Pumpkin Pie (From Scratch!)

This recipe is just for fun.  I'm back home for Thanksgiving which means lots of time to spend cooking and baking! I've always wanted to try making a pumpkin pie from scratch (aka, from a real pumpkin instead of from a can).  It turned out really well!

 

Paula Deen’s Perfect Pie Crust:

1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon fine salt
1 ½ Tablespoons white sugar
2 Tablespoons vegetable shortening
6 Tablespoons butter, cold and cubed

¼ cup ice water

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt and sugar. Add the shortening and break it up with your hands as you start to coat it all up with the flour. Add the cold butter cubes and work it into the flour with your hands or a pastry cutter. Work it quickly, so the butter doesn't get too soft, until the mixture is crumbly, like very coarse cornmeal. Add the ice water, a little at a time, until the mixture comes together forming a dough. Bring the dough together into a ball.

When it comes together stop working it otherwise the dough will get over-worked and tough. Roll dough into a ball and flatten it slightly to form a disk shape. Wrap in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. On a floured surface roll out into a 10 to 11-inch circle to make one 9-inch pie crust (double recipe if you need two pie crusts).  Line pie pan with pie crust, trim edges.

Pumpkin Pie:
3 cups of pumpkin puree (from approximately one pie pumpkin)
1 12 oz. can of evaporated milk
1 cup white sugar
½ teaspoon salt
3 eggs
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves

Directions

To make the pumpkin puree, cut open the pie pumpkin (or regular carving pumpkin) and scrape out the insides, making sure to remove all of the stringy flesh and seeds.  Cut pumpkin into large chunks (these can be large chunks – think 5 inches wide by 5 inches long).  Place pumpkin chunks in a large steamer basket with water and steam for 20-30 minutes or until tender.  Let cool.  Separate flesh from the skin of the pumpkin by scooping out the pumpkin with a spoon.  Place pumpkin in a food processor and process until smooth (can also use a blender or immersion blender).  Place pureed pumpkin in a colander, strainer, or cheesecloth and let the water drain out for at least 1 hour (you can even let it sit overnight).  Now your pumpkin puree is ready to use in muffins, pies, and breads!