Homemade Pumpkin Pie Recipes

Steps:

• Make the dough by hand. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Using your fingers, work the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles yellow corn meal mixed with bean-sized bits of butter. (If the flour/butter mixture gets warm, refrigerate it for 10 minutes before proceeding.) Add the egg and stir the dough together with a fork or by hand in the bowl. If the dough is dry, sprinkle up to a tablespoon more of cold water over the mixture.
• Alternatively, make the dough in a food processor. With the machine fitted with the metal blade, pulse the flour, sugar, and salt until combined. Add the butter and pulse until it resembles yellow corn meal mixed with bean-sized bits of butter, about 10 times. Add the egg and pulse 1 to 2 times; don't let the dough form into a ball in the machine. (If the dough is very dry add up to a tablespoon more of cold water.) Remove the bowl from the machine, remove the blade, and bring the dough together by hand.
• Form the dough into a disk, wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 1 hour.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough with a rolling pin into a 12-inch circle about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie pan and trim the edges, leaving about an extra inch hanging over the edge. Tuck the overhanging dough underneath itself to form a thick edge that is even with the rim. Flute the edge as desired. Freeze the pie shell for 30 minutes.
• Set separate racks in the center and lower third of oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Put a piece of parchment paper or foil over the pie shell and fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake on a baking sheet on the center rack until the dough is set, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and lift sides of the parchment paper to remove the beans. Continue baking until the pie shell is lightly golden brown, about 10 more minutes. Cool on a rack.
• Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
• While the pie shell is cooling make the filling. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, brown sugar, eggs, half-and-half, spices, and salt until smooth. Return the pie shell to the baking sheet and pour in the filling.
• Bake on the lower oven rack until the edges of the filling are set but the center is still slightly loose, about 50 to 60 minutes. (If the edges get very dark, cover them with aluminum foil.) Cool on a rack. Serve room temperature or slightly warm.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Whisk pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, spices and salt in medium bowl until smooth. Pour into crust. Bake 15 minutes.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking 35 to 40 minutes or until knife inserted 1 inch from crust comes out clean. Cool. Garnish as desired. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Prepare pie crust by mixing together the flour and salt. Cut shortening into flour; add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time (you may need only 3 tablespoons, or up to 4 tablespoons). Mix dough and repeat until dough is moist enough to hold together.
• With lightly floured, hands shape dough into a ball. On a lightly floured board roll dough out to about 1/8 inch thickness. With a sharp knife, cut dough 1 1/2 inch larger than the upside-down 8- to 9-inch pie pan. Gently roll the dough around the rolling pin and transfer it right-side up onto the pie pan. Unroll, easing dough into the bottom of the pie pan.
• In a large bowl, beat pumpkin with evaporated milk, eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt with an electric mixer or immersion blender. Mix well. Pour into a prepared crust. Bake 40 minutes or until when a knife is inserted 1 inch from the edge comes out clean.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°. In a large bowl, combine flour and salt; cut in shortening until crumbly. Gradually add water, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Divide dough in half. On a floured surface, roll out each portion to fit a 9-in. pie plate. Place crust in plates; trim crust to 1/2 in. beyond edge of plate. Flute edges. , For filling, beat eggs in a large bowl. Add the pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, cloves, nutmeg and ginger; beat just until combined. Gradually stir in milk. Pour into crusts. , Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce oven setting to 350°; bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 40-45 minutes longer. Cool pies on wire racks for 1 hour. Refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving. Refrigerate leftovers., If desired, use additional pie dough to make decorations. , For Pumpkins: Roll a small amount of pie dough into a ball; score sides of ball with the blunt side of a knife to create ridges. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet, flatten slightly and insert a whole clove to make the stem. Refrigerate until firm. Brush with beaten egg and bake at 400° until light golden brown and baked through, 15-20 minutes. , For Vines: Roll out pie dough to 1/8-in. thickness; cut narrow strips of dough in various lengths. Lay strips on parchment-lined baking sheet and shape into coils as desired. Refrigerate until firm. Brush with beaten egg and bake at 400° until light golden brown, 8-10 minutes. , For Leaves: Roll pie dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut out leaves using mini leaf-shaped cutters. Using a knife, score leaves to create veins. Refrigerate until firm. Brush with beaten egg and bake at 400° until light golden brown, 8-10 minutes., Arrange baked pumpkins, vines and leaves on surface of chilled pie.

