I had been very eager to have pumpkin pie all season. It's like a burning passion with me, probably from the fact that during Thanksgiving with my family I was the pumpkin pie cook. It made me feel great making something so tasty that I got to share with my family. Fast forward to now and I haven't had a pumpkin pie in three years because Japan has a severe lack of normal sized ovens, like I've mentioned before.
This is the first holiday season that I had access to a kitchen in which to call my own (after a fashion) and can bake freely. So I went looking for my regular things to make pie, and found (not really to my dismay) that canned pumpkin is either non-existent, extremely hard to find, or it's camouflaged in an effort to put me off making it into a pie. I wandered into my local (shnazzy) grocery store to find a pumpkin that they were willing to cut off chunks for me. It was quite a pumpkin and after consulting my recipe on how to make this pumpkin I found out that I need a half (specifically). Thus I came home with a half of a pumpkin. I figured that since it was nearly a foot and a half in diameter that it would make enough puree to make pie.
This being my first go at making it out of the pumpkin and the lack of cutely labeled "pie pumpkin" or "sugar pumpkin" I went with what I could find. All eager I dug out the innards and made a huge mess separating the pulp from the seeds. Dancing to classic rock on Radio Norge while making a mess made me so terribly happy, I have to tell you. So into the oven my pumpkin half went ( meat side down on foil ) and I waited the hour and a half while drinking tea and editing my story in anticipation for Nanowrimo.
I also prepped the seeds for baking, boiling it in super salty water for 10-15 mins. Then rolling it with a bit of olive oil. Onto a foiled pan they went. Ready to throw in.
Hour and a half later popped it out and after waiting less time than I should have, I started digging with a spoon. After digging most of it out and putting it into a bowl I started to get the idea that I had more than enough. My mixing bowl was overflowing. I didn't even dig straight to the edges as some parts were still hard. (I learned later that I could just peel off the skin or cut it off. I would have had even more! I'll be sure to do that next time)
After putting the seeds in the oven and baking them, I realized that I couldn't find a food processor (my borrowed kitchen) After another half hour of digging I decided to wait till my friend's got home. Sure enough they did and gave me a cool little glass shaped food processor, so bits at a time I pureed the pumpkin.
My first crust with ready made puff pastry was a disaster after I tried to prebake it. I successfully made the largest croissant ever. Try 2, put pastry bits together and mush much more.
Spices, after figuring out which spice was what in Norwegian I realized that the cloves were whole. So after borrowing the weight-lift mortar and pestle I ground it down. It worked so well I can't imagine not having one of these in the future. Also crushing things with a big stone stick is awesome. It certainly has nothing to do with the fact that I feel like an alchemist when I do it... of course not...
Anyway viking milk (evaporated milk), spices, eggs, sugars, and pumpkin later, I had a lovely base and threw it into the newly mashed puff pastry crust. I hoped that it wouldn't poof up like it did previously.
Another hour and fifteen minutes later it came out, and my handmade (because I couldn't find a mixer) whipped cream later, I got to share pumpkin pie to the family I'm staying with. It was a hit! Not to mention that I'm extremely psyched about making it from scratch (crust notwithstanding)
Now what to do with the extra puree? Well that's why I got that box of freezer bags! Measuring up a cup at a time, I found that I had enough for four pies. My puree is now happy and freezing up to be made later into muffins, bread, and soup.
The whole things was tons of fun and worked out great. I can't believe I didn't start doing this before. What about mini-pumpkin pies? That would be amazing! Oh the possibilities!
Until then though... Nanowrimo! Four days till the start! GO GO!
My pie recipe:
http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/suzannes_old_fashioned_pumpkin_pie/
The instructions for the seeds:
http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/toasted_pumpkin_seeds/
Both of them worked out amazingly.
Picture of the post:
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| Street art near Oslo S. Colorful and lovely. |
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