2009 October 18 | dinner with Julie

Archive for October 18th, 2009

Pumpkin Pie

I’ll admit it: I’m not a fan. Never have been, although taking a bite doesn’t make me as squeamish as it used to. It’s just that if I’m going to ingest the calories, I’d rather it be in the form of apple pie, or pecan, or anything chocolate. When I was a kid the flavour was too reminiscent of black licorice; although I’ve gotten over my aversion to molasses, I’m still not all that jazzed about pumpkin pie. Could be the lack of sentiment that everyone else seems to possess.

We cobbled together a turkey dinner, both of us having had the feeling that we missed out on Thanksgiving somehow – with us in Vancouver and she at home working, we both managed to technically eat some turkey within the vicinity of the actual day, but didn’t get to experience that warm kitchen full of people chopping and poking and stirring, the picking of the crispy bits of skin and stuffing spilling out from the bird, the overflowing table with lots of cranberry sauce (tonight I used frozen chopped rhubarb along with the cranberries-yum) and yes – even the pumpkin pie. (It’s probably a good thing I’m not a fan – after all that stuffing, it’s probably a good idea to lose the pie and just down a few spoonfuls of whipped cream straight up. Who needs a vehicle beyond a spoon?)

Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin pie is one of the fastest and easiest kinds to make from scratch. I like to cut my trimmed scraps of pastry into tiny leaves, with “veins” made gently with the tip of a sharp knife, bake them separately on a cookie sheet and then lay them on top of the baked pie.

1 unbaked 9″ pie crust
1 14 oz. (398 mL) can pure pumpkin
3/4 cup half & half, evaporated 2% milk or whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 Tbsp. molasses (optional)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
Pinch nutmeg (optional)
Pinch salt

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, whisk everything until well blended and smooth. Pour into the crust.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, until the filling is set but still just a little wobbly in the middle and the crust is golden. If the crust is browning too quickly, cover the pie lightly with a sheet of foil as it bakes. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Serve the pie at room temperature with whipped cream, sweetened with a little sugar or maple syrup.