by Dottie Klein
This is a "fresh-made" pie.
Serves: 8 people. Preparation time: 2 ½ hours.
Flaky Pie Crust:
- 1 ¼ C. All Purpose Flour (sifted)
- ½ t. Salt
- 1 T. Sugar
- ½ C. Butter (unsalted)
- ¼ C. Iced Water
Put the flour, salt, sugar and sliced butter into a food processor and blend until it looks like corn meal. If you substitute salted butter, omit the salt. Very slowly add some iced water while running the processor. You want it to be a thin stream of water while you process at the same time. When it forms a ball, stop adding water. Form the dough into a ball and pat to flatten it. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator at least an hour (while you make the pie filling). Roll out when you are ready to make the pie. Form the dough in an 8 inch pie pan.
Filling:
- 1 Small Ripe Pumpkin
- 3 Eggs (beaten)
- ½ C. Whipping Cream
- ½ C. Brown Sugar
- 1 t. Cinnamon
- ½ t. Ginger
- ¼ t. Ground Cloves
- ½ t. Salt
Cut the pumpkin in half, lengthwise, stem to base. Remove all the seeds and scrape out and discard all the stringy parts that hold the seeds. Place the pumpkin halves, cut side down, on a greased baking sheet and bake for 45-60 minutes at 350° or until you can pierce it with a fork. After it cools, scoop out the pumpkin meat and put it into a food processor. Blend it until smooth.
Mix the 2 cups of pumpkin puree with the other ingredients. Pour the mix into the prepared pie crust. Bake at 375°. Test the doneness by inserting a knife. It's done when it comes out clean and the crust is a golden brown. This takes about 55 minutes. Allow to cool before slicing.
Optional Topping:
- 2 T. Pure Maple Syrup
- 1 C. Whipping Cream
Whip the maple syrup (instead of the usual sugar) with the cup of whipping cream for a better flavor and healthier dollop on each slice.
Pumpkin, from "pepon", Greek for "large melon", is native to North America. The Pilgrims brought them back to Europe, where the British termed "pumpion" was quickly adopted as a pie filling but gradually faded there. Since the gourd-like squash ripens in the fall, it is traditional that the pie is made for both Thanksgiving and American Christmas dinners. Pumpkins range from 1 to 1,725 pounds (for a recent Ohio world record). In Mexico, pumpkin seeds are roasted and eaten as snacks. Scary faces have been carved into pumpkins to make "jack-o-lanterns" to ward off evil spirits since 1837. The Australians roast pumpkins, together with other hard vegetables, in April-May (their fall) and refer to all "winter squashes" (Hubbard, Acorn, Butternut, Spaghetti, etc.) as "pumpkin", not "squash" - perhaps, rightfully so.