Steps:

• On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 1/8-in.-thick circle; transfer to a 9-in. pie plate. Trim crust to 1/2 in. beyond rim of plate; flute edge. Refrigerate while preparing filling., Cut pumpkin in half lengthwise; discard seeds. Place cut side down in a microwave-safe dish; add 1 in. of water. Cover and microwave on high until very tender, 15-18 minutes., Preheat oven to 425°. Drain pumpkin. When cool enough to handle, scoop out pulp and mash. Set aside 1-3/4 cups (save remaining pumpkin for another use). In large bowl, combine mashed pumpkin, eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves; beat until smooth. Gradually beat in milk. Pour into crust., Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce oven setting to 350°; bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 40-50 minutes longer. Cover edge loosely with foil during the last 30 minutes if needed to prevent overbrowning. Remove foil. Cool on a wire rack. If desired, pipe whipped cream around edge of pie using a star tip. Refrigerate leftovers.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
• Combine eggs, pumpkin puree, sweetened condensed milk, and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl and mix until combined.
• Fit pie crust into a 9-inch pie dish; pour pumpkin mixture into the crust.
• Place pie on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and bake until filling is set, 35 to 40 minutes.

Steps:

• Pie pumpkins "are smaller, sweeter, less grainy textured pumpkins than the usual jack-o-lantern types. Grocery stores usually carry them in late September through December in the U.S. Note: the Libby's can of cooked pumpkin is just there for reference - it is the small can, so that gives you an idea of the size of a typical pie pumpkin. They're only about 6 to 8 inches in diameter (about 20 to 24 inches in circumference). If you're in a pinch and can't find a pie pumpkin, here's a tip: butternut squash taste almost the same! Commercial canned pumpkin is from a variety of butternut, not true pumpkins! If you DO use a regular Jack O' Lantern type pumpkin, you may need to add about 25% more sugar and run the cooked pumpkin through a blender or food processor to help smooth it out.
• Just like selecting any squash, look for one that is firm, no bruises or soft spots, and a good orange color. One 6" pie pumpkin usually makes one 10 inch deep dish pie and a bit extra; or 2 9 inch shallow pies!
• 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.
• And scrape the insides. You want to get out that stringy, dangly stuff that coats the inside surface. I find a heavy ice cream scoop works great for this.
• 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.
• There are several ways to cook the pumpkin; just choose use your preferred method. Most people have microwaves and a stove, so I'll describe both of those methods here. But others make good arguments in favor of using a pressure cooker or baking in the oven. At the end of this document, I've included alternative instructions to replace step 4, if you'd rather use a different method.
• Method 1 - Put it in a microwaveable bowl.
• Remove the stem, and put the pumpkin into a microwaveable. You may need to cut the pumpkin further to make it fit. The fewer the number of pieces, the easier it will to scoop out the cooked pumpkin afterwards.
• Put a couple of inches of water in the bowl, cover it, and put in the microwave.
• Method 2 - Steam on the stovetop.
• You can also cook it on the stovetop; it takes about the same length of time in a steamer (20 to 30 minutes). I use a double pot steamer, but you could use an ordinary large pot with a steamer basket inside.
• Either way, cook for 15 minutes on high, check to see if it is soft, then repeat in smaller increments of time until it is soft enough to scoop the innards out. Normally it takes 20 or 30 minutes in total.
• 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.
• Many times the skin or rind will simply lift off with your fingers. I'll bet you didn't realize making your own pumpkin glop -- err, "puree" was this easy!
• Note: there are many varieties of pumpkin and some make better pies that other (due to sugar content, flavor, texture and water content. Drier, sweeter, fine-grained pies; the small (8" across) ones called "pie pumpkins" are best.
• Watery pumpkin?.
• If your pumpkin puree has standing, free water, you may want to let it sit for 30 minutes and then pour off any free water. That will help prevent you pie from being too watery! Beyond, that, I have not found that the water makes a difference - I wouldn't be TOO concerned about it!
• Tip from a visitor: "I make my own pumpkin pies from scratch all the time. To eliminate watery pumpkin I strain my pureed pumpkin through a cloth overnight. If I use frozen pumpkin I do the same again as it thaws out. It works great and my pies cook beautifully.".
• Another visitor reported success using coffee filters in a sieve to drain out excess water.
• Again, don't go to great lengths to remove water; the recipe accounts for the fact that fresh pumpkin is more watery than canned!
• 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!
• Another visitor says using a food mill, like a Foley Food Mill, with a fine screen, accomplishes the blending/pureeing very well, too!
• The pumpkin is now cooked and ready for the pie recipe. Get the frozen daiquiris out from step 7 and take a break! :) You may freeze the pie filling.
• Yes, I know there are ready-made pie crusts in the frozen section at the store, but they really are bland and doughy. A flaky crust is easy to make! Again, note that unless you use large, deep dish pie plates, you may have enough for 2 pies.
• It is also time to start preheating the oven. Turn it on and set it to 425°F (210°C, for those in Europe) (see my pie crust recipe).
• All the hard work is behind you! Here's where it gets really easy. If you start with a fresh 8" pie pumpkin, you will get about 3 cups of cooked, mashed pumpkin. The right amount of ingredients for this is as follows:.
• 1 cup sugar - or 1 cup Splenda, or 3/4 cup honey (honey may make a heavier pie, though).
• 1.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves.
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice.
• one half teaspoon ground ginger.
• one half teaspoon salt (optional, I don't use any).
• 4 large eggs.
• 3 cups pumpkin glop (ok -- "sieved, cooked pumpkin").
• 1.5 cans (12oz each) of evaporated milk (I use the nonfat version).
• Mix well using a hand blender or mixer.
• Notes: The vast majority of people tell me this is the best pumpkin pie they've ever had. It's light and fluffy - however -- if you want a heavy, more dense pie, use 3 eggs instead of 4 and 1 can of evaporated milk instead of 1.5).
• like a deep, full pie, so I fill it right up to about one quarter to one half inch from the very top.
• Don't be surprised if the mixture is very runny! It may start as a soupy liquid, but it will firm up nicely in the oven! Note: the pie crust is brown because I used whole wheat flour! Tastes the same, but is healthier.
• TIP: What do you do if you end up with more filling than will fit in your pie crust(s)? Easy! Of course, you can make another, smaller pie crust and fill a small pie pan -- or just grease any baking dish, of a size that the extra filling will fill to a depth of about 2 inches (see the photo at right), and pour the extra filling inches then bake it. It will be a crustless pumpkin pie that kids especially love!
• 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.
• And enjoy! Warm or chilled, with whipped cream , ice cream or nothing at all - it's great!
• I use a blunt table knife to test the pie. The one at left has already been stuck in the pie, and you see it comes out pretty clean, when the pie is done.

