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.

Recipes: Roasted Pumpkin Apple Soup

We're wrapping up our month of fall harvest soups with a week of soups on the sweeter side. After all, fall is when sweetness comes into its own! With sweet and tasty fruits and vegetables like apples, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, fennel, and cider at every turn, it's easy to find ingredients for making hearty fall vegetable soups this time of year.

Check out today's recipe for a great way to use up that sugar pumpkin you picked up on a whim at the farmer's market. This simple soup is sweet, spicy, smooth, and delicious - the essence of fall in a bowl!  And be sure to check back later this week for some more interesting soups on the sweet side!

Roasted Pumpkin Apple Soup
(Serves 2-4.)

(Image courtesy of tiramisustudio at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs of diced cooking pumpkin
1 large firm apple, peeled and diced
2 Tbsp cooking oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
3 cups vegetable stock (or chicken stock)
1 cup whole milk

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees and get out a large baking sheet.
• Put the pumpkin pieces, apple pieces, cooking oil, salt, and cumin in a large bowl and stir to coat very well; dump out onto the baking sheet and roast in oven fo4 45 minutes, or until pumpkin and apple are browned and soft. Stir with a spatula several times during the roasting time. Remove and let cool slightly.
• Scrape pumpkin/apple mixture (with all the oil and seasonings on the baking sheet) into a blender, add some of the vegetable stock and puree until smooth. Do this in batches if necessary, pouring each batch out into a clean soup pot as you go.
• When mixture is all pureed and in the soup pot, put over low heat and stir in milk. Heat just until hot, do not boil.
• Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.
• For a creamier soup, add the milk during the puree process along with the milk.
• Serve hot.

Recipe: Famous Pumpkin Pancakes

Give your breakfast a nutritious boost with these tasty pancakes, enhanced with pumpkin for extra fiber and a lovely fall color! Cinnamon and allspice add a spice kick to this new twist on a classic breakfast favorite. For an extra decadent touch, top with a dollop of whipped cream!

Famous Pumpkin Pancakes
(Serves 3-4.)

Ingredients:

(Photo credit: Creativity+ Timothy K Hamilton)

2 whole eggs, beaten with a fork
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
4 Tbsp butter, melted
3 Tbsp pumpkin puree (not spiced)
1/4 cup white sugar (granulated)
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground allspice

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix with your electric beater the eggs, buttermilk, butter, pumpkin, sugar, and salt until combined well.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and allspice. 
3. With beaters running on low, slowly add the dry ingredients into the mixing bowl with the wet ingredients until you have a smooth batter.
4. Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, pour out portions onto a greased preheated skillet or griddle.
5. Cook first side for about 1 to 2 minutes, or until bubbles form on the top and the pancakes start to brown around the edges; then flip and cook the second side until golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes.
6. Serve hot with butter & maple syrup, or top with a dollop of whipped cream.

Recipe: Pumpkin Corn Chowder

This delicious fall recipe brings out the savory side of pumpkin, and it's a great vegetarian chowder recipe with lots of tasty fall flavors like peppers, leeks, and corn. It's also a good way to use up leftover pumpkin that you didn't use in a pie or pumpkin bread or muffins. Try it as a side dish, or a light lunch on a "Meatless Monday," and enjoy the taste of fall!

Pumpkin Corn Chowder(Serves 4.)

Ingredients:

Pumpkin and Corn Chowder (Photo credit: FoodMayhem.com)

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 leeks, cleaned and chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 medium bell peppers, chopped
2 1/4 lb. cooking pumpkin peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh marjoram
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 1/4 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
6 cups vegetable broth

Directions:

•  Put olive oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
• Add the leeks and cook until tender, about 4 or 5 minutes, stirring often.
• Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more, stirring constantly.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low, then stir in the green peppers, and cook until the peppers begin to soften, about 7 or 8 minutes.
• Now add the rest of the ingredients, turn the heat to low and simmer until the pumpkin is tender, about 20 to 30 minutes. Make sure the soup doesn't boil, just slowly simmers.
• Remove the bay leaves and serve hot.

Discover Sweet & Savory Surprises with Unusual Pumpkin Recipes

If there was ever a vegetable that evokes the feeling of Autumn, it's the pumpkin. They are everywhere the minute summer starts to fade and fall approaches. No matter where you turn, there is a pumpkin with a candle inside of it, fields of pumpkins to be chosen, piles of pumpkins, people dressed as pumpkins, and even trash bags for your leaves that mimic pumpkins. But of all the pumpkin-related things out there during the fall, my favorite pumpkin is the one on the dinner table.

Unfortunately, when pumpkin is delivered to the table in the same way over and over again, it can result in what I like to call 'pumpkin burnout.'  Just like with any food fatigue or burnout, it isn't the fault of the food, but the way the food is delivered.  When was the last time your pumpkin pie brought exclamations of delight to the family dinner table?  Have your pumpkin muffins and pumpkin bread been met with a less than enthusiastic welcome?

It's time to get creative and avoid 'pumpkin burnout' this fall.  Let's switch things up a bit and create some sweet and savory surprises with this healthy super food.

