Pumpkin Pie

This is seriously the best pumpkin pie I have ever made and is freakin' fantastic! It is not your typical pumpkin pie. The filling has a much lighter consistency than your typical pumpkin pie. The filling almost has the consistency of a mousse or a light cheesecake. My husband, who has hated pumpkin pie since the day he was born, had two slices of this pie and declared that I was the best wife in the world for bringing him back to pumpkin pie. Ok, he didn't say that last part, but he did have two slices and said that it was really good. If you are looking for a better pumpkin pie recipe than you have made in the past try this out, it will change your life or at least your view on the typical pumpkin pie.

Now, I always make my pumpkin pies from fresh pumpkins. I will first show you how to get pumpkin puree from fresh pumpkins. This time of year, most grocery stores will have fresh pie pumpkins. Don't use old Halloween pumpkins. You need to get pie or sweet pumpkins. The consistency and flavor will not be the same. Plus, carved pumpkins that have been sitting on your stoop for a few weeks, proabably isn't safe for consumption.

How to Make Pumpkin Puree

 

 

Making your own pumpkin puree couldn't be easier. I also make a little extra puree and freeze it. That way I have fresh pumpkin puree available for pumpkin bread, bars, etc. First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

 

 

 

Chop the top off of the pumpkin with a very sharp knife, then cut it in half.

 

Scoop all of the seeds out with your hands or a spoon. Our chickens were very happy to get some nice pumpkin seeds for a snack.

Next, cut the halved pumpkin in half. Place on a baking sheet. I have two quartered pumpkins on my baking sheet pictured above.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until fork tender.

With a spoon, scoop the flesh of the pumpkin into a food processor. Throw away the skin. Puree the pumpkin until it is smooth. Measure out however much you need for pie, bars or whatever you are making and measure out the remaining puree. Place remaining puree in a storage bag being sure to mark how many cups of puree are in the bag. I usually put about 2 cups of puree in each storage bag since that seems to be the usual amount of puree needed for most recipes. Place storage bag in freezer. It will keep up to a year. Now it's time to put that puree to good use. Here is how you make pumpkin pie.

Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients: pumpkin puree, brown sugar, sour cream, eggs, heavy whipping cream, vanilla, ground cloves, ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, butter and pie crust (not pictured, but if you need a recipe go here).

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a food processor, throw in all of the ingredients, except for the pie crust. You could also mix these ingredients by hand or in an electric mixer. My food processor was already used to make pumpkin puree so I figured I would just use the food processor instead of dirtying my mixer.

Turn the food processor on until all the ingredients are combined.

Pour the filling into an uncooked pie crust. It will be very liquidy, that's ok. Bake pie at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Turn oven down to 300 degrees and bake for 80 minutes until it passes the giggle test. If the pie is not done, it will giggle a lot. Once the pie is done, it will only giggle a little (think of hard jello). You can also stick a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, it is done. Once the pie is done, take it out of the oven and let cool for a few hours. Once it is cooled, cover with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge until you are ready to serve. This pie can be made a few days in advance.

Serve pie with whipped cream. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 pie crust, store bought or homemade
• 2 cups pumpking puree
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp butter, melted
• 1/3 cups sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• whipped cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Place all of the ingredients (except the pie crust) into a food processor. Puree until all the ingredients are combined.
3. Pour filling mixture into a pie pan lined with pie crust dough.
4. Bake pie at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Lower oven to 300 degrees and bake for 80 minutes more.
5. Pie is done once it passes the "giggle test" or if you place a toothpick in the middle of the pie and it comes out clean.
6. Allow pie to cool for a few hours. Once cool, cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge. Pie can stay in fridge for a few days before serving. Serve pie with whipped cream.