Before I give you this tasty recipe, I thought you might find this article I came across interesting:
Good with whipping cream on top. I like the real thing.
.
The Historical Pumpkin
.
.
The pumpkin is actually a gourd, belonging to the same family tree as cucumbers, squash, and melons. It's name derived from the Old French word: pompion which derived in turn from the Greek word Pepon which means "cooked by the sun".
Most likely native to Central America, the pumpkin was grown extensively by the North American Native Americans prior to the European invasion. It was served boiled and baked, made into a soup and was also dried and made into a meal that was used as commonly as cornmeal in breads and puddings. The fruit was also preserved by being cut into rings and hung to dry. The dried fruit was put to use through the winter months. So, it is quite likely that the pumpkin pie you serve on Thanksgiving Day had its roots in that first Thanksgiving feast. In fact, it is said that in one Connecticut community early in the nation's history when molasses could not be acquired for pumpkin pies, the annual Thanksgiving celebration was delayed until the commodity could be acquired.
A seventeenth century writer described pumpkin preparation in this way:
"The Housewive's manner is to slice them when ripe and then into Dice, and so fill a pot with them of two or three gallons and stew them upon a gentle fire the whole day. And as they sink they fill again with fresh Pompions not putting any liquor to them and when it is stirred enough it will look like Baked Apples, this Dish putting Butter to it and a little Vinegar with some Spice as Ginger which makes tart like an Apple and so serve it up to be eaten with fish and flesh."
.
Colonial uses of the pumpkin are also chronicled in this ancient verse:
For pottage. and puddings.
and custard, and pies
Our pumpkins and parsnips
are common supplies.
We have pumpkins at morning
and pumpkins at noon
If it weren't for pumpkins,
we should be undoon.
The first pumpkin pies of the colonies were made by hollowing out the pumpkin and discarding pulp and seeds and filling the shell with creamery milk and spices, much like this recipe. Pumpkin pie prepared in this fashion was said to be a favorite of George Washington.
,
.
Pumpkin Pie sans Shell
.
Ingredients:
.
1 5-8 lb. pumpkin
6 eggs
2 1/2 C whipping cream
3/4 C brown sugar
2 tbsp. molasses
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 tbsp. unsalted butter
Cut the lid from pumpkin as you would for making a jack-o-lantern. Remove pulp and seeds from pumpkin, scraping quite clean. Save seeds for toasting later, if desired. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and add the cream, sugar, molasses, and spices. Beat smooth and pour into the pumpkin shell. Dot with butter and replace lid.
.
Set pumpkin on a cookie sheet covered with aluminum foil and place in a 350 degree oven for 2 hours or until the mixture has set up like a custard pie. Time will vary with size of pumpkin.
Serve directly from the pumpkin and instruct dinners to be sure to take a bit of the shell with each scoop.
Garnish with whipped cream.
Serves 6-12, depending on size of pumpkin.
Here's the pie recipe which I got from this cookbook from my mom which was made at a church in Calgary. (My kids and I REALLY enjoyed it.) This is very easy to make and is a nonbake recipe. I found that when I was using the oven for other baking, this helped me to get more desserts made when I was in a rush.
.
If you click the title, you will get a link to an excellent pie pastry recipe. Will put a simple recipe for a graham wafer crust (if you prefer) on the bottom of this recipe. Also, if you plan to use fresh pumpkin, will give instructions on how to prepare it last but do this the day before you choose to make your pie so that you won't fill flustered for time. You can use the jack-o-lantern from Halloween. Just scrape out the wax and you're ready to go.
.
.
PUMPKIN FLUFF PIE RECIPE
.
Ingredients:
1/2 lb Plain Marshmallows (about 32 full sized)
2 Tbsp Milk
2/3 cup Pumpkin (replacement - cooked carrots, blended)
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
1/4 Tsp Ginger
1 Tsp Lemon Juice
1 Cup Whipping Cream, WHIPPED
At med low heat, half melt marshmallows with milk folding over and over in medium pot. Remove from heat and continue folding until the mixture is smooth. Cool, add pumpkin which has been seasoned with spices and lemon juice. Fold in whipping cream.
.
*** For less fattening pumpkin pie, try replacing whipping cream with plain yogurt and omit the lemon (since it has a bit of a sour taste.) Astro Original - Balkan Style is quite nice.
Pour into 12" baked pie shell or graham wafer crust (whatever you prefer) Chill for 2 hours.
.
.
Graham Wafer Crust:
Preheat the oven to 350 degree F with a rack in the center of the oven.
Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs or about 10 whole crackers, crushed
2 Tbsp White Sugar
8 Tsp unsalted butter, melted
To crush the crackers, place them in a heavy ziplock bag and roll with a heavy rolling pin until completely crushed.
Melt butter in small pot.
Thoroughly mix in graham cracker crumbs and sugar in melted butter. Scrape the mixture into the pie pan, and use your fingers to press the mixture evenly onto the bottom and sides of the pan.
Bake for 10 minutes, then remove the pan from the oven to cool.
Pour in pumpkin mixture and cool for 2 hours
.
Good with whipping cream on top. I like the real thing.
PS If you are wanting to use a fresh pumpkin, a small to medium one will do.
Preheat the oven at 350 F. Line some cake pans with tin foil. You will need 2 big bowls if you have them or 2 big pots or 1 of each. Also, you will need a blender and a large knife.
.
Cut the top off and scrape the inside of the pumpkin out. Save the seeds in a bowl to bake later and throw the stringy stuff into your compost bin or in the garbage. Cut the pumpkin into manageable pieces, as you will be scraping the pumpkin off of the skin. If it is a small one, perhaps you should cut it into 8 pieces. Strategically place the pieces faced up in the tinfoiled pans so they are snug. Cover the pumpkin with tin foil also so that it cooks evenly. Bake for about 3/4 of an hour or when you poke them, the knife/fork will come out easily. Poke different pieces as some might cook faster than others. When it is done, take out and cool. Take a large spoon and scrape the pumpkin off into a large bowl and blend until smooth. Pour into the other container.
.
.
May I suggest trying some pumpkin soup. It is quite a nice soup.
.
Here are some links for pumpkin soup recipes:
.
http://www.mom-mom.com/pumpkin_soup_recipes.htm
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pumpkin-Soup/Detail.aspx
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment