Pumpkin Pie from the Pumpkin to the Pie!

Hello all! I have posted this before last year so I thought since it is that time of year again I would post again. Hope you don't mind. The only difference really is that I grew the pumpkin myself this year!

 Been a great summer and a productive one at that. Now is the time to reap! There is something to be said about making a homemade pie. I don't mean assembling one from frozen pie crust and canned fruit either! I remember once I was cooking down a pumpkin and someone said why bother? That is too much trouble! Why don't you just go buy a can and be done with it? Well  for the most part doing it yourself is better if you ask me. Not processed, no additives just pure goodness. Who doesn't want that? Besides, if you grew it yourself from some free seeds and you get a great crop you are also saving money as well! This is what I grew this year!

It's called a Crookneck pumpkin. I am sure there are other names for it but that is what I know it as. I had bought one last year and saved the seeds and planted them this year. I have a few others ready for picking in the garden still and bigger than this one! What is great about these is that the skin is thin and easy to peel. The long neck is all solid. The bulbous end has the seeds like a regular orange type pumpkin.

Neck is solid.

Peeled neck part.

Just scoop out the seeds like you usually do.Save the seeds for next year!!

I peeled and cubed the neck portion but the round part I just sliced with the skin on as it is not so easy to peel the round part. Place on cookie sheets and bake 350 degrees for about an hour or so till soft.

Let cool so it is easier to handle. Now we have to puree it. I use a blender. You can use a food processor or a potato masher if you wish, just so it is smooth.

Peeling the slices is a breeze once it is cooked. I do NOT recommend boiling pumpkin. It adds unwanted moisture to your puree. Baking is by far the easiest and it frees you up to do other things in the meantime.

Ok so now we have our puree. Need to make up your pie crust. I use the foolproof one from this blog but here is the recipe again so you don't have to go look for it. 

My Homemade Pie Dough

(from The Amish Cook's Baking Book) 

Makes 3 single 9-inch crusts

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup lard

1 large egg

1/3 cup cold water

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Stir to blend. Add the lard and rub it into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the egg, water, and vinegar and stir with a fork until the dry ingredients are moistened. Form the dough into a ball and divide that into 1 balls. Form a ball into a disk and roll it out to a 1/8-inch thickness on a floured surface.

Fit the dough into a 9-inch pie pan and trim the edges to a 1-inch overhang. Fold the dough under and crimp the edges. If not using now, form the remaining 2 balls of dough in to disks, place each in a resealable plastic bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

By far this is the best pie crust I have ever used. I highly recommend it  as it comes out the same every time! A no brainer for sure!

Now onto the pumpkin filling. I have been using this recipe for over 30 years. It's actually a custard really. 

Pumpkin Pie Filling
Makes two pies

 3 cups of pumpkin, canned or fresh pureed
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup of white sugar
2 tablespoons of molasses
1/4 tsp. powdered cloves
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. salt
4 eggs slightly beaten
2 cups of scalded milk
(heat till bubbles form around edge then cool)
2-9 inch unbaked pie shells

Combine all the ingredients mixing well. Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes then reduce heat to 375 degrees for approx. 40 minutes or until knife inserted comes out clean. Cool and serve. You can top with whipped cream if you wish. Makes two delicious pies!

I know that this isn't something you can do in an hour. But you can prepare for making it ahead of time. You can cook the pumpkin one day and make the pies another. The crust freezes rather nicely and the puree does too. And you get boasting rights! You made a pie! A real pie from scratch and not just assembled! Be proud and raise your mixing spoon high! WoooHooo!

Enjoy!

Stephanie DelGrippo

www.webdees.com

Guess what kind of Pie!

I just had to post this today. Being that we are snowed in I decided to make a pie. Of course I used the pie crust I have posted on my blog so go look for it. I got a little creative with the crust as you will see. It would be a great idea for a party setting if you make more than one but I guess once you cut into it the favor of pie would avail itself! I have a set of mini cutters and the rest I cut by hand with a knife. Let me know what you think!

Can you guess what kind? LOL

 

I used a basic can filling with a little tapioca to keep it nice and thick when cut....

 

 

Enjoy!

 

Steph

www.webdees.com

www.etsy.com/shop/deesshoppe

Vinegar Pie

Had to happen. Though when tasting this pie it was the right taste the texture didn't come out quite right. It was my fault though so maybe you may have better luck with it. I will have to try it again because I don't like defeat. I believe I didn't whip up the butter and sugar together enough. I also believe I should have beaten the eggs in one at a time and added the vinegar last. The texture was grainy and it wasn't puffed up enough by my way of thinking. It you try this let me know how you make out. I am really interested in how it comes out for you. Matter of fact I would appreciate the input.

 

The origin comes from the lack of lemons and other fruits during the 1930s. The Amish wanted to come up with something that looked like creamy lemony pie.

 

Vinegar Pie

1 disk My Homemade Pie Dough (see previous posts)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1 1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (see previous post)

Pre-heat oven 350 degrees

 

In a large bowl, blend the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, stirring vigorously with a fork. Add the vinegar, eggs, and vanilla. Whisk vigorously for 1 full minute until the mixture is creamy and smooth. Pour into the unbaked pie crust. Bake until a butter knife inserted in the center comes out clean about 45 minutes. the pie will be a golden brown when done, over baking will cause cracks in the top. Cool before serving.

