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Arts & Entertainment

Recipe Corner: Homemade Pumpkin Pie

Leave the canned pie filling in the pantry—we are doing this for real!

Pumpkin pie is a fall staple. Now that pumpkins have been popping up in grocery stores, I figured it would be great to feature a made-from-scratch pumpkin pie in this week’s Recipe Corner. It is easier than one might think, with the pie crust being the most difficult component of the pie. Although it is a little early for Thanksgiving recipes, it is never too early for pumpkin pie!

Ingredients

Pie Filling

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1 sugar pumpkin

3 eggs

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1 egg yolk

½ cup dark brown sugar

½ cup sugar

1 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground nutmeg

¼ tsp Allspice

½ tsp salt

1 12oz can evaporated milk

Crust

1 ¼ cup all purpose flour

½ cup butter, cold and cut into small cubes

¼ tsp salt

¼ cup water

Process

Crust

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt. On low speed with the paddle attachment, add the butter and mix until the mixture resembles large crumbs. Add the water in tablespoon increments until the mixture takes on a doughy consistency and forms a ball. Cover the dough in the bowl and let sit for at least 4 hours. Letting it sit overnight is ok, too.

Pour some flour on top of a smooth, dry surface. Place the dough on top and roll it out with a rolling pin until it can cover an 8-inch pie dish with 2 inches all around to spare. Press down on the edges with a fork. 

Place the rolled out dough into the pie dish and let sit in the fridge for about an hour.

Pie Filling

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the pumpkin in half and remove the seeds. Place on a baking dish and cover with about ¼ inches of water so the pumpkin may retain moisture. Cook for 45-60 minutes. The meat of the pumpkin should easily come off of the skin. Increase the temperature of the oven to 425 degrees. Place the pumpkin on a cooling rack until it is cool enough to touch. 

Scoop out the meat of the pumpkin. Puree the pumpkin in a food processor. If you don’t have a food processor, a potato masher will work fine.

Add the pureed pumpkin to a mixing bowl and combine with the remaining ingredients. Mix with the wire attachment on your mixer or with a wire whisk.

Pour the pumpkin mixture into the pie crust. Place in the oven for 15 minutes; reduce the heat to 350 degrees and cook for another 45 minutes to an hour. Let the pie sit for at least an hour before slicing and serving.

Taste Test

You can really tell the difference between premade pie filling and a made-from-scratch pie. The texture is much lighter and fluffier when you have the real thing, and the flavors are amplified beyond comparison.

The crust was light and flaky while tasting absolutely delicious.

Leftover Quality

This pie held up great after a night in the refrigerator. The texture became more firm which was great with ice cream.

About this column: Submit your best recipes, and we'll see how they measure up. Related Topics: Halloween 2011 and holidays 2011

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