Have you ever given much thought to what it must have been like as a pioneer woman? Maybe not the kind who could whip up a pumpkin pie after a day in the covered wagon traversing Kansas, but the kind who lived in New England during the early days of our country’s history? The kind of pioneer woman who had to build a fire first, keep it stoked, make and mend clothes, be capable of shooting a coyote who got too close to the chicken coop, perhaps feed all the farm animals in between doing laundry in a big huge cauldron outside the cabin? The kind of pioneer woman who had to make large meals every day, day in and day out, three times a day, often needing to feed not only the family, but also the farmhands. The kind who made biscuits, eggs, bacon, fresh bread, pancakes, stews, soups, and everything in between every single day. Who didn’t have a refrigerator to store leftovers. The kind of pioneer woman who didn’t have much cinnamon in her pantry (because it was precious and expensive), who had to harvest, cut and peel every bit of pumpkin she ever used in cooking? The kind of pioneer woman who didn’t ever go to a cooking class to learn how to use yeast. Or how to butcher a steer. It had to have been grueling work, being a pioneer housewife. And she did it in long-sleeved, full-length dresses and layers of undergarments. Because that’s just the way it was. I envy her not. Me with my ipod, double oven, bread machine, crockpot, washing machine, cell phone and two refrigerators and freezers. Well, you get my drift. My hat is off to those women who met the challenge, all for love and/or family.
Seems like I remember reading that the Native Americans taught the European settlers how to grow and harvest pumpkin because they’d never seen such things before. (The picture at the right is the sugar pumpkin I used for a soup – not for the pumpkin pie.) I’ve probably mentioned it here before that I’m a huge fan of pumpkin. Pumpkin pie is my favorite pie, bar none. And I have to talk to myself (you know, self talk in my head) about not making it more than once or twice a year. Because I can eat plenty of pumpkin pie if it’s around. My dad also adored pumpkin pie. It was his favorite as well. It’s also our son’s favorite pie, and he considers the hostess (whether it’s his wife, me, or any other hostess) stingy if he doesn’t get a whole pie all to himself on Thanksgiving. He laughs and cajoles, pleads and begs, tells the women in his life what wonderful cooks they are, just so he can have his whole pie. As a teenager he literally ate a whole pie on Thanksgiving Day. And wanted more the next morning for breakfast. I think his wife has weaned him down to one whole pie. Period.
Generally we celebrate Thanksgiving out at our desert house. We have a 3-bedroom house there, and if all three of our kids and their families come to visit it’s spillover time with people and children sleeping all over. But there’s lots to do. Entertainment for the kids. A big pool next door. A golf cart to ride around in, just to check out the pathways around the two 18-hole golf courses. And with just a single refrigerator my kitchen there is taxed to the max storing all the food and stuff to serve a big dinner, and breakfast, and lunches and snacks for thirteen people. So I always want to make pumpkin pie that doesn’t need to be refrigerated. There’s absolutely no room in the frig. Sometimes one of the daughters will make pies (Sara loves to bake, so she often offers). Karen likes to bake too, but with a little toddler she doesn’t have quite so much time these days. I have succumbed to buying pies a couple of times, but I’m never very satisfied. Store-bought pumpkin pie is usually too sweet for me. I’m certain I’ve mentioned here before that I think Thanksgiving dinner is the hardest work of any American holiday. I make my own everything, the stuffing, the brine, the vegetables, the mashed potatoes, cranberry relish, gravy, pie. Everything. In some years I’ve been so exhausted by the time I sat down to dinner I hardly wanted to eat anything. So little of Thanksgiving can be made ahead, either. One year I made Rachel Ray’s apple stuffin’ muffins. They were very good, actually. Last year I made Italian Spicy Sausage Stuffing which was just wonderful. I wrote raves about that dressing last November. I’ll write up a post sometime in the next couple of weeks with a list of my recipes that are suitable for Thanksgiving dinner. And for the leftovers too.Back to pumpkin . . . I was raised on Libby’s recipe off the label on the can. And despite trying many other versions, I generally like Libby’s recipe best. However, the other day I was perusing one of my cookbooks – one that lives out at our desert house. It’s Pumpkin: A Super Food for 12 Months of the Year. I bought it last year. And in it were several pumpkin pie recipes. So as I looked at this one, titled simply “Traditional Pumpkin Pie,” I thought, yea, just a regular pumpkin pie. No different than lots of others. But then I read the intro blurb. The author, DeeDee Stovel wrote “This is the best pie I’ve ever had.” Now, considering that she must be a really great cook, and that she has a successful pumpkin cookbook under her belt, when someone speaks those words, I listen. I looked at the ingredient list . . . nothing all that unusual other than fresh ginger rather than powdered. Hmmm. Different. But then I glanced at the directions. You have to caramelize the pumpkin. Huh? How the heck do you do that with canned pumpkin?
