PIE

I do apologize for my long absence. My goal was to write this post last Wednesday, as a kick-off for Thanksgiving weekend, but things got a little hectic around the house and I missed my mark. I also decided to leave my computer in MA instead of transporting it all the way to MI so then I was without photos for this post until today!

Anyway...

I don't know about you, but I love pumpkin pie. #1 Great texture, #2 Great taste, #3 Minimal crust, and #4 Only really acceptable from October through December. Plus, if made well, it has the optimum pie-to-crust ratio for a perfect bite every time. I've only ever made Libby's recipe (on the back of the pumpkin puree can) and it's the best I've encountered. But, since I received a sugar pumpkin in my CSA share I figured I had to try making a pumpkin pie from scratch.

The pumpkin process is a long one. I decided to do whatever my Fannie Farmer cookbook said, so I cut up the pumpkin into chunks and steamed them for about 30 minutes. Then I had to peel the skin from each piece, the longest part of the whole process. Once peeled I pureed them in the food processor for a while. Eventually I managed to make 3 cups of puree, of which I needed 1.5 cups for the recipe (I froze the rest).

Then I added the various spices, eggs, evaporated milk, etc. to the mixture and blended them together.

I always make my own crust (it really is easy, but only try it if you own a rolling pin and cloth mat to roll out the dough) and they are always better than anything a store can provide.

Finally, the finished product:

Sadly, I really wasn't that impressed by the pie. It was still great, but it was a little watery and slightly bland. I couldn't believe it! Isn't homemade stuff always better? I figured I'd done something wrong, but then I happened to read a smittenkitchen post and she experienced the same thing with pumpkin. Canned pumpkin appears to win this battle.

The real winner of my pie making extravaganza was sweet potato pie. It had all the things I was looking for in my pumpkin pie: great taste, great texture, great crust-to-pie ratio. And I made the sweet potato puree at home from my CSA share!

Sweet potato pie is very similar to pumpkin pie: puree, mixed with eggs, milk, and spices. Instead of cinnamon, ginger and cloves (like pumpkin pie) it uses cinnamon and nutmeg with a splash of rum. I consulted Fannie Farmer for this one too, and with excellent results. Of the people who tried both pies everyone voted for the sweet potato over the pumpkin.

My allegiance still lies with Libby's canned pumpkin and the recipe on the label. I made my traditional pumpkin pie over the Thanksgiving holiday and thankfully created the old, reliable pie. But I may have to add sweet potato into the traditional pie mix of the winter holidays. Either way, these two pies are absolutely delicious and I look forward to consuming a few more bites before the season is over!