28 November, 2010
Homemade Pumpkin Pie
I love pumpkin pie. I would never eat someone's homemade pumpkin pie because Mrs. Smith's Custard Pumpkin pie was my absolute favorite. It was sad to me that a frozen store bought pie tasted much better, yet the calories (GUILT with every bite).
Then in a Cooking Light issues I read how I could get fresh pumpkin from a pie pumpkin. Then I saw a pumpkin pie recipe from Cooking Light. Reading the reviews several of the comments said use fresh pumpkin and not canned. Let me just tell you that I did not get the perfect pie (for me) on the first try. I had to tweak the recipe until I got it to MY TASTE. That is the key to recipes. You can start with a great basic recipe and change it to your families taste from there. Don't be afraid to try something new.
The other Ah Ha moment I had getting to my favorite pumpkin pie was in the spice. I originally started with McCormicks Pumpkin Pie Spice. I looked at the ingredients and saw that it did not include cloves so I added cloves to my recipe. However, when I bought Island Spice pumpkin pie spice I noticed it had cloves already added, so I left it out when I used that brand.
The other great thing about using fresh pumpkin, instead of canned pure pumpkin is that you can control the calories, sugar and other ingredients. So just remember that here is a great start but tweak it to your taste.
- Fresh Pumpkin from half of a pie pumpkin or 2 cups (see post on fresh pumpkin)
- 1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice (suggestion: Spice Island)
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves (only if not included in spice)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 12 oz can lowfat evaporated milk
- 1-2 Tablespoons fat free condensed milk (great for texture and taste)
- 2 eggs
- Refrigerated Pie crust
- pie pan
- cooking spray
- Place bottom rack on lowest setting in oven
- Preheat oven to 425F
- Cover a cookie sheet or tray with sides with foil for the pie plate to sit on and catch spills.
- Spray pie plate with cooking spray
- Lay pie crust in the middle of pie plate and gently push down to shape the bottom of the pie plate.
- Form the edges of the pie as seen in the picture. It should not look perfect, it should look homemade.
- Place the pie plate on the foil lined baking sheet and sit on an even surface
- Place brown sugar and spice in mixing bowl. Mix with electric mixer to evenly mix together.
- Add salt, evaporated milk, eggs, and condensed milk to bowl
- Mix well for a minute.
- Add pumpkin and mix another minute to make sure all ingredients are mixed well.
- Pour pumpkin mixture in pie crust, making sure to get all the pumpkin off beaters and bottom of bowl. Filling will be runny and very full.
- Carefully place baking sheet in oven with rack on lowest setting trying not to spill pie mixture.
- Bake 10 minutes at 425F, then lower heat to 350F and bake an additional 45 minutes.
- If knife does not come out clean in the middle, keep adding 5 -10 minutes at a time until pie is set in the middle.
- Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. Keep leftovers refrigerated and enjoy!
Here is what I use.
Cover a cookie sheet or tray with foil for the pie plate to sit on and catch spills. Saves on a lot of clean up.
Spray Pie plate with cooking spray.
Homemade pies are not perfect, but look homemade.
Pie will be full to the edge so it should be ready to place straight in the oven.
Make sure all ingredients are mixed well. Fresh pumpkin is stringy. That is ok, it will bake without strings. Mix will be runny.
Pour pumpkin mixture in pie crust, making sure to get all the pumpkin off beaters and bottom of bowl.
Carefully place baking sheet in oven with rack on lowest setting trying not to spill pie mixture.
The pie bakes at a high temperature at first. Don't forget to lower the temp after 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. Keep leftovers refrigerated and enjoy! Give Thanks!