Store bought is a thing of the past! This was my first time making a pumpkin pie from scratch and wow. Just wow. Pumpkin pies look rather ordinary and bland but once you take the first bite of a pie made from a freshly cooked pumpkin. Oh my. Throughout my lifetime pumpkin pie was something I only ate on Thanksgiving. I was never really that big of a fan. Now… it will be added to our fall pumpkin rituals! Yes mam!
You will not believe what happened after we ate this pie! The evening that we devoured it, Michael’s son came to visit with his girlfriend. We know we’ll see him, at the very least, when it’s time to cut his hair because over the years I have become his barber. Michael and I always enjoy these times when our whole family is together. I planned ahead of time slow cooker split pea soup which was a good call because this particular day was a rather busy day and I’ve felt a little extra tired this week. It was nice to kick back with a nice warm bowl of soup and enjoy everyone’s company.
We got to talking about my pumpkin marathon here on Bread & With It. Then of course I quickly got in the mood to start baking. It doesn’t take much to get me cooking! We all decided on pumpkin pie, which is great because I’ve never made a pumpkin pie from scratch before and I still had plenty of fresh pumpkin purée in the fridge. With the help of our other son I whipped up this pie as quick as can be and popped it in the oven. Within a few hours we were all stuffing pumpkin pie into our mouths. It was amazing!
After enjoying a delicious meal and a tasty dessert we were all hanging out in the living room when all of a sudden the front door flew open. Immediately I gasped, knowing that our entire family was with us right here in the living room. Foot steps began approaching and I exclaimed “Michael, someone is in the house!”. Michael and his son both jumped to their feet running toward the hall entryway in full attack mode as two grown men were walking into our house. One of our dogs let out a ferocious growl that sent chills down my spine. The men looked confused about why they were being welcomed in such an alarming way.
After a bit of confusion and luckily talking instead of fighting we discovered that these men were guests of our neighbors and apparently entered the wrong house. The story still seems strange to me. You would think that if they knew our neighbors well enough to bypass knocking and just walk on in, then you would think they would know what the house looked like. Luckily everything is OK but it really was an eye opener to see two strangers barge into your home when you are least expecting it! I find myself spending a little more time checking to see if the doors are locked now. Moral of the story: lock your doors… even when you are home!
- pie pastry
- 1 3/4 cup fresh pumpkin puree (or 15 ounce can pumpkin)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 eggs, slightly beaten
- 3/4 cup half-and-half, light cream, or milk
- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon slat
- 1/3 cup shortening
- 4 to 5 tablespoons cold water
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. For pie pastry, in a medium bowl stir together flour and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in shortening until pieces are pea size.
- Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the water over part of the four mixture; gently toss with a fork. Push moistened pastry to the side of the bowl. Repeat moistening flour mixture, using 1 tablespoon of the water at a time, until all the flour mixture is moistened. Form pastry into a ball.
- On a lightly floured surface, use your hands to slightly flatten pastry. Roll pastry from center to edges into a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Line a 9-inch pie plate with the pastry circle and trim.
- For filling, in a bowl combine pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Add eggs; beat slightly with fork until combined. Gradually add half-and-half; stir just until combined.
- Place the pastry-lined pie plate on the oven rack. Carefully pour filling into pastry shell. To prevent over browning, cover edge of the pie with foil. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove foil. Bake about 25 minutes more until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill within 2 hours.
