Eat Well, Be Well, Live Well

I think I’ve only met a handful of people in my life who don’t like pumpkin pie. Naturally sweet and quickly associated with holidays and time spent with family and friends, pumpkin is a delicious and comforting food.

Like many, I used to use store-bought, canned pumpkin puree for my pumpkin pies. It meant I could whip up a pumpkin pie–ready for baking, in a matter of minutes, and since I bought organic pumpkin puree, I figured it was just fine. And it was just fine, that is, until I took the extra step of roasting my own pumpkin. It takes a little bit of pre-planning, but only adds about 10 more minutes of actual work, and I believe the outcome is superior. Interestingly enough, I think canned pumpkin actually tastes more “pumpkiny,” but fresh pumpkin puree imparts a subtly better flavor and an incredible freshness to your pie. I’m convinced it’s worth the extra thought and 10 minutes of extra effort.

It’s also super easy to make your own fresh pumpkin puree! Preheat oven to 375F. Cut your pumpkin in half lengthwise, and scrap out the seeds. Place each half face down on a rimmed baking sheet  lined with parchment paper, and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a fork inserted in the flesh goes in easily.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup flour (I use a mix of all-purpose, barley, coconut, but you can just use all-purpose)

2 tbsp sugar

pinch of salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter, cut into pieces

2-3 tbsp ice cold water

Whisk together flour, sugar and salt. Using a food processor (on pulse) or a hand-held pastry cutter, cut in the butter until the texture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in a little of the water and cut or pulse until the dough comes together. (Do not over mix.) Gather the dough into a slightly flattened ball, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for up to 8 hours in the refrigerator.

When you’re getting ready to make your pie, roll out the dough into a circle wide enough for a 9-inch pie dish. Form the dough to the dish and return to the refrigerator.

Once the roasted pumpkin is cooked and cooled enough to handle, scrap out the cooked flesh and puree in a blender or food processor. Measure out 1 1/2 cup of puree for a 9-inch pie.

Pie ingredients

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree (fresh or canned)

1 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk*

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground cloves

Thoroughly cool pie before serving (1-4 hours depending on how firm and how cool you like your pie). Serve with vanilla- or bourbon-laced whipped cream.