Pumpkin Pie

It is just a few days before Thanksgiving here, and that means it's time to heat up the oven and crank out some pumpkin pies.  There is no more traditional dessert in the U.S. for our big feast day, and once you see how easy it is to make one of these by hand, you will feel so stupid for ever just buying one at the grocery store.  I thought that I would start off the holiday season by making my Mom mad ...

My mom is a good cook, but what she is renowned for is her homemade pies.  One summer when I was a kid, she decided to teach me how to make her famous pie crust.  This is a period that I lovingly remember as "Pie Making Boot Camp."  I made pie after pie until I got it right.  Well, Mom, this is not your recipe.  Sorry!  Yours is very tasty and we will definitely make it another time here on the blog, but it does not do well with fancy pie cutters, and that's what I want to do this time.  Please forgive me.

For a printer-friendly copy of this recipe, click here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/126z77ZgzPz_Cg1dHgQhqJ99y8fTse23rB_is8Q3_0Hg/edit

Ingredients (Pie Crust -- enough to make 2 crusts):
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup shortening
1 tbsp white vinegar
5-6 tbsp milk

Ingredients (Pie):
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 can (16 oz.) canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk

First, make your crust.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour and salt.  Now cut in the shortening with your handy-dandy pastry cutter (or 2 forks if you still haven't bought the handy-dandy pastry cutter, and really, what's stopping you?).  It should look like little crumbs of shortening when you're done.

Sprinkle it with vinegar, then gradually add the milk.  Start with the 5 tablespoons of milk, then add more if necessary.  Stir it with a fork until it gloms together into a ball.  It took 6 tablespoons of milk for me.  Wrap it in plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge for about 30 minutes or until it is easy to handle.  The consistency will be a lot like Playdoh.

Now it's time to roll it out.  Be sure to flour your counter and your rolling pin so that it doesn't stick.  Since we made enough for 2 pies, just roll out half of it.  We will do something super fancy with the other half in a bit.  Your goal with the rolling pin is to get a circle bigger than your pie pan.  When you have accomplished this, wrap it loosely around your rolling pin to transfer to your pan, then unwrap it when you get there.

Now smooth it down in the pan and poke it wherever it needs to be poked to look presentable.

Remember the other half of the pie crust?  Here's where we get our fancy on.  I have a set of pie crust cutters from Williams-Sonoma in the shape of fall leaves.  (Jealous?  I bet you are).  They have a plunger to not only cut out little leaves but to make indentations on the top, too.  I almost cried with happiness when I bought them.  We are going to roll out the remaining pie crust, then cut little leaves out of it for the rim of the pie and for the top (after it's cooked).

Just place them on the edge, trying to space them evenly.  You will have to press a little bit to get them to stay, but don't press too hard or they will be misshapen.  Take the remainder of the leaves, place them on a cookie sheet, and bake them at 425 degrees for about 8 minutes or until lightly browned (keep an eye on them -- the little suckers go from "brown" to "charcoal" very quickly).

Isn't that a special looking pie crust?  Now we just need something to fill it with!  I enlisted my small helper for the pie-making step, mainly because he saw the mixer come out and was trying to climb my leg to get to it.  Just take all of your pie ingredients and combine them in a big bowl in the order given.  Stop every now and then to mix, but that is it.  Can you believe how easy this is?

Carefully pour it into the pie shell.  Aim for the middle.  You don't want to knock one of the crust leaves off.  I know from past experience that if you do, they sink like a rock.  Your pie filling will be VERY runny, but have no fear.  It will firm up in the oven.

Slide your pie into a 425 degree oven for 15 minutes.  This will get the crust nicely browned.  Without opening the door, reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and bake for another 45 minutes.  This should get the middle cooked through.  Be sure to check it with a toothpick before you take it out.

Let it cool, then arrange your extra baked leaves on top, and voila!  A pumpkin pie tastier and prettier than they sell in your grocery store.

Let it cool completely, then store it in the fridge until Thanksgiving day, or any random day if you just get in the mood for it.  As pies go, this has to be the easiest one ever to bake, so if you are a novice, start with this one.  I guarantee that your fear of pie making will be gone when you finish, because it really is "easy as pie."  (Sorry -- couldn't resist).  Happy Thanksgiving!