So, what happened? For some reason, you got the passive gene for destroying every pumpkin pie you attempt. When you pull your pie out of the oven, your family looks on in dismay. It's time you showed them you can overcome this pumpkin pie failure. After today, you will be well on your way to creating the perfect pumpkin pie you dream about - just in time for Thanksgiving!
Made from Scratch
Pumpkin Pie from a *real* pumpkin. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
The pumpkin filling can be a little tricky if you're going to use a fresh pumpkin. Be sure when you buy your pumpkin, that you get an actual 'pie' or 'sugar' pumpkin and not a jack-o-lantern. Yes, there are actually pumpkins that are grown specifically for cooking with and making pumpkin pie. They are smaller in size, normally very round, and have a smoother, thinner skin than the carving pumpkin variety.
You can roast your sugar pumpkin or even steam it. Either way, you just want to get it nice and soft. Once you have you pumpkin soft, which means it's cooked, you'll be scooping out the good parts and putting it in your food processor to puree. All pumpkin pie recipes start with a good pureed pumpkin. The rest of the recipe is up to you and your family's preferences. Experiment with the recipes you find to reach just the right combination of spices. Using your own pumpkin puree allows for this tweaking of recipes, so have fun.
A homemade pie crust is easier to make than you might think. With just a few ingredients, and the right technique, a pie crust can be made and rolled out in the time it takes to roast and puree the pumpkin. Most pie bakers agree that once the crust is laid in the pie pan, stick it in the oven to pre-bake for a few minutes to prevent the crust from getting soggy on the bottom. Your pumpkin pie filling will have a lot of moisture in it, so this little step can help make your crust as perfect as your pumpkin filling.
A can of pureed pumpkin. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
If, for some reason or another, you are simply not able to make the pumpkin pie filling from scratch, then by all means, choose canned pumpkin puree. However, be absolutely sure you are NOT using the pre-flavored stuff; the pumpkin pie filling. You want to use only the pure pumpkin puree without any flavoring. To this canned pumpkin puree you will be adding eggs, cream, and a heaping helping of warm spices. Just plopping the contents of the can into a crust won't make a pumpkin pie worthy of any table. Even if you were to use pumpkin pie filling, the stuff with the spices, if you dump it into a crust, it will have the texture and taste of something you just dumped into a crust. In other words, canned pumpkin puree does not a pie make.
With regard to the crust, you have to decide whether you want to take a few minutes to throw around some flour and a few other ingredients and roll out a crust. It really is that easy to make a pie crust. However, if for some reason you find yourself unable or unwilling to put together a pie crust, then the store can help you out again. Look for refrigerated or frozen crusts that require rolling out. They tend to be a bit flakier than the ready-to-use crusts. Of course, if you choose a frozen crust you will have to thaw it out, which takes about as long as it does to make a crust from scratch. You'll have to see which works best for your situation.
The Trick to Perfection
(Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
One of the tricks many pie bakers swear by is to shut the oven off about two minutes before the end of the cooking time and let the pie sit in the oven for an additional ten minutes. This allows the internals of the pie to reach that critical temperature where they can solidify without the filling over-cooking or the crust burning. An easy trick to avoid burnt crusts is to make an aluminum foil ring to fit over the crust edges on the pie pan and placing it on top of the pie once the crust has reached a nice golden brown color. This will slow down the browning process and eliminate that frustration when you know the filling isn't cooked but the crust can't take any more color. Also, some say a small bowl of water placed in the oven beside a pumpkin pie helps to keep the surface from cracking, although I think the cracks look homey and quaint.
Perfection is not out of reach when it comes to making a pumpkin pie. Take your time, follow these simple instructions, and don't try to rush it along. Keep these things in mind and you will begin to develop the knack for pumpkin pie perfection just like you remember from long, long ago.
No comments:
Post a Comment
We welcome comments and suggestions!