The Cracked Pot

Thanksgiving recipes: Pumpkin Pie with Cinnamon Whipped Cream

Let’s be honest now, there’s no getting away from the Thanksgiving table without a piece of pumpkin pie, no matter how tight your pants are.

If you’ve got a garden and have the space, I recommend growing one little sugar pumpkin vine each year. Even if you’re tight on space, you can train the pumpkin vine to crawl around on a sidewalk out outside the boundaries of your patch so you still have some space.

Of course, most people just reach for a tin can of pumpkin puree this time of year, but if you can either grow or purchase a sugar pumpkin it is that much better.

Sugar pumpkins are small and almost entirely flesh, unlike your typical hollow jack-o-lantern type. The flesh is a pale yellowy-peach colour and very light and sweet tasting.

You can reduce the sugar content in your pumpkin pie recipe by about half if you’re working with a sugar pumpkin, which is exactly what I’ve done here:

Keep reading for the full recipe and pumpkin roasting instructions. This makes TWO pies.

To make things easy for the beginner, here’s a run down on the process for making a pumpkin pie, entirely from scratch. If you’re working with a sugar pumpkin, the first thing you need to do is roast and puree it, before it’s pie time. Once you’re done with that (it’s very easy, don’t worry) and the puree is cooling, you’ll need to start making the crust. This is also an easy crust to make. By the time you’re done with that, you can move onto the filling and fire that puppy in the oven. Don’t start the whipped cream until the very last minute when you’re ready to eat it.

If this is just all too much, cut some corners and buy a crust from the bakery or grocery store, or reach for the tin can of puree!

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Sugar Pumpkin Puree

1 sugar pumpkin

1 cup of water

Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Start by washing the outer skin of the pumpkin so you don’t drag dirt through the flesh when you cut it. Cut the pumpkin in half land scoop the seeds and stringy bits out. Save a few seeds to grow for next year. Just let them dry on a paper towel and then save in a paper envelope. You can roast the rest of the seeds too, if you’re so inclined.

Place the pumpkin flesh side down in a roasting pan and add a cup of water. Bake for about an hour and a half (90 minutes) until the flesh is very tender.

Let it cool a bit, then scoop the flesh out with a spoon and process in a blender or food processor until smooth and consistent.

The average sugar pumpkin from my garden will usually give me enough for two pie shells, plus a bit extra. If you wind up with leftover puree, you can just put it in the freezer (in a jar) for later. It makes great muffins and soup, or you can even add it to stew to sweeten and thicken it slightly.

Let it cool before making the filling.

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Pate Brisee Crust

I like to make this crust because it’s damn easy and uses real butter instead of those freaky glass-white grease bricks (aka vegetable shortening).

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (do NOT use whole wheat or anything grainy- it’s gross)
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
1 cup cold unsalted butter chopped into little pieces
½ cup cold water

Pulse the flour, salt and sugar together in a food processor until blended (10 seconds). Add the butter and process until it looks like course meal (30 seconds). Add 1/3 cup of the water (leave a bit in the measuring cup). Process until the dough just comes together (no more than 30 seconds) but isn’t sticky. Squeeze the dough between your fingers. If it’s still crumbly, add more water a bit at a time.

Turn the dough out onto some plastic wrap, split it in half, and flatten into two disks and place them in the fridge for at least an hour.

Take the dough out of the fridge and place on a lightly floured work surface. Roll out into two circles (you can just use an empty wine bottle to roll it).

Roll the dough over your pin/bottle and unroll into a pie plate. Press the dough into the corners and pinch the sides to make it look pretty. Trim any excess dough.

Chill the crusts for another half an hour, and meanwhile, move onto the filling.

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Pumpkin Pie Filling

4 eggs

3 1/3 cups sugar pumpkin puree

1 cup brown sugar

2 Tsp cinnamon

1 Tsp nutmeg

1/2 Tsp fresh grated ginger

1/2 Tsp salt

1 1/2 cups evaporated milk

Preheat oven to 425 Fahrenheit. In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs, stir in the pumpkin, add sugar, spices and salt, keep mixing. Add the milk and mix. Yeah, it’s that simple.

Cook for 15 minutes at 425, then turn the oven down to 350 and cook for another 30 minutes.

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Cinnamon Whipped Cream

1 cup whipped cream

2 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Chill the beaters and mixing bowl in the fridge for at least a half hour before starting. Pour in the cream, vanilla and sugar. Start the mixer on a low to dissolve the sugar, then crank it up and stand back. Once the whipped cream starts to take a bit of shape and thicken, gradually sprinkle the cinnamon in until it’s all incorporated. Stop when it’s light and fluffy and forms some nice peaks.

Don’t let the beaters go for too long, or the whipped cream will start to turn to butter.

Tags: butter, how to make, pate brisee, pie crust, pumpkin, pumpkin pie, pumpkin puree, recipe, roast pumpkin, roasted pumpkin, Sugar Pumpkin, thanksgiving, thanksgiving recipe

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