Blog Post — Home For The Year

Reaching the end game of Autumnal desserts

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Here we are, folks. We've arrived at the pinnacle of fall foods: the Pumpkin Pie.

Pumpkins can take us through the whole fall season. From divisive pumpkin spice beverages in September (I am firmly pro-latte) to wholesome pumpkin patch picking in October, the whole festive season is guided by these orange gourds. And what better food to encapsulate the flavors and spices of Autumn than a pumpkin pie?

The colors of a pumpkin pie might be muted, but adding the right spice means the flavor is still front and center. I used Pumpkin Spice from The Spice House in my current pie adventure. The pumpkin pie recipe in my Grandmother’s recipe box did not call out any spices besides sugar and salt, so I improvised and added some of my own choosing.

If you read my post about Pennsylvania Dutch Snitz Pie, you’ll recall that my maternal grandmother didn’t make many pies. Nor did my paternal grandmother (the one from this recipe): her Mom was the apple pie maker, but Grandma wasn’t happy with her own crusts and mostly avoided pies.

According to my Dad, this recipe may or may not have ever actually been made by Grandma, so I’m curious as to where it came from! It’s a mystery, but after experimenting with it I can say that the finished product deserves a place at your table nonetheless.

I also wonder if the lack of spices is a regional difference (Grandma’s whole family was from a particular County of PA Dutch), or simply a common style from that time period.

My 2020's stereotypical American palette means that despite an attempt at clean eating, I am numb to most flavors/sugar and need them to hit me in the face to be noticed. So bear that in mind when recreating this recipe that I added 1/2 teaspoon of spice that wasn’t in the original recipe.

Mystery Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:

1-3/4 cup pumpkin (plain pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling)

1 tbsp butter

2 tbsp boiling water (to dissolve salt and spices in this)

½ tsp salt (dissolved with spices in the 2 tbsp of water)

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (dissolved in the 2 tbsp water with the salt)*

¾ cup packed brown sugar (I used light brown)

1 tbsp flour mixed with 1 tsp white sugar

1 12oz can evaporated milk

2 eggs, beaten

*If not putting in pumpkin pie spice, then add 1 tsp vanilla.

Instructions:

-Heat pumpkin for 10 minutes medium-low in saucepan to help dry it out. *

*I was unsure about the original (and vague) direction to begin with as I wasn’t sure how long it would need to dry out. However, I wasn’t about to be foiled by a mashed gourd, so I cooked it long enough to heat fully without scorching.

-Remove from heat and add flour and white sugar mix into pumpkin.

-Add the brown sugar to the pumpkin and mix

-Dissolve salt and spices in 2 tbsp boiling water and add in.

-Add beaten eggs, softened/melted butter, and evaporated milk.

-Mix all ingredients.

-Pour into 2 pie shells (do not overfill).

-Bake one pie at 450 degrees F for 15 minutes

-Then bake same pie at 300 for 45 minutes.

-Repeat for next pie, and cool.

You can always make one deeper pie and a custard out of the extra, but I prefer 2 slightly shallower pies!

You don’t have to wait for Thanksgiving or Christmas to enjoy this seasonal treat! October is the perfect time to whip it up and enjoy some earthy seasonal flavors!

For me this pie turned out smooth and with a texture just the right side of creamy. The spices were present without overpowering the pumpkin, and every bite felt like a holiday (without the stresses that can come with them!). There was no holiday meal planning or time crunches, just a delicious pumpkin pie in October.

Do you bake with pumpkin in October or are you tired of all the pumpkin-centric recipes that roll in during this time? Let me know in the comments!