Pumpkin Pie

I decided to make pumpkin pie early this year because we aren't hosting Thankgiving dinner. A little fall flavor never hurt anyone, right? I'll confess that I used to hate pumpkin pie. It was only on my baking list at Thanksgiving because my family requested it loudly. But, all that has changed now that I've started making it from a fresh sugar pumpkin from Devon Point Farm. 

I learned from the wonderful folks at Devon Point Farm that I can bake the pumpkin whole! No more hacking it up into chunks and slimy seeds. All I you have to do is poke several holes in the pumpkin and bake it until it's soft. Once it's baked, the pumpkin meat falls away from the skin and the seeds are easy to scoop out. This method minimizes waste and makes the whole process very easy. I got enough cooked pumpkin to bake a 9" deep dish pie and make pumpkin and chorizo soup. 

As for the pie recipe, I adapted the recipe from my Mom's Betty Crocker cookbook. I scaled it up for the deep dish pie plate and I added two extra eggs because the fresh pumpkin seemed a bit watery. I bought sweetened condensed milk instead of evaporated milk by accident (I always get the two mixed up when I'm looking at them on the store shelf). I decided to go for it with the sweetened condensed milk substitution. I added cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon as called for in the recipe. The result was a delicious pie with nice pumpkin flavor. I enjoyed eating it while it was still warm with fresh whipped cream. 

Sometimes I'll make a double recipe of the pie filling and bake the extra in small dishes as a custard (no crust). I like this streamlined version of the pie heated up in the microwave, a nice treat on a cold November evening. 

Even with the ease of baking the pumpkin, this pie is a once-a-year event in my kitchen. It is also the last of the fresh fruit pies of the year.

I forgot to get a photo of the whole pie. But here you can see a bit of my favorite pie plate. 

Here's the pumpkin just before it went into the oven. Notice the multiple holes. Without holes the pumpkin will explode in the oven. 

Looking very sad after baking, but loaded with wonderful pumpkin meat. The pan filled up with water as it baked and even more when it was cooking. I'm so glad I put it in a pan! Interestingly, the water did not have any flavor. I thought it might be salty or taste like pumpkin, but it was just plain water.