I am not a fan of the flavor of the season, despite the fact that it is readily available in every coffee stand in the greater Seattle area. To say I am not a pumpkin fan is an understatement. I don’t like how it tastes in lattes, don’t like pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cheese cake, or the star dessert of the fall season, pumpkin pie. I do tolerate pumpkin pie following Thanksgiving dinner, simply because it’s homemade and is served with piles of sweetened whipped cream, a delicacy I adore, especially if it is fresh whipped and not from a grocery store can.
All that changed the year our family’s beloved Uncle Ken served me a rare delight, a piece of pumpkin pie made with fresh pumpkin! It looked entirely different and was the best piece of pumpkin pie I had ever eaten. So good, in fact, I could have eaten the entire pie!
What I discovered was that it isn’t pumpkin that I don’t like, it is canned pumpkin! Fresh pumpkin is a whole different experience. It’s rather like the difference in the taste of pumpkin seeds you buy in a bag from a store, and pumpkin seeds you’ve roasted yourself, from the pumpkin carved into a Jack O lantern at Halloween.
It’s actually rather difficult to find a recipe for pumpkin pie made with fresh pumpkin, I’ve discovered, so this year, I went to the source. I am delighted to tell you that despite at least a decade passing since I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying Uncle Ken’s fresh pumpkin pie, I discovered he still remembered making it, and still had the recipe.
There is a reason that canned pumpkin is the clear winner for ease of preparation! Preparing fresh pumpkin for pie is not nearly as easy as opening a can, but I promise you, the difference in the taste of fresh is well worth the extra effort.
So, in honor of the upcoming Thanksgiving feast, (and the fact that I hate long intro’s to recipes), I give you;
UNCLE KEN’S PUMPKIN PIE DELIGHT
Cooked Pumpkin
To Boil: Heat 1 inch salted water (½ teaspoon salt to 1 Cup water) to boiling. Cut 1 ¼ pounds pumpkin into 2 inch pieces (about 1 ½ cups pared) for an 8-inch pie, or cut 2 pounds pumpkin into 1 inch pieces (about 2 ½ cups pared) for a 9-inch pie. Add to boiling water. Cover and heat to boiling. Cook until tender, about 30 minus; drain. (squeeze out any excess water in a cheese cloth), Mash pumpkin until no lumps remain. 1 ¼ or 2 cups mashed cooked pumpkin.
To Bake: Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut 1 small pumpkin (about 4 pounds) into halves; remove seeds and fiber. Place pumpkin cut sides up in oblong baking dish; pour water (¼ inch deep) into the dish.
Cover and bake until tender, about 1 hour. Scoop pumpkin from shells; mash until no lumps remain. (about 4 cups mashed cooked pumpkin.)
PUMPKIN PIE
- 9-INCH
- Prepare pastry for 9-inch one-crust Pie
- 2 eggs
- 2 Cups Cooked Pumpkin
- ¾ Cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ⅓ cups evaporated milk
- Heat oven to 425. Prepare pastry.
- Beat eggs slightly with hand beater;
- Beat in remaining ingredients.
- Place pastry-lined pie plate on oven rack;
- Pour in filling. Bake for 15 minutes.
Cool and serve with sweetened whipped cream
Let me know if you try it, and if you like it, and what changes you might make.
