Pet & Animal: How to Make Pumpkin Pie

Thursday, 27 November 2014

How to Make Pumpkin Pie

That seasonal favorite, the venerable pumpkin pie, is not just for Thanksgiving! It is perfect for any occasion where rich, custardy goodness is called for, or even just to enjoy with the family with a good cup of coffee. It is easy to make, and is healthy and nutritious. Add a dollop of whipped cream on top for an added treat. We'll show you how!

Ingredients

2 cups cooked, canned or mashed pumpkin (unspiced)

2 slightly beaten eggs

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg or allspice

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1 pint of melted vanilla ice cream

9" pie crust

Steps

Prep the crust. Line a pie pan with pie dough. Place pie weights, or dried beans on the dough to prevent it from rising. Bake at 325ºF (165°C), just until lightly brown—about 15 to 20 minutes. This step is optional, but will help prevent the crust under the custard from becoming soggy.

Preheat oven. When you are done with the pie crust, pre-heat the oven to 425° (318°C).

Combine and mix the pumpkin with the eggs. Do this in a large bowl. Mix both ingredients well.

Blend the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves, and blend thoroughly.

Add spices to the pumpkin mix. Pour the blended spices into the pumpkin and egg mix, and stir thoroughly until the ingredients are well-blended.

Add the melted ice cream. Pour the melted ice cream into the pumpkin mix. Mix until well blended so that the white streaks from the ice cream disappear. Pour mixture into your pre-baked pie shell.

Bake at 425ºF (318°C) for 15 minutes.

Reduce heat to 350ºF (177°C). Bake about 45 minutes longer, or until inserted knife comes out clean. Keep an eye every 10-15 minutes or so to make sure the pie crust edge is not getting too done. If it starts to look a little brown, cover it with a pie shield, or wrap the edge in tin foil.

Remove when done. Let cool so the custard sets.

Serve with whipped cream and a smile!

Tips

You also might want to put the pie on a rack after it is done baking so it won't heat up your fridge.

To make pumpkin Grape nut pudding, leave out the pie crust and instead grease the pie plate or a casserole dish with butter and pour about 1/2 cup Grape nuts in the bottom of the dish before adding the pumpkin custard mix. Bake as usual.

If you have leftover dough, roll out into a thin square, spread butter on it, sprinkle cinnamon and brown sugar over the butter, roll it into a log, and slice into mini rounds. When you reduce the heat while baking the pie, slip the little cinnamon treats in, and bake until the crust is golden brown—about 15 minutes.

Also for another unique but delicious flavor, you could even add the blueberries or another kind of fruit right into the pumpkin mix.

Add toppings such as cherries or apples to give your pie a unique flavor. Many enjoy topping the pie with blueberries for a blueberry-pumpkin, or "blumpkin" pie.