Pumpkin pie is a classic treat for winter nights and festivities such as Halloween. This easy to follow recipe explains in simple steps how to create a home made pumpkin pie to wow your family, guests or just treat yourself.
The recipe includes directions for making pumpkin pie completely from scratch and the short cuts too so you can spend as much or as little time on cooking as you want. A short introduction with information about the health benefits of pumpkin is included.
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Throughout history festivals have always been marked by special culinary traditions. Although Pumpkin Pie can be enjoyed at any time of year it is strongly associated with late autumn when pumpkins are in season and particularly with Halloween when the large orange vegetables are used to make jack-o’-lanterns. Pumpkin Pie is especially popular in America around Halloween and Thanksgiving. Many people worry that pumpkin pie is a hard dish to make, however by exercising a little bit of know how when selecting and preparing the ingredients the difficulty can be alleviated and a wonderful result achieved every time.
Halloween as we known it has been traced back three millennia to the Celtic pagan celebration of Samhain (pronounced Salwin). Ancient Celtic people divided the year into the broad seasons of light and dark. Samhain represented the turning of the year from light into dark. This night was also seen as a time when the veil between the world of the living and that of the dead became unusually thin and allowed the dead to walk the earth. The rise of Christianity from the 4th Century AD led to the suppression of pagan religious practices. When it became clear that Samhain could not be eradicated it was merged with the Christian All Hallow’s Day which is celebrated on the first of November. This led to the thirty-first of October being referred to as All Hallow’s Eve and eventually as Halloween.
In Mexico the idea of the dead returning is comforting rather than frightening. Indigenous Indian celebrations surrounding death (some traced back to cultures such as the Aztecs) were merged with Christianity after Spanish Conquistadors arrived in the New World. Today in Mexico the world famous Day of the Dead Festival (Dia de los Muertos) is celebrated from October the thirty-first to November the second. Families decorate the graves of their departed relatives and hold all night vigils in cemeteries sharing stories about the people who they believe are with them again for a short time each year.
The practice of carving jack-o’-lanterns was brought to America by Irish immigrants and as the popularity of contemporary Halloween celebration took off so did the tradition of carving Jack O Lanterns and eating Pumpkin pie. This dessert has a fabulous colour, aroma velvety texture and autumnal spicy flavour which make this the perfect indulgence as the days get shorter and the temperatures drop.
Although any dessert is an indulgence pumpkins boast a wide variety of health benefits such as high levels of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, fibre, potassium and the antioxidant beta-carotene which may help prevent cancer.
Pumpkin seeds, also known as Pepitas, contain Phytosterols which have been credited with reducing LDL (bad cholesterol). High in the vital nutrients magnesium and zinc, like the pumpkin pulp these little seeds possess good anti-inflammatory benefits. Pepitas are high in protein and a good source of essential fatty acids which have been linked to disease prevention and a range of benefits from a healthier heart to better skin.
There are a few short cuts that can slash the preparation time of this dish which are included below alongside the instructions for creating it from scratch.
Selecting and preparing the pumpkin.
The first step towards perfect pumpkin pie is to select a pumpkin for use.
Many people go wrong by using the pulp scrapings from a jack-o’-lantern. The popularity of jack-o’-lanterns has led to farmers growing crops of very large pumpkins specifically with carving in mind. These pumpkins make impressive festive displays but the high water content makes the pulp less than ideal for making pumpkin pie. Some supermarkets and stores will display “culinary pumpkins” or “sugar pumpkins”. If these are not available or pumpkins are not in season substitute a butternut squash. If all that is available to you is a large craving pumpkin then don’t fret, just take extra care when it comes to the draining and pureeing process.
Cut the pumpkin cut in half, deseed and remove the stringy fibres from the inside. If you want to use the seeds for roasting then don’t throw them away.
You now have a choice between roasting the pumpkin in the oven or cutting it down into chunks and stewing the pieces on the cooker.
If you are roasting the pumpkin then the rind can stay on as it will be much easier to remove after the pumpkin has been roasted. Put the two pumpkin halves in the oven until baked through.
If you opt for stewing cut off the rind and slice the pumpkin down into chunks. Boil the chunks in water on the cooker. Bear in mind that the water added will need to be drained or boiled off later on so add it sparingly.
Put the roasted or stewed and drained pumpkin pieces into a food mixer and blend to a puree or use a hand held blender and pan. The resulting puree should not be too runny and resemble a thick paste.
