Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix

• 3 Tbsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground cloves

Homemade Pumpkin Puree

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Cut each pie pumpkin into quarters.
3. Scoop out and discard seeds.
4. Roast pieces in a large baking dish, covered with foil, in centre of preheated oven until fork-tender, about 1 hour.
5. Remove from oven.
6. When cool enough to handle, scoop flesh from skins.
7. Whirl in a food processor until very smooth.

Homemade Butternut Squash Puree

Butternut squash can be used as a substitute for pie pumpkin in a recipe. Use a 3 lb. butternut squash to make 2 cups of puree.

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Peel the squash with a vegetable peeler, cut in half.
3. Scoop out and discard fibre and seeds.
4. Cut the flesh in 1-1/2 inch pieces.
5. Toss pieces in enough melted butter or coconut oil or vegetable oil to lightly coat.
6. Roast on a shallow pan in preheated 400 degree oven till tender, about 30- 45 minutes.
7. Remove from oven and let cool.
8. Puree cooled squash pieces in a food processor or blender.

Pumpkin Jam

Pumpkin jam tastes like pumpkin pie so it is good on muffins and toast and is also good with cheese--add some to a cheese board with plain unsalted crackers. 

• 5 ounces (425 g) pumpkin puree
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and heat until it starts to boil, then turn down and keep stirring until thickened (about 10 minutes.) Pour some into a small sterilized jar for immediate use, let cool, then refrigerate. Use within 1-2 weeks. Let the remainder cool and then put in freezer containers, freeze, and defrost as needed.

Real Pumpkin Pie Filling using Condensed Milk

• 2 cups cooked mashed pumpkin
• 1 small tin Eagle Brand condensed milk
• 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Real Pumpkin Pie Filling using Milk

• 1-1/2 cups cooked, mashed pie pumpkin
• 3/4 cups brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 rounded tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 cup milk
• unbaked pie shell
• whipped cream for serving

1. Peel a pie pumpkin. Cut in chunks and cook until tender. Drain well and mash.
2. Blend 1-1/2 cups cooked, mashed pumpkin with remaining brown sugar, beaten eggs, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, nutmeg and milk. Mixture will seem quite runny.
3. Pour into unbaked pie shell and bake in preheated 425 degree F oven for 10 minutes.
4. Leave pie in oven, reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake 45 minutes more.
5. Remove pie from oven and when cool, top with whipped cream.

No-Bake Pumpkin Pudding Pie

Lazy pie, or the perfect pie if your oven breaks down or there's no room in the oven for a pie. Put this together in 15 minutes with a ready-made crust and prepared whipped topping or canned real whipped cream.

• 9-inch pie shell, baked and cooled OR purchased graham cracker crust
• 1 small package instant vanilla pudding mix
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1 cup pumpkin puree (real or canned pumpkin)
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 cup whipped cream or prepared whipped topping plus extra for garnish

1. With electric mixer in medium bowl, slowly beat together milk and pudding mix.
2. Add pumpkin, spices and whipped topping, mix thoroughly.
3. Pour mixture into cooled baked pie shell.
4. Chill in fridge at least 2 hours.
5. Garnish with whipped cream.

Maple-Pumpkin Cream Cheese Pie with Cookie Crust

Requires a 9-inch deep dish pie plate.

• 35 vanilla wafers or gingersnap cookies, finely crushed (about 1 cup)
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 250g package brick cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar, divided
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 3/4 cup evaporated milk
• 1-1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• whipped cream (3/4 cup)
• 3 Tbsp chopped walnuts or pecans
• 1/4 cup maple syrup

1. Preheat  oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Mix cookie crumbs and butter. Press onto bottom and up sides of a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate.
3. With electric mixer, beat cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar and 1 egg until blended.
4. Spread cream cheese mixer onto bottom of crust. Put in refrigerator for 10 minutes.
5. With electric mixer, beat 1/2 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 1 cup pumpkin, 3/4 cup evaporated milk, and 1-1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice. Remove pie from fridge and pour this mixture slowly over the cream cheese layer.
6. Bake 55 minutes to 1 hour at 350 degrees F. until centre of pie is set.
7. Remove pie from oven and cool in the pan on a rack until cooled completely.
8. Serve slices topped with whipped cream, sprinkled with chopped nuts and drizzled with maple syrup.

Canadian Maple Pumpkin Pie

• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 1-3/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 3/4 cup Canadian maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp powdered nutmeg OR cloves
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1-2/3 cup 35% M.F. cream (whipping cream)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Mix ingredients together just to blend, don't overmix.
3. Pour into deep 9" or 10" unbaked pie shell.
4. Bake in preheated 425 degree oven for 20 minutes.
5. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees.
6. Continue baking for 15 minutes.
7. Let cool to set.