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place up to 6 months., Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice may be used as a substitute for store-bought pumpkin pie spice or to prepare the following recipe: Spiced Nuts.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Using a fork, stir in oil and butter until dough is crumbly. Gradually add enough water until dough holds together. Roll out between sheets of plastic wrap into an 11-in. circle. Freeze for 10 minutes. , Remove top sheet of plastic; invert crust into a 9-in. pie plate. Remove remaining plastic. Trim and flute edges. Chill. , Roll dough scraps to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a 1-in. leaf-shaped cookie cutter. Place on an ungreased baking sheet; bake at 375° for 6-8 minutes or until edges are very lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack., In a large bowl, beat the egg, egg white, sugars, salt and spices until smooth. Beat in pumpkin. Gradually beat in milk. Pour into crust. Bake at 375° for 45-50 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Garnish with leaf cutouts. If desired, top with whipped cream. Refrigerate leftovers.

Steps:

• Cut pumpkin in half, and remove seeds. Lightly oil the cut surface. Place cut side down on a jelly roll pan lined with foil and lightly oiled. Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) until the flesh is tender when poked with a fork. Cool until just warm. Scrape the pumpkin flesh from the peel. Either mash, or puree in small batches in a blender.
• In large bowl, blend together 2 cups pumpkin puree, spices, and salt. Beat in eggs, honey, milk, and cream. Pour filling into pie shell.
• Bake at 400 degrees F ( 205 degrees C) for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a knife inserted 1 inch from edge of pie comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Steps:

• Sift dry ingredients together and stir into eggs.
• Add milk and pumpkin.
• Line piepan with pastry and pour in filling.
• Bake in very hot oven (450 degrees) for 10 minutes; reduce temperature to slow (325 degrees) and bake 35 minutes longer or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
• Cool.
• **Variation:Use 1 Tsp.
• cinnamon, 1/4 Tsp nutmeg 1/2 Tsp ginger and 1/8 Tsp ground cloves instead of pumpkin pie spice.