As I have said in a previous post these pies come from The Amish Cook's Baking Book by Lovina Eicher with Kevin Williams which I got from the local library. Since I have been trying to save money and making things myself instead of buying them in the store, I have been trying these easy simple pies. Baking shouldn't be a mystery and should be easy so we can all enjoy the fruits of our efforts. The wow factor from our family doesn't hurt our baking ego either!

Please leave any comments or questions below.

Enjoy!

Steph
www.webdees.com
www.etsy.com/shop/deesshoppe

Amish Homemade Buttermilk Pie

I promised a recipe for that homemade buttermilk so I decided to try the Homemade Buttermilk Pie from the same book from a previous blog. You will need the crust from Crust Recipe (follow link) for this pie. I had one ball left and it rolled out as I promised...beautifully. I did some searching on the web for these recipes and noted that they are indeed there but I also noticed that they go by names that most wouldn't even think of looking for as in BobAndy Pie named after a pair of prized gelding horses! Enough of that. You came for this recipe. We will try the BobAndy pie another day...

 

Homemade Buttermilk Pie

 

1 disk My Homemade Pie Dough (see above)

1/2 Cup (1 stick) butter, softened

1 cup fresh buttermilk

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

 

Prepare your pie plate with your dough.

Pre-heat over 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, beat together the butter, buttermilk, eggs sugar and flour with a whisk. pour the filling into the unbaked piecrust. Sprinkle the top with the nutmeg. Bake until pie turns a golden brown color and pie is firm, about 45 minutes. Store any leftovers in a sealed cake safe. The pie will keep for about 2 days.

 

Mine took about 15 minutes longer. It puffed up before it would firm up.

 

What I love about these recipes is the simplicity. Nothing fancy but all goodness. Anyone can put one of them together in no time for any occasion. I put this one together before work. It is like a custard. You will not believe how so few ingredients can make something so yummy!

 

Please leave your comments below. They are most welcome.

 

Enjoy!

 

Steph

www.webdees.com

www.etsy.com/shop/deeshoppe



Fool Proof Pie Crust and Chocolate Chip Pie!

I love the library! The internet is great for searching things out but some things just don't beat the local library. You can find more of the obscure there and old as well. I found a book called @The Amish Cook's Baking Book by Lovina Eicher with Kevin Williams. I wanted to try some new recipes for the upcoming holidays. I think I found the perfect pie dough! I also found a wealth of great recipes I would like to share as I make them.   

 

I have been baking as long as I can remember. I used to spend more weekends that I can remember at my Nana's and we would bake and cook and crochet till past 1 in the morning. Ah the memories. Even with all that baking I can never make a decent pie crust that didn't give me a hissy fit rolling it out and putting it in the pan. I actually would dread making it for fear it would rip and tear which it often did. I used the two piece of wax paper technique and the roll on the pin way always broke up and a lot of patching was involved. May be the reason I don't make a lot of pies even though I don't eat cake as a rule, there is always time for pie! I was totally amaze how this dough rolled out without any accouterments that I am not dreading making my pumpkin and coconut cream pies this year! I do want to make one note here first before you may substitute one of the ingredients. The lard. Seems like a nasty word. I have talked with others and there is nothing like a crust made with lard so before you substitute, which I know you are itching to do, give it a try. Pie is not a diet food and you have to let your hair down a little ever once in a while. I do not know if substituting it will make the same crust. I used @Armour Manteca lard which is readily available in the grocery store. Try the Mexican aisle.

Just do me a favor and try it the way it says and then make your choice if you want to compare it with using another substitute. I, for one, will not mess with perfection! So here it is.

 

 

My Homemade Pie Dough

(from The Amish Cook's Baking Book) 

Makes 3 single 9-inch crusts

 

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup lard

1 large egg

1/3 cup cold water

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

 

In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Stir to blend. Add the lard and rub it into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the egg, water, and vinegar and stir with a fork until the dry ingredients are moistened. Form the dough into a ball and divide that into 1 balls. Form a ball into a disk and roll it out to a 1/8-inch thickness on a floured surface.

 

Fit the dough into a 9-inch pie pan and trim the edges to a 1-inch overhang. Fold the dough under and crimp the edges. If not using now, form the remaining 2 balls of dough in to disks, place each in a resealable plastic bag and freeze for up to 3 months.

 

And there you have it. Here is the recipe for the chocolate pie. Very simple and simply the best.

 

Chocolate Chip Pie

Makes one 9-inch pie

 

1 disk of @My Homemade Pie Dough

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 large eggs

1/2 cup melted butter

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare your crust in your pie plate.

 

In a large bowl, combine the sugar and flour; stir in eggs and butter until the batter is well-blended and smooth. Add the chocolate chips and vanilla extract; mix until smooth and the chocolate chips are evenly distributed. pour the mixture into the unbaked pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees F until golden brown, 40-45 minutes. Cool on a wire rack or window sill until the pie is firm, about 45 minutes. Store any leftovers in a sealed cake safe. The pie will keep for about 5 days.

 

 

And there it is. So simple, few ingredients and the best I have ever tasted! If you are a chocalcoholic this is the pie for you! The crust just melts in your mouth! The filling is so heavenly.

 

Let me know if you try this and if you get the same results as I did. I did use one of the other crust for my Beef Pot Pie! One disk made two 6inch deep dish pies!

 Perfection!

 I am off now to have another piece of pie!

 

Enjoy!

 

Steph

www.webdees.com

www.etsy.com/shop/deesshoppe