Pumpkin Pie

This classic dessert is a fall staple and is taken to it’s full potential with a rich all butter crust, and home roasted and pureed local pumpkins. Enjoy your slice of pie with a hot cup of tea or make this for a Thanksgiving gathering or a fall potluck.

Ingredients for the Filling

*Whipped cream for garnish

Ingredients for the Shell

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Cut small pumpkin in half, and remove seeds and strings, for the cavity to be scraped clean.
3. Place the pumpkin halves cut side down on a parchment lined baking sheet.
4. Cook for 45 minutes, then let cool for 15, remove the pumpkin flesh from the skin with a spoon, then discard the skin, and set the flesh aside.
5. Measure 2 cups of pumpkin for the recipe, and the rest can be frozen.

1. In a medium sized bowl, mix flour, sugar and salt thoroughly.
2. Using a box grater or any other coarse grater, grate the hard chilled butter into the flour, then mix with a large spoon until the dough mixture had created pea sized clumps.
3. Add some of the ice water and keep mixing, until the dough forms a ball.
4. It should feel decently dry to the touch. It should not feel tacky, and if it does dust with a tablespoon of flour then form a packed ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

1. In a blender, combine 2 cups of cooked pumpkin, evaporated milk, 3 eggs, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove.
2. Blend on low until uniform, maybe 10-15 seconds. Refrigerate the mixture.

1. Once the dough is ready and cooled. remove from the refrigerator, unwrap and place on a clean floured surface.
2. The dough should be hard, as working with chilled dough ensures that the crust will cook properly.
3. Using a rolling pin, flatten the dough until it makes a 10-11 inch circle. You can use your standard pie plate over the top to see if it’s big enough. It should go about 1 inch past the edge of the pie plate, to make sure there is enough excess for the pie edge.
4. Once it is the right size, gently pick up and place inside the pie plate.
5. Preheat oven to 375 F.
6. Press the pie into the corners of the plate, and turn the edges that hang off under themselves to create some extra dough to work your pie edge. For an easy edge, press around the diameter of the pie with the end of a fork, or for something more decorative, use your fingers and create a crimp.
7. Once the edge of the crust is done, gently pour the liquid filling into the centre of the pie, filling to the edge of the crust.
8. Gently place the pie into the oven, and bake at 375 for 10 minutes, then turn down the oven to 330 F and bake for another 35-40 minutes, or until the middle few inches of the pie have almost set. (You can check this by carefully tapping the middle of the pie with your finger, it should not be wet, or leave residue on your finger, but it might still jiggle a bit.)
9. Turn the oven off, but leave the pie in the oven for 10 more minutes with the door cracked open slightly, then open fully and let cool for another 25-30 minutes. This gradual cool down will ensure the pie doesn’t crack and separate from the shell on the sides. Also, even if you turn the oven off before the pie has fully cooked, the extra 35-40 minutes in the oven that is cooling down will allow it to set completely.
10. Serve with whipped cream. You can pipe whipped cream dots onto the top of the pie with either a piping bag, or cut a tiny tip off a resealable airtight bag, like a freezer bag, fill with whipped cream, and twist the top, to create pressure to pipe out the cream.

Local Source Guide: Noggins Corner Farm Market, Stirling Fruit Farms Ltd., Masstown Market,

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