So, there was nothing for it except I had to try it. I don’t think I can last until Thanksgiving to get my first pumpkin pie fix, anyway. So, I bought some of Trader Joe’s ready-to-bake pie crust shells and partially baked one. Blind with pie weights, for 10 minutes just until the shell would hold its shape. Meanwhile I started in on the filling. Well, it was hard to tell when the pumpkin flesh was caramelized, or ready. If it started to brown, then there were little crusty pieces in it. So I reduced the heat and just kept smushing it around the pan until it was a thick, drier mush, rather than a wet mush. It’s a bit difficult to judge, I’d say. There’s about 25% or more of water in canned pumpkin – at least when you get done caramelizing it, instead of a cup, your yield is ¾ of a cup. That gets mixed with all the custard part, the spices (and the freshly grated ginger). But then there’s another twist – you sprinkle 2 T. of sugar and 1 T. of flour (mixed together) over the bottom of the piecrust before you pour in the custard (see photo). My guess is that it keeps the crust from getting soggy. But that certainly is a different technique I’ve not used before.
Cook’s Notes: My verdict? The pie is very good. Maybe more than “very good.” As good as Libby’s? Well, hmmm, I’m not sure. This pie has a lighter, fluffier texture. Libby’s is a more dense pie just redolent with spices. (It’s possible that’s from using Trader Joe’s organic canned pumpkin, though, rather than Libby’s.) This one is more subtle. But I will tell you, adding that layer of flour and sugar in the bottom of the pie shell protected the bottom shell from getting soggy. That technique absolutely worked! The cinnamon in the whipped cream was also a really nice touch. The pie is light in the spices (I’d probably add more next time), but I liked it. A lot. I also had to bake the pie an additional 12-15 minutes, so maybe the filling really needs 3 eggs instead of 2.
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Traditional Pumpkin Pie with Caramelized Pumpkin
Recipe: from Pumpkin: A Super Food for 12 Months of the Year by DeeDee Stovel. She was inspired by Louise Andrews Kent, from an old Vermont cookbook
Servings: 8
PUMPKIN:
1 teaspoon butter
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2/3 cup sugar
CUSTARD:
1 teaspoon butter
2 cups milk
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon fresh ginger — peeled, grated
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg — freshly ground if possible
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 whole eggs — beaten
PIECRUST:
1 whole pie crust (9 inch) — partially baked (10 minutes)
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1. PUMPKIN: Melt the butter in a heavy skillet under medium heat. Add the pumpkin and cook until the moisture is reduced and the pumpkin is lightly browned, about 5 minutes. You will have about 3/4 cup of smooth, thick (dry-ish) and slightly caramelized pumpkin.
2. Heat the oven to 450.
3. Sprinkle the tablespoon of flour and the sugar over the pumpkin in a large bowl and stir to combine, mashing out any lumps.
4. CUSTARD: Grease the bottom of a medium saucepan with the teaspoon of butter and heat the milk over medium heat until little bubbles form around the edges. Pour the milk, cream, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt over the pumpkin and stir until well combined. Use a whisk to dissolve any cinnamon clumps. Mix in the eggs and stir well.
5. PIECRUST: Mix the flour and sugar together in a small dish and sprinkle in the bottom of the partially baked piecrust. Use a small spoon to spread it evenly over the bottom. Pull the oven shelf out and place the piecrust on the shelf. Gently pour the pumpkin mixture into the shell. Carefully push the rack back into the oven.
6. Bake pie for 15 minutes at 450, then reduce heat to 325 and continue baking for an additional 30 minutes. (Mine took 10-15 minutes longer.) The pie should jiggle slightly in the middle when it is done.
7. Make a topping of whipped cream and add powdered sugar and cinnamon, then serve on top or alongside the pie.
Per Serving: 328 Calories; 18g Fat (48.0% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 37g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 91mg Cholesterol; 279mg Sodium.
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