Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Pumpkin-baked goods & products are all over. When I make pumpkin pie, I usually use canned pumpkin, but my mom surprised us this weekend and brought us a pumpkin pie that was made with real pumpkins that she cooked from their whole state.
This pie was one of the best pies I have ever tasted. My son basically inhaled it and it was gone within 24 hours. I asked my mom if she would mind sharing the recipe here with you all and she was pleased to send the recipe to me.
To prep pumpkin:
Using one medium pie pumpkin, wash the pumpkin, then using a sharp knife, cut the pumpkin in wedges. I think I ended up with twelve wedges. Clean out seeds and strings. (I think this is the hardest part of the whole prep work.) Use a two-piece broiler pan with slots in the top flat piece. Add water to the bottom piece, so that the pumpkin will steam when baking in the oven. Spread pumpkin wedges on the slotted piece, and cover with aluminum foil. Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven until soft. My pumpkin took about an hour and 45 minutes to reach the right consistency. Cool slightly, and remove the peel from the pumpkin wedges. (My pumpkin was at room temperature before I had a chance to get to this step – no problems.) Cut into chunks, and put the pumpkin through a food processor. (I used a blender – but not very successfully. I had to use a handheld potato masher to mash the chunks before the blender would process well enough.)
You need about 3 cups of pumpkin – maybe a little more – for the recipe. If you get more than that, you can freeze the excess pumpkin for future use.
Once the pumpkin is prepped, use it in the following recipe:
Separate 4 eggs, placing the egg whites in a separate mixing bowl. Beat egg whites at high speed until very stiff. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine all the following ingredients:
- 3 cups prepped fresh pumpkin (could be a little more)
- 1 and 1/3 cups sugar (I used half Stevia-in-the-raw and half sugar)
- 2 tbsp gluten-free flour (I used Jules gluten-free flour)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 and 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 12–ounce can evaporate milk (I used Carnation fat-free)
Beat all ingredients at medium speed until very well blended, scraping the bowl with a spatula often.
Gently fold in the egg whites, using a spatula only – no mixer. Fold until egg whites are thoroughly blended with pie filling.
Pour pie filling into pie shells, filling to the brim. Bake at 350 degrees for 60 to 70 minutes. Pies will be slightly brown on top and the filling will be firm. A toothpick inserted into the center of the pie should come out dry/clean.
Cool pies on wire racks, and then serve with your favorite gluten-free whipped topping. Pie can be kept at room temp or can be stored in the fridge (my preference).
While this may be a little more work than using canned pumpkins, the results are worth it. If you know you have a busy week, consider cooking your pumpkin in advance and freezing or refrigerating it until you are ready to bake your pie. Enjoy!
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