into the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Then lower the temp to 350 and bake for 45-55 minutes longer, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. If you find the crust is getting too brown halfway through baking, cover it with aluminum foil.
Cool the pie on a wire rack for 2 hours before cutting. The waiting is the hardest part.