Friday 4 July 2008

Classic Pumpkin Pie

I made this pumpkin pie a few weeks ago now, in an attempt to clear some space in our freezer I have been trying to use up anything which has been lost down the back and forgotten about. These are normally either strange ingredients that no one quite knows what to do with or else they are unlabelled "mystery items" that are unidentifiable and have been there so long they are covered in a thick layer of frost!
In this case it is the former, pumpkin is an unusual ingredient in England, rarely used and hard to find in the shops (although squash is becoming more common it is still "exotic"). I happen to have a load of pumpkin that I grew myself, not knowing what to do with it I diced it and froze it, and the freezer is where it has remained ever since.I only know of one use for pumpkin and that is pumpkin pie, it is a great shame that this fantastic dessert is not more widely known in this country, I have never seen it for sale anywhere. So if you want one you have to make it yourself. The recipe I used is a photocopy from a friend of a friend and unfortunately I don't know who the original author is, needless to say it is a really good recipe that I have made a few times and it never fails.

If anyone has any other good uses for pumpkin please let me know, I still have plenty left!

Pumpkin Pie
You will need 1 9 inch pie crust and the following

  • 2 Large eggs
  • 1/2 cup of sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger
  • 1/8 teaspoon of ground cloves
  • 1 can (16 ounces) pumpkin or make your own pumpkin purée
  • 1 can (12 ounces) of evaporated milk
Method
  • Heat oven to 425f
  • Beat the eggs in a bowl with a whisk then beat in remaining ingredients.
  • Pour into pie shell and bake for 15 minutes (to prevent spilling place the pie shell on the oven rack then pour in the filling).
  • After 15 minutes lower the temperature to 325f and bake for a further 45 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean.
  • Chill in the fridge for 4 hours and serve with whipped cream.


8 comments:

bkfoodie said...

Try this pumpkin bread recipe (very nice for tea): http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Downeast-Maine-Pumpkin-Bread/Detail.aspx
Or try any pumpkin soup recipe:
http://www.epicurious.com/tools/searchresults?search=pumpkin+soup
Also, pumpkin in stirfry is very nice:
http://www.epicurious.com/tools/searchresults?search=pumpkin+stirfry
Good luck!

Sam said...

thanks! I'll take a look, pumpkin bread sounds really good.

Sam

Christine said...

I love pumpkin pie! Pumpkin scones/muffins/shakes are also good, too. Most pumpkiny things are baked in the fall and winter here in the States, pumpkin being associated with the fall-winter holidays, but I like to stock up and use pumpkin all year round.

The apricot tart sounds lovely!

Amanda said...

Yum! I love, love, love pumpkin pie--and yours looks fantastic. You can also use the same recipe with mashed sweet potato for a sweet potato pie--a US Southern delicacy, and just as delish.

Here are some other things I do with pumpkin:

Coconut Pumpkin Panna Cotta

Curried Pumpkin Samosas

Pumpkin Pie Dip

Pumpkin Curry Soup

Sam said...

Amanda: wow! all those recipes look fantastic, I don't know where to start!

Amanda said...

Dude. Start with the pumpkin pie dip--IMHO it is best made with brown sugar and served with sliced apples. Yummy!

Hopie said...

I'm a big fan of pumpkin soup (maybe with a couple potatoes thrown in), a little nutmeg, salt and pepper, and a dollop of sour cream or creme fraiche when serving. :-) Pumpkin muffins are also very yummy!

I'm jealous 'cause those of us with no frozen pumpkin have to wait until the fall!

Sam said...

Hopie: I've tried pumpkin soup once and it was absolutely delicious, do you have canned pumpkin in Paris? maybe you could use that.
I'm down to my last box of frozen and we can't get canned here!