Real Pumpkin Pie

Embrace the goodness of Autumn with a real pumpkin pie made from a pie-pumpkin not a can of Libby packed pumpkin (and of course serve with real whipped cream).

I had a pie pumpkin and a mutant squash to deal with this weekend.  So I made roasted pumpkin seeds, pumpkin pie and zucchini parmesan. 

Notice that the color of the pie is more yellow than golden orange.  I haven't checked this out to verify but I heard at the Farmers Market that a can of Libby packed pumpkin is actually Hubbard squash, not pumpkin.  It seems that people seem to prefer a more orange golden color than the yellow of a real pie pumpkin.

The real pumpkin pie was delicious, sort of like the difference between a store-bought and homegrown tomato - more pumpkinee.

Take one pie pumpkin, cut in half, clean and scoop out seeds, place in a shallow baking dish and add a bit of water.  Cook in a 350F oven for 45-60 minutes until the pumpkin halves are soft to the touch.

Remove the pumpkin from the oven and allow to cool to touch.  Scrape flesh from the outer shell and place in a blender of food processor.  Process until smooth and the strain through a fine mesh.

Use your favorite recipe for a single-crust pie.  Chill pie crust dough for 30 minutes.  Roll dough into a circle and place in a pie pan.

Preheat oven to 425F.

Whisk strained pumpkin flesh, a can of sweetened condensed milk, teaspoon of cinnamon, teaspoon of salt, and 2 eggs.  Pour into the prepared pie crust.

Bake at 425F for 15 minutes then reduce heat to 350 and bake for an additional 40 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.  Serve warm, room temp, or chill. Store in fridge over night.

Astrid