This step is best done in advance of cooking your pie, either earlier in the day or a couple of days beforehand. Pumpkin puree will keep up around five days in the fridge and longer if frozen. You should certainly let the mixture cool thoroughly before using it as a hot mixture may cause your pie crust to melt and become soggy.
It is possible to use tinned pumpkin puree and avoid having to make your own. So, one way or another, you now have your pumpkin puree.
Roasted pumpkin seeds.
Rinse the pumpkin seeds and place them on a greased baking tray. Put the tray into the oven on 300 degrees F or 150 C (Gas Mark 2) for half an hour to get a healthy snack. Check on the seeds regularly and turn them to ensure they do not burn. If your seeds still taste chewy rather than crunchy they need more cooking.
Making your pastry pie crust.
If you would rather not make pastry from scratch just buy 350g of sweet short-crust pastry ready made. Making pastry from scratch is easy but takes up extra time and can create mess and extra washing up so it’s a step many people like to avoid unless they want a fully home-made pie. If you want to make your own pastry you will need:
6oz (175g) plain flour.
3 oz (75g) soft butter.
1 table spoon of white sugar.
These measures can be adjusted depending on the size of your pie dish. Pastry measures are simply half plain flour and half butter. Cold water is then used to form the dough. The addition of sugar sweetens the pastry but is not absolutely necessary. Pastry is very versatile and many people like to create their own varieties for different dishes. Once you have the basics it’s always good to experiment! Try adding herbs and spices which compliment your dishes.
Sieve your flour into a large mixing bowl and then use your fingertips to lightly rub the butter into the flour until you have a crumbly mixture. Some people prefer to do this using a food mixer. Add cold water one tablespoon at a time until the mixture forms a dough. A good test for consistency is that the dough will wipe up scraps of mixture from the side of the bowl as you roll it around.
Tip : make sure the water you use is very cold so that the pastry does not start to melt and become hard to handle.
Wrap your dough in plastic film and place in the fridge. It needs to rest there for around thirty minutes so you can now turn your attention to preparing the pumpkin pie filling.
Making your filling.
For the pie filling you will need:
200 g of soft brown sugar
700g of roasted and puréed pumpkin or one tin of pumpkin puree mix.
½ teaspoon of salt
1 tsp ginger
1tsp cinnamon
¼ teaspoon of cloves.
3 eggs large
Evaporated (condensed) milk, 1 tin.
Creating the pie filling is very easy. Put the pumpkin puree into a bowl, add the sugar, the tin of evaporated milk, the eggs and the spices. The proportions of spices can be adjusted to suit individual preferences. Beat all these ingredients together with a hand whisk until the mixture is smooth. The amount of sugar can be decreased slightly for those who prefer less sweetness. A good result can also be achieved by using 100g of sugar and 100g of honey.
If your pumpkin was unavoidably runny and your mixture is thin add some cornflour to bring the consistency back on track.
Retrieve your pastry from the fridge, roll it out and line your pie dish.
Blind baking the crust.
Blind-baking or pre-baking simply means that the pie crust will be cooked before the filling is added. This prevents the crust becoming soggy during baking.
Taking your lined pie dish and one sheet or aluminium foil or parchment paper. Use the foil or paper to cover the pie crust, placing the cover in the pie dish, pressing down in the centre and then lightly wrapping around the edges. Fill the dish with dried beans or ceramic pie-weights to prevent the crust from rising as it cooks.
Bake on 350 F or 180 C (Gas Mark 4) for around thirty minutes. The crust should be golden in colour and should not look wet. Once the crust has baked remove the cover and weights and return to the oven for five more minutes.
Cooking.
Let your blind-baked pie crust cool to room temperature, this should take 45 minutes to an hour. Pre-heat your oven to 425 F 220 C (Gas Mark 8).
Pour your filling mixture into the crust and put the pie in your hot oven. After ten minutes reduce the heat down to 350 F or 180 C (Gas Mark 4) for another 45 minutes.
Tip : make sure your pumpkin mixture has cooled properly before adding it to the dish as warm fillings can cause sogginess in the pastry.
Serve.
Once the pie is cooked allow it to cool for an hour and then put it in the fridge for at least another hour but ideally for several hours. Serve the chilled pie with whipped cream or vanilla ice-cream.