E.D. Smith Traditional Pumpkin Pie 

This is the recipe my Mom used.

Makes 1  pie to serve 8.

To make filling for 2 pies, use 1 can (796 mL) pure pumpkin and double the rest of the ingredients.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

• 2 large eggs
• 398 ml (1/2 can of 796 mL) pure pumpkin
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup (175 mL) evaporated milk* 
• 1 unbaked 9" deep dish pie shell
• whipped cream or vanilla ice cream for topping

Beat eggs lightly in medium bowl.
Add pumpkin puree, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt.
Stir till well combined.
Blend in milk.
Pour filling in pie shell.
Bake at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes.

Reduce temperature to 350 degrees F,

Continue baking 30-35 min. longer or until knife inserted in centre comes out clean.
Let cool. 

Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Refrigerate leftover pie.

*Note: I've substituted 35% M.F. whipping cream for the evaporated milk when I had to, with good results.

Evaporated Milk Recipe

If you have the time, to make 1 cup of evaporated milk, simmer 2-1/4 cups milk on the stove until it simmers down to 1 cup, then cool.

Eagle Brand Recipe for Perfect Pumpkin Pie

This is basically the same recipe as above using sweetened condensed milk, from the makers of Eagle Brand. Additional sweetener is not needed in the pie filling.

• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin 
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 large eggs 
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Whisk pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, spices and salt in medium bowl until smooth.

Pour into crust.

Bake 15 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

Continue baking 35 to 40 minutes or until knife inserted 1 inch from crust comes out clean.

Cool. Garnish as desired.

Store leftovers covered in refrigerator. 

Condensed Milk Recipe

• 2 cups whole milk (dairy or nut milk)
• 3/4 cup sugar (white or cane sugar, sugar substitute, honey or maple syrup)
• 4 Tbsp salted butter at room temperature
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, whisk together milk and sugar or other sweetener.
2. Simmer, whisking often, 30 minutes or until volume of liquid has reduced by half.
3. Remove from heat.
4. Stir in butter and vanilla.
5. Cool.
6. Store in clean glass jar in fridge up to 1 week.
7. Freeze homemade condensed milk up to 3 months.

Sky-High Gingersnap Pumpkin Meringue Pie

A recipe clipped from Chatelaine magazine, November 2012

Serves 8. About 542 calories per serving.

Crust

• 2 cups gingersnap crumbs
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Filling

• 5 egg yolks
• 2 cups pumpkin purée
• 3/4 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg

For candied pecans

• 1 cup halved pecans
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar

Meringue

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 5 egg whites

Instructions

Make Crust:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment.
3. Have a 9-in. pie plate ready.
4. Whirl gingersnap cookies in blender or food processor until crumbly, measure 2 cups of crumbs.
5. Stir 2 cups gingersnap crumbs with 1/4 cup melted butter in a medium bowl until moist.
6. Press crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of pie plate.
7. Bake in centre of oven, covered with foil, for 10 min.

Make Filling:

1. Whisk egg yolks in a large bowl.
2. Add pumpkin, coconut milk, brown sugar and spices.
3. Whisk until mixture is smooth.
4. Pour filling over warm crust. Smooth top.

Baking:

1. Bake in centre of oven, covered with foil,  30 minutes.
2. Remove foil and continue baking until filling is only slightly jiggly in the centre, about 20 more minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Toast the Pecans:

1. Toast pecans in a medium non-stick frying pan set over medium heat for 3 minutes.
2. Sprinkle pecans with 1 Tbsp granulated sugar.
3. Stir constantly until sugar is melted and pecans are shiny, 3 to 5 more minutes.
4. Transfer to prepared baking sheet to cool.

Make the Meringue Topping:

1. Preheat the oven broiler.
2. Combine 3/4 cup granulated sugar with 1/4 cup water and cream of tartar in a medium saucepan and set over medium-high heat.
3. Simmer until sugar is dissolved and mixture turns syrupy.
4. Remove from heat and set aside.
5. Beat egg whites on high in the bowl of a stand mixer, until soft peaks form when beaters are lifted, about 2 minutes.
6. Slowly pour the hot syrup from the pot in a stream down the inside of the mixing bowl, beating until stiff peaks form, about 2 more minutes.
7. Spread this meringue on the pumpkin pie to the edges, leaving a high mound in the centre.
8. Using the back of a spoon, form swirls on the meringue.
9. Put the pie back in the oven on the centre rack and broil the meringue, carefully rotating the pan every 30 seconds, until the meringue peaks turn golden brown (about 2 to 3 minutes total). 
10. Remove pie from oven onto rack and let cool.
11. Garnish with toasted pecans.
12. Serve warm or cold.