The Bent Fork. Pumpkin Pie!

The Bent Fork.
Pumpkin Pie!
Now that the fall season is fully underway - the leaves are changing, the air is cooling, and the pumpkin lattes are back at your favorite coffee shop - I decided to unveil my traditional pumpkin pie recipe! And, when I make pumpkin pie, it is homemade - all the way! Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy pumpkin in pretty much any form - ice cream, coffee, pancakes, bread, and pie (even when it’s made from the can). But, when I really enjoy making this particular pie from scratch. Yes - that means cooking pumpkins for the filling. The only thing I happily use store bought is pie crust. I wish I could say that history has taught me my own pie crust is king, but I haven’t really noticed a great divide. So, store bought it is.
I’m going to break this up into two parts:
Pumpkin filling And The Pumpkin Pie.
Pumpkin Filling
While you’ll often hear that there is a singular type of pumpkin used for pie making - that is not entirely true. I have tried this recipe both ways, and both regular and pie pumpkins make for unique variations of the classic dish. Regular pumpkins can be difficult to use, but often have a unique and warm flavor. However, you can’t really go wrong with pie pumpkins, so that is the type I will use for this recipe. You’ll need 1 pie pumpkin to make 1 pie.

• Cut pumpkin in half, and remove all seeds and extra mess from the inside.
• Peel the pumpkin. You may need to slice down the pumpkin in smaller pieces for an easier peeling process.
• Place peeled pumpkin on baking sheet, cover with foil, bake for 1 1/2 hours at 300 degrees. It may take a little more or less time. You’ll know the pumpkin is done when you can easily break apart the pumpkin.
• Cool to room temperature.
• Use a food processor to blend and break down pumpkin pieces. You will need to add a few tablespoons of water. As you blend, you may to stop and stir and add a bit more water. Blend until smooth.
• Measure blended mix into 2 cup portions. You will only need 2 cups for this pumpkin pie recipe, so freeze the extra for later pie baking!

The Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients

• store bought pie crust
• 2 cups fresh pumpkin filling (made earlier)
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 3 slightly beaten eggs
• 2/3 cup evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup milk

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Place pie crust in pan.
• In a medium bowl or in stand mixer, combine pumpkin, sugar, spices, eggs, and both milks. Mix until completely combined. Pour into pie shell, cover with foil and bake 30 minutes.
• Remove foil and bake another 30 minutes or until filling is set. Remove from oven and let cool completely.

When it comes to pumpkin pie, the basics are easy and quick. More complicated desserts sometimes limit on what ingredients can be homemade or store bought. Using fresh pumpkin filling really makes your pie amazing, and I get lots of compliments when I bring this pie to holiday parties. Don’t forget to add some whip cream when serving!