Classic Pumpkin Pie

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

No, it's not Christmas yet. For me, that's the second best time of the year, or perhaps it's a tie...with autumn.

To say that I simply love autumn honestly wouldn't be a fair description, or do my feelings justice. I love autumn, as in in my Top 5 List of things I love, period. I love everything about it...the cool weather...the clothes (sweaters and jeans and boots, oh my!)...the colors of the foliage...the smell in the air (fall leaves combined with wood smoke combined with rain...yummy)...the pumpkin picking...the apple picking...the hayrides...the haunted houses...Halloween...I love every single little bit of it.

And I may suffer from a funky backwards form of seasonal defective disorder, as the sheer lack of most of the things I mentioned above in South Florida makes me sad and want to hide out in my house and not come out until it's at least down to the 60s outside.

But, back to the main idea...

One of my favorite aspects of autumn is the food. My favorite fruit - apple - and favorite vegetables (and one of the very few that I'll actually eat willingly) - pumpkin - are in full and glorious season, and over the next four months, you will see me put one or both into just about any dish I can logically squeeze them into. Apple pie, apple cheesecake, apple tarts, apple cinnamon muffins, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin cupcakes, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin & sweet potato risotto...you name it, I'll make it.

One of my all-time fall favorites is a true classic - pumpkin pie. Simple, clean, traditional, but oh so yummy, classic pumpkin pie. As a kid, I used to count down the days until the grocery store would get pumpkin pie into their bakery fridges. My mom would bring two home - one for the family, and one for just the two of us. We'd sit on the living room couch on fall nights, eating our pumpkin pie (with whipped cream, of course) and watch television together. Pumpkin pie never ceases to make me feel all warm inside.

Considering that pumpkin pies cost a fortune down here (given that they are not exactly local produce), I thought I'd give making a homemade one a shot.

Classic Pumpkin Pie

1 uncooked pie crust*
1 can pureed pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 can evaporated milk
3/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp light brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten

* I actually prefer graham cracker crusts to your traditional pie crust...something in the graham brings out the flavor of the pumpkin and spices. I used a Keebler premade graham cracker crust for this recipe.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425F.

2. Whisk together sugar, salt and spices in a bowl. Add pumpkin and egg mixture and mix well. Gradually add evaporated milk, mixing until smooth.

3. Pour pumpkin pie mixture into pie shell. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 325F. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a clean knife inserted near center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on a rack. Refrigerate until ready to serve with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar.


I can honestly say that this literally did taste just like the real thing. Two bites in, and I had an undeniable urge to call my mommy. Needless to say, making a fresh pumpkin pie will now be on my weekly to-do list. :)