Ahh… Fall has arrived. The days are shorter and chillier; the sleeves are longer and warmer; the leaves have turned orange, and so have the pumpkins in my garden. So, what is the most perfect thing to do this time of year? Yep, that’s right bake! And my beautifully orange (harvest-ready) pumpkins are begging to be turned into pumpkin pie. (Yes I do happen to be fluent in pumpkin, and trust me that’s what they’re saying). No worries, though, if you don’t have your own pie pumpkins growing in your garden. Being that it’s October, pumpkins (that are begging to be converted into amazingly delicious pumpkin pie) are EVERYWHERE! As I’m sure you’ve noticed, pumpkin flavored everything has dominated practically every aisle of the grocery store. Luckily the grocery stores will also have pie pumpkins too, for those of you true pumpkin-lovers looking for more than just a mediocre, overly-processed pumpkin flavored whatever. Then look no further; the perfect pumpkin recipe, guaranteed to satisfy even the strongest pumpkin cravings is right here. No advanced baking skills required. That’s right, this recipe is easy as pie! Sorry, I couldn’t help myself from throwing a little pie pun in there. Anyways, hope you enjoy the tutorial… Time to get baking!
Step 1: Harvest your pie pumpkins from the garden. We just used kitchen shears, but use caution when handling. Fresh pumpkins have thorns!
Step 2: Wash your pie pumpkin. Carefully cut around the top of the pumpkin, removing the stem, and clean out all seeds and as much of the strings as possible, using a pumpkin scraping tool.
Cut the pumpkin down the middle into two halves. We continued to scrape the pumpkin clean after it was split into two.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Melt three tablespoons of butter in a small dish.
Brush your pumpkin halves with butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
Place pumpkin halves face down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 375 degrees for one hour, or until golden brown.
After baking your pie pumpkins, remove from oven, and allow to cool until the skin loosens. It will be fairly easy to peel off. Any stubborn pieces can be removed with a knife, but make sure you remove the skin completely. Side note: your home will smell amazing, and toddler may want some, too!
Tear the pumpkin into pieces. Laugh hysterically while doing so, then place in a mixing bowl.
Blend with a mixer, and then puree in a food processor.
Who needs Libby's? Your pumpkin puree is complete! Also, it's great to know where it came from.
Roll out with a rolling pin, and fit into pie dish. Chill in refrigerator while preparing your pumpkin pie filling.
Prepare your pie filling. We recommend beating eggs first, adding spices and pumpkin next, mixing together with a whisk, and slowly folding in the evaporated milk with a rubber spatula last.
Now, make your Julia Child face.
Pour the pie filling into the prepared crust (which should be in your pie dish).
Place in a 400 degree oven for one hour, and set the timer. Your phone timer works well.
Remove from oven, allow to cool, admire your pies, top with whipped cream, and enjoy!