Pumpkin Pie
I love everything about pumpkins; the crisp, cool time of year when they proliferate the soil, the size and various shapes of this glorious vegetable, and the range of color tones that accompany so many different varieties. That’s before you even get to eating them. Once cooked the resulting taste when blended with sugar and spices is addictive. Cooked with savory and spicy introductions it is equally intriguing. Why is it then that I only make pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving? I can buy it canned all year long. In my own “test kitchen” I have proven that the canned variety is as good or better than pulling it out of the pumpkin and preparing it yourself. Granted when using canned there are no pumpkin seeds, but who really cares about the pumpkin seeds? Cleaning the seeds and roasting them is a tremendous amount of work which I personally believe is best left in the hands of pumpkin professionals. It amazes me how inexpensive pumpkins seeds are to buy when you consider how much work it is to get them cleaned and roasted.
As a young girl, I was in charge of making the pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving. We always used the ubiquitous Libby’s Pumpkin pie recipe right off the can label. It is full proof and easy to follow even if you are 9 years old like I was when I made my first pie. Over the years as I got more experimental in the kitchen I couldn’t help but consider other recipe options. I have made several varieties, some very complex and full of ingredients and others as simple as two ingredients. Like many other experiments in life, I came back to tradition. This year my recipe is based on the "original" with a couple of changes landing it somewhere in the middle of my previous experimental extremes. I have to say it was my favorite pumpkin pie ever. It was custardy and light, yet rich enough to stand up to the buttery shortbread pie crust. One of the most magical moments of the filling is when the "milks" are added to the pumpkin. The deep stern orange color turns to a mellow sunset and the robust taste softens to a semi-sweet drinkable dessert. It reminds me of my own blended mix of friends and family which gets sweeter with every new member.
What about that crust? Years ago, I decided that I preferred a shortbread crust to the traditional pate brisee crust. It’s more substantial and holds up to the pumpkin, and bonus - - there is no need to blind bake it. The filling and shortbread are each amazing on their own but when put together they are greater than the sum of their parts. My shortbread recipe is super easy. I make plenty of it so I can make little cookies to decorate the top of the pie after it cools. Originally my sister gave me this recipe for Lebanese walnut cookies aka, Mexican wedding cookies, rolled in powdered sugar. One day I left out the walnuts, rolled the dough and found them to be delicious as a buttery crisp shortbread. It turned out to be quite a versatile dough allowing itself to be rolled flat and cut into seasonal shapes or formed into a log, frozen and cut into perfect round cookies. (I also add ingredients to flavor the dough like lavender, cinnamon, lemon and thyme for a variety of shortbread cookies). With the cookie crust or without it, pumpkin symbolizes the Fall season and reminds me of the impending Winter-Holiday rush. I hope you enjoy this easy recipe and maybe even make it more than once a year.
The first slice is always the trickiest to get out.
Good to the last bite, even if it is a few days later!
