Mabon Recipe - Pumpkin Pie

Iknowiknowiknow, pumpkin pie is usually an October thing, but when Angela at The Pagan Mom Blog announced her blog hop, I knew right away what recipe I'd be submitting. 

We're huge pumpkin pie fans in this house.  The moment those leaves start to change colour I begin to salivate, because I know damn well that someone is going to ask for a pumpkin pie in short order and I'm always happy to oblige, providing I get a nice, healthy share of the goods.  I will happily make 1, 2, 3 pies a week, and they always get eaten, usually with an abundance of whipped cream and satisfied grunts.  We do like our pie.

So here's my go to recipe, from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook:

Single Crust Pie Pastry:

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup shortening
1/4 tsp. salt

Combine salt and flour.  Mix in shortening until the pieces are pea-sized.  Add cold water (I use water that's been in the fridge) a little at a time until dough is moistened.  I don't measure it, but it's probably around 5-6 tablespoons or so.  Too much water will make your dough sticky and you'll curse a blue streak trying to roll it out, whereas too little water will make it crumbly and fally-aparty (technical term), which will also result in a cacophony of profanities.  Or at least it does in my house.

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Public Service Announcement: Never try to make pie pastry with strictly rice flour.  I'm sure there are blends out there that might work, but pure rice flour is just not the way to enlightenment.  Ask me how I know.  As far as I'm concerned, its only conceivable purpose is to sit on the shelf and make my pantry look sophisticated.
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Once your dough is appropriately doughy, form it into a ball, then roll it out on a floured surface and transfer it to your pie plate.  The best way to transfer it is to roll it up over the rolling pin, then unroll it over the plate.  Actually, I don't think there's any other way.  Just roll it up over the rolling pin and be done with it.  Try to work your dough as little as possible, because overworked dough is tough and gross and makes babies cry.


I may or may not have gotten carried away with the flour-sprinkling.

Now that your dough is on the plate, you can trim the edges and fold them under.  Crimp them and make them pretty if you want.  I couldn't be bothered.


Pumpkin Pie:

2 cups pumpkin (1 16 ounce can)
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
3 slightly beaten eggs
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Now you can go out and find a pumpkin and do all the hard work yourself, or if you're like me, you're lazy and will just go buy a can of pumpkin.  Don't judge.  If you do go the can route though, make sure you check the ingredients because some companies like to add unnecessary things like sugar and preservatives and occasionally botchulism.  When you find one that just says "pumpkin", you're good to go.

Combine pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg.  I ran out of ginger, so I just used pumpkin pie spice.  And because I like my pie spicy, I used 3 teaspoons of the stuff, although I could probably use more.  Anywhere between 1 1/2 tsp and say, 4 should work fine, but go ahead and use more if you're a fiend.  Full disclosure: I haven't tried using 4 teaspoons, so I will not be held liable for the results should they be disasterous.  However, if they're fantastic I will take full credit.

Add eggs.  Beat with a fork until just combined.  Slowly stir in evaporated milk and milk.  Mix well.

Pour the mixture into your pie plate.  Yes, it's supposed to be that liquidy.  Don't panic.


It's actually kind of hard to pour and take a picture at the same time. 
I deserve a cookie, or at the very least, a badge that says I'm awesome.

To prevent your crust from overbrowning, wrap tin foil around it.  I take a square of foil, fold it in half, and cut out a half moon shape.  When I open it, I have a (somewhat deformed and lopsided) circle.  Magic!

Carefully put your tin foil-covered hat pie into the oven.  Don't slosh the pumpkiny goodness.  Bake for 25 minutes, then remove the tin foil (filling will still be liquidy!).  Bake for another 25 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center of the pie comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack.  Store (covered) in the fridge.  Consume with wild abandon and no regrets.


Whipped Cream:

I trust we can all make whipped cream, but I will tell you how I do it because this is my blog and I can if I want to.  I sweeten the whipped cream to taste, then add a teaspoon or so of vanilla.  It really makes all the difference, I promise.  Try it.




PS - Stay tuned for my first giveaway!