How to Achieve Pumpkin Pie Perfection

You know it when you taste it.  It's probably ingrained in your DNA.  We're talking about pumpkin pie perfection. That warm spiced creamy goodness with the flaky crust that falls apart, except for that little bit of chewy edge that soaked up some sugary butter from somewhere deep inside the pie.  Buttery, sugary, warm and spicy, and with a tiny crunch... it all works together to coax those yummy sounds from you just like when you took your first bite way back when.

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 first step to making pumpkin pie perfection is to start by using simple ingredients.  And do not think for a moment that a pre-made pumpkin pie will pass as homemade. None of the things you love about pumpkin pie translates to a packaged pumpkin pie you buy in the frozen food section or even in the bakery section.  If you want to serve up pumpkin pie perfection, take your time, do your research and begin at the beginning.

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)

Help From the Store

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)

You might have heard there is no way to make a consistently perfect pumpkin pie. This is simply not true. Pumpkin pie perfection is more of an art than it is a science. Part of perfection in baking is in knowing your equipment. Some pans are a little thicker than others or don't hold heat well.  Glass pie pans bake differently than metal pie pans or ceramic pie pans. Ovens run at a slightly higher or lower temperature than what is shown on the dial or display. You have to know where your equipment stands before you can begin making consistent pies.  This means you will have to take the time to make a few test pies to see what works best. Use different pie pans and different oven settings, take notes, and decide what method turned out the best pies.  I don't think you'll have any trouble finding something to do with the 'rejects!'

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.

Thanksgiving Menu Planning Ideas

Thanksgiving is many things to many different people. In America it is a day we set aside to give thanks for all the things that are important to us and pay homage to an excellent dinner with an afternoon of football watching and yelling at the television screen (at least that is what you do if you live in Ohio). In other areas of the nation people may do things together such as playing board games, touch football, or any number of other games that can be enjoyed by young and old alike. Other traditions are to gather the ladies together to plan the shopping strategy for the next day's shopping on Black Friday!

Image via WikipedBut, the traditions that go along with Thanksgiving and giving thanks do not solve the dilemma that many face each and every time Thanksgiving is celebrated in their homes. That dilemma would be what to prepare for the big meal. There are plenty of options and as hostess and chef extraordinaire it is entirely up to you what the menu will be. The best piece of advice that can be given however, is the less food left to prepare on Thanksgiving day is the less food that has the opportunity for something to go wrong in the preparation process.

Here are a few great menu ideas, tips, and tricks that should help make your Thanksgiving Dinner preparations go a little more smoothly.

First of all, plan ahead and make sure you have all the ingredients you need and any special menu items that may be required well ahead of time but in a manner that allows for maximum freshness. If you must wait until the day before to get some of your shopping done, then do so as early in the day as possible. Otherwise make a point of getting all the non-perishable ingredients that are necessary a week or so ahead of time. Also if you are going to order a smoked turkey or something along those lines do so far enough in advance that you have no doubt at all that your order will be filled on time.

Image via WikipediaSecond, if you can afford to have something ordered and prepared offsite and it doesn't hurt your sense of pride, do so. You do not have to have everything catered but having a few items catered (or having a family member prepare and bring certain items) will leave your day much less stressful, making the risk of something going wrong a little lower than if you were cramming everything into one morning and doing it all yourself. Bread from the bakery, smoked ham or turkey, and certain favorite side dishes that are complicated and time consuming as well as some pies can be great things to make ahead (or have someone else prepare the day before and bring) and save a lot of time that would be better spent enjoying the day.

Third, recruit help. There is absolutely nothing wrong with grabbing a passing child or adult and asking for a little help with the chopping, washing, or mixing that must take place in order for the dinner to go off without a hitch. The thing is that while people often don't mind helping, they are afraid to offer for fear of seeming to imply that you aren't doing well enough on your own. There is no harm in recruiting help especially among friends and family!

Finally, keep the animals outside or locked away from the festivities and, more importantly, the food. Animals are great friends to have but most of your guests do not appreciate them in the kitchen or at the table. You do not want Fluffy or Fido to run off the food you've worked hard to prepare, so remove them from a situation that it might prove tempting.

The most important thing about your Thanksgiving dinner is that you are not so stressed from the preparation that you do not have the time or peace of mind to enjoy it. The advice above should help with that.