Homemade Pumpkin Pie

Recipies / / By / Adam Campbell, Baking, Campbell’s Recipes, Cooking, From Scratch, Homemade, Homemade Pumpkin Pie from Scratch, How-To, Pumpkin Pie, PumpkinPatchesAndMore.org, Recipe, Sugar Pumpkins
Making Homemade Pumpkin Pie | Campbell’s Recipes

Enjoy this Campbell’s Recipe episode where we make Homemade Pumpkin Pie from PumpkinPatchesAndMore.org. I have been making this recipe for years from pumpkins in my own garden. You can find the original recipe here: https://www.pumpkinpatchesandmore.org/homemadepumpkinpie.php

Time Stamps:

PumpkinPatchesAndMore.org

Pumpkin Pies from Scratch

Homemade Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients

Pie Filling

  • 1 sugar pumpkin
    • 3 cups pumpkin glop (from the sugar pumpkin)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves (metric: 2 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon mace
  • 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1.5 cans (12oz each) of evaporated milk

Pie Crust

  • 1.5 cups flour
  • 1/3 cup cold water
  • 1 cup CHILLED vegetable shortening

Alternate Pie Crust

  • 1.5 cups flour (about 6 ounces by weight) – plain flour, not self-rising.  I use whole wheat flour, fresh ground at the store while I wait.
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
  • 1/6 cup (1 ounce by weight) COLD vegetable shortening – I use coconut oil (my grandmother used “Crisco” – but that is a saturated, hydrogenated trans fat – terrible for heart health!) Some people use animal lard; which doctors also say is a saturated animal fat and therefore bad for heart health)  Here’s a useful conversion: 1/6 cup = 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons
  • 1/3 cup COLD butter
  • 1/4 cup cold water

Directions

Step 1 – Get your pie pumpkin

Step 2 – Prepare the pumpkin for cooking

Wash the exterior of the pumpkin in cool or warm water, no soap.

Cut the pumpkin in half.  A serrated knife and a sawing motion works best – a smooth knife is more likely to slip and hurt you! A visitor suggests using a hand saw.

Step 3 – Scoop out the seeds…

And scrape the insides.  You want to get out that stringy, dangly stuff that coats the inside surface. 

Note: SAVE THE SEEDS:

The seeds can be used either to plant pumpkins next year, or roasted to eat this year! Place them in a bowl of water and rub them between your hands.  then pick out the orange buts (throw that away) and drain off the water. Spread them out on a clean towel or paper towel to dry and they’re ready to save for next year’s planting or roast.  

Step 4 – Cooking the pumpkin

Place it cut side down into a covered oven container. Cover the ovenproof container (with a lid), and pop it in an 350 F (165 C) oven. It normally takes about 45 minutes to 90 minutes (it can vary a lot!); just test it periodically by sticking it with a fork to see if it is soft!

Step 5 – Scoop out the cooked pumpkin

Whether you cook the pumpkin on the stove, microwave, or even the oven, once it is cooked until it is soft, it is easy to scoop out the guts with a broad, smooth spoon, (such as a tablespoon).  Use the spoon to gently lift and scoop the cooked pumpkin out of the skin.  It should separate easily an in fairly large chucks, if the pumpkin is cooked enough.

Step 6 – Puree the pumpkin

To get a nice, smooth consistency, I use a Pillsbury hand blender.  By blending it, you give the pie a smooth, satiny texture; rather than the rough graininess that is typical of cooked squashes.

A regular blender works, too (unless you made a few frozen daiquiris and drank them first..). Or a food processor or even just a hand mixer with time and patience.

With the hand blender, it just takes 2 or 3 minutes!

Step 7 – Done with the pumpkin!

The pumpkin is now cooked and ready for the pie recipe.  Get the frozen daiquiris out from step 6 and take a break! 🙂

Step 8 – Make the pie crust

Step 1 – Mix the ingredients

Mix the flour and shortening first.

Step 2 – Mix and add water as needed

then sprinkle in the water, just enough to make a good dough consistency. Note that flour varies considerably in moisture content, so add the water slowly, mixing, and only add just enough to make a dough that will hold together and make pea sized granules.

Step 3 – Roll out the dough

Roll it out to an even thickness, and just an inch or two wider than your pie pan. My crusts are about 1/8 inch thick. If the dough has warmed up to room temperature, pop it in the fridge for half an hour – the cold helps with making it flakey!

Step 4 – Put in the pie pan and shape!

Place the dough into the pie pan. Don’t worry if it breaks. You can easily fix that.

Press the dough into the pan, seal any broken areas, and shape the top edge in any pattern you like; just for appearance’s sake.

It’s now read for you to add the pie ingredients and pop in the oven! Keep the pie crust in the refrigerator until you are ready to fill it and pop it into the oven!

Step 9 – Mix the pie contents

Step 10 – Pour into the pie crust

Step 11 – Bake the pie

Bake at 425 F (210 C ) for the first 15 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 350 F  ( 175 C ) and bake another 45 to 60 minutes, until a clean knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Step 12 – Cool the pie

And enjoy! 

Warm or chilled, with whipped cream , ice cream or nothing at all – it’s great!

You can even freeze the pie after cooking it.  I just lay a piece of plastic wrap (cling film) tight on the pie, after it cools down, then pop it in the freezer.Later, I take the frozen pie out of the freezer, put it in the fridge for about 24 hours, and then either heat it in the oven (350 F for about 15 minutes; just to warm it up) or the microwave for a few minutes.

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