Dessert

Pumpkin Marble Cheesecake (Photo credit: texascooking)

A plate of pumpkin cookies is a surprising sweet treat after dinner.  Just looking at them, your guests may not be able to tell what exactly is on the plate.  But, they will soon find out when they bite into this scrumptious flavor favorite.  Pumpkin pie won't even be missed when you serve up a variety of desserts like pumpkin dip with ginger cookies, pumpkin mousse, pumpkin torte, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin cheesecake, or even a pumpkin souffle.

You can make pumpkin chips by roasting thin pieces of a sugar pumpkin, sprinkle them with cinnamon, and serve with a cream cheese dip flavored with nutmeg and allspice and other pumpkin pie flavors.  And don't forget pumpkin fudge.  With all these surprising options to pumpkin pie, you can't possibly suffer from pumpkin burnout!

Casseroles

When you think about serving pumpkin in something other than a dessert, a casserole comes to mind almost immediately.  And when you're thinking about casseroles, you should think about Kürbisauflauf. Yes, I know it is a mouth full, but this German pumpkin casserole is something that will definitely not contribute to any kind of pumpkin burnout.  This casserole is made with potatoes, apples, breadcrumbs, and pumpkin as the main ingredients and usually served with fruit compote.

Even though this is a sweetened casserole, it is not overly sweet. You add sugar if you want, but much of the sweetness comes naturally from the apples and raisins, if added.  Also, you are using pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, so the spices are not there.  Pumpkin does not taste like pumpkin pie until you add the spices.  In this German casserole favorite, you'll be tasting more of the apple and enjoying the moistness of the pumpkin.

Breakfast

You are probably familiar with pumpkin muffins. But we're going to skip the familiar and go with something you may not have tried yet.  Pumpkin is a wonderful ingredient to add to pancakes or waffles. Pumpkin offers moisture as well as lots of fiber for a nutritious and delicious breakfast.  You may want to add pumpkin to your favorite yogurt and granola parfait for breakfast.

If doughnuts are your favorite breakfast treat, why not add pumpkin?  It is a simple matter of combining your doughnut ingredients with pumpkin pie filling and cooking them up as you normally would. That plate of doughnuts all of a sudden is very seasonal and festive.  Is a hot bowl of oatmeal your go-to breakfast?  Why not perk it up with some cooked diced pumpkin!  Add your favorite spices, some raisins, and you have a hot breakfast that kicks the nutrition level up a notch or two.

Pumpkin Burger (Photo credit: The Facey Family)

Savory

If sweet isn't your thing, you may want to turn your sights on savory flavors.  Remember, pumpkin puree has very little flavor of its own.  For that reason, pumpkin is the perfect vehicle for other flavors.  And, because pumpkin is packed with nutritional fiber, vitamins and antioxidants, it's a great choice for healthy diets, as well.  Pumpkin puree, either homemade or canned, can be mixed with other pureed root crops like rutabaga, turnips, carrots, potatoes, or parsnips, to make hearty soups.  For the savory twist, fry up smokey bacon with onion, leeks, garlic, and herbs like rosemary, thyme, and marjoram.

Roast diced pumpkin with other fall vegetables, season with cumin, cayenne pepper, and other savory seasonings to create a side dish suitable for beef, pork, or chicken.  Layer sliced pumpkin, onions, potatoes, eggplant, and tomatoes with spicy Italian sausage to make a baked dish that's sure to please your hungry family, and without a bit of pumpkin burnout.  Once you get beyond thinking of pumpkin as only a sweet dessert, you will easily move your pumpkin from the sweet side of the pantry to the savory side.

Drinks

Pumpkin Munchikhan Cocktail (Photo credit: waferboard)

Pumpkin drinks are an instantaneous hit anywhere they are served. Some pumpkin beverages are simply pumpkin desserts cleverly disguised as a drink.  Pumpkin pie smoothies and pumpkin cheesecake shakes are two that come to mind.  Whipping up these drinks is as simple as getting out your blender and making your favorite dessert with a little added milk or ice cream.  Of course, pumpkin pie hot chocolate is another favorite.

You can even go the adult beverage route with many recipes that combine pumpkin puree or pumpkin liqueurs.  Some drinks simply play on the flavors we associate with pumpkin pie; the spices, that is.  But others do actually call for combining pumpkin pie filling with ingredients like Kaluha or rum, and whipping it all up into a frothy drink topped with whipped cream.  This would be a sort of dessert drink with a pumpkin twist.  Certainly, these drinks won't lead to pumpkin burnout!

Whether you're looking for new recipes to serve pumpkin in sweet ways, or you're trying to steer your pumpkin away from sweet and into savory, all it takes is a bit of creativity.  Experiment with a variety of flavors, both savory and sweet, to bring out the very best of everything pumpkin has to offer.  Remember, pumpkin does not taste like pumpkin pie on its own.  That means, you can start fresh!  Surprise your family and your guests with something new this fall – serve dishes that will show a new side of pumpkin.