It's that time of year again... pumpkin spice season has arrived! For me, the most important part of Thanksgiving is the pie- preferably pumpkin, but I'll take pecan in a heartbeat too. In an effort to keep things local, I opt to make my own pumpkin puree. It's a simple process and will definitely make your pie stand out from the rest! Need a pumpkin? Pick up a local sugar pie this Saturday at the last market of the season!
Pumpkin Puree
Ingredients:
1 sugar pie pumpkin
Items in bold are produced locally and can be bought at the PFC or markets
Directions:
1. Stab the pumpkin a few times with a knife so that it doesn’t explode in the oven.
Roast the entire pumpkin in a 375 degree oven for around 45 minutes until it is a nice dark, golden orange. You should be able to easily slip a knife into it, similar to cooking any other squash.
2. Wait for it to cool a few minutes and then cut the pumpkin in half to scoop out the seeds. I've found that scooping them after baking is much, much easier.
3. Peel off the skin. It should come off quite easily, and if not just use a knife to gently peel it off.
4. Put the pumpkin in a blender or food processor and blend until you reach the desired consistency. Add a few tablespoons of water if you need to get things moving.
5. Store in jars and use when needed. It freezes well, just make sure to leave space at the top so that it can expand.
Note: This will be more watery than what you're used to from a can. It's a good idea to reduce the liquids in the recipe you'll use it in!
Crust
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1/8 tsp baking powder
5 tbsp grated butter (use a cheese grater)
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp oil (I used sunflower)
Items in bold are produced locally and can be bought at the PFC and Markets
Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder.
2. Add in grated butter, and use your fingers to work it into the flour mixture. The dough come together roughly.
3. Pour oil into bowl, and continue to combine ingredients until the dough is shaggy. It doesn't need to form a ball.
4. Put the dough into a clean 9-inch pie plate, and use your fingers to press and shape to the plate. Try to even it out, but don't worry too much as it will all taste the same!
5. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees, and place pie plate in freezer until ready to bake.
Pie
Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups homemade pumpkin puree (about 1 1/2 15 ounce cans)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp molasses
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp oil (I used sunflower)
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice*
*Make your own with a dash of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves, Adjust to your preference.
Items in bold are produced locally and can be bought at the PFC and Markets
Directions:
1. Place all ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth.
2. Pour filling into pie crust, and bake for about 55 minutes. The crust should be browned, there should be cracks on top, and the filling should be slightly jiggly.
3. Let set in the fridge for at least four hours.
Have extra pumpkin puree? Try out this Spicy Pumpkin Soup or Chocolate Pumpkin Truffles!