Pumpkin pie is a fall favourite. Growing up, we usually made it from tinned pumpkin puree (i.e. not tinned pie filling, just pumpkin); last week we made one "actually from scratch" starting with a pie pumpkin. The results are indistinguishable; the former is easier, the latter gives you a bowl of pumpkin seeds you can roast as a side effect.

The recipe we worked from last week calls for a mix of white and brown sugar and (as is typical) evaporated milk; we used all brown sugar and, for lactose-friendliness, coconut milk.

We also had more pumpkin than it calls for, so we added an extra egg and an extra 100mL of coconut milk (neatly using up an entire tin), but the recipe is fairly tolerant of variation.

Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients

• 1 pie pumpkin or 1 ~500mL tin of pumpkin puree
• 1 large egg
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 c. brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 300mL evaporated milk or coconut milk
• Pie crust

Directions

1. Roll out the crust and install it in the pie plate.
2. Add the weights (in parchment paper) and blind-bake at 400°F for 15 minutes. Remove the weights, brush all over with egg whites, and bake for another 5 minutes. Remove and let cool.
3. If using a pie pumpkin, prepare it: cut it in half and scoop out the seeds, brush with oil, and roast at 375°F until tender. Peel off the skin and lightly mash the flesh into a bowl.
   If using a tin of pumpkin puree, simply empty it into a bowl.
4. Add the egg, egg yolks, sugar, flour, salt, spices, and milk. Mix well.¹
5. Pour the filling into the pie crust. Bake at 325°F until just set, ~1 hour. Remove from the oven and let cool.
6. Eat plain or with whipped cream.

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¹ If using a pie pumpkin, the mix will probably be somewhat stringy. Put it through a blender (or use an immersion blender) to fix this. If using tinned puree, simply mixing it with a spoon should be sufficient. ^Back