Ricky's Best Pumpkin Pie Recipe

This is the finest pumpkin pie recipe I have ever made. The original recipe (from a 1912 cookbook) used regular pumpkins, the cheese pumpkins used here have more meat and more real pumpkin taste! While you may have to do some searching to find cheese pumpkins, it's worth the effort. I have also increased the amount of spices and decreased the amount of milk to yield firmer pies.

• 2 cups strained and mashed pumpkin (use cheese pumpkins for the best results, 12" diameter)
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 egg beaten well
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1-1/2 cups whole milk or 1 cup whole milk and 1/2 cup cream
• 1 9" diameter deep pie crust per pie

Cut pumpkin in half (12" diameter) place inverted over a cookie sheet or large bowl. Heat in oven at 325 degrees or microwave on high until top starts to collapse (skin will turn dark brown) or steam in lobster pot. Scrape out pulp and strain well. Allow to dry and cool before using! The drier the pulp the firmer the pie. A good quality food processor can be used to really mash the pulp into a smooth mixture otherwise chop and mash the pulp by hand.

Mix syrup, sugar, egg, cinnamon and ginger together. Slowly add milk and blend well. Add pumpkin mixture and blend well. While the mixture is blending, sprinkle some cinnamon on the pie crust and let it bake in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes. Fill the pie shell to capacity and then bake at 325 degrees in 9" pie crust until firm, about 1 hour. Check to make sure the pie shell does not overcook. Cool on racks for 1 hour and then refrigerate. Pumpkin pie is best when refrigerated overnight and served cool.

A regular 12" diameter pumpkin will yield 3 pies, a 12" diameter cheese pumpkin will yield 2 pies. Serve with fresh whipped cream!

I guess I'm wondering if anybody has adapted recipe like this one

https://smittenkitchen.com/2006/10/unflinchingly-good-things/

Or if they have some similar recipes for pumpkins?

I’ve posted this longtime favorite before. I’ve actually only made these with canned pumpkin. For fresh, I’d go with sugar or pie pumpkins.

Pumpkin Bars

2 cups sugar
1 cup butter (2 sticks), room temp.
2 cups canned pumpkin (one 15-oz. can)
4 eggs, room temp.
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. each cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, ground cloves
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 15 X 10 1/2 X 1 pan. Sift flour, baking soda, spices, and salt together; set aside. Cream butter and sugar until smooth. Add pumpkin and eggs; beat until smooth. Add dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Spread mixture into pan. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until cake springs back when touched or toothpick comes out clean (start checking early). Cool completely and frost with your favorite cream cheese icing.

Note: If desired, the recipe can be very easily halved. A 9x13x1 sheet pan (quarter sheet) works perfectly. The baking time will be a little less; start checking at about 15 minutes.

I make pumpkin soup, pumpkin pasta (in the dough) and pumpkin lasagna (in the filling). Oh, and a killer chocolate and pumpkin marble cake from Sunset magazine, plus all the treats (bars, cookies, pies, pumpkin bread, babka, etc.). And any number of on the fly, no-recipe kinds of things. Here's my pumpkin stew. The lasagna is more summery, and vegetarian (lacto-ovo), but I'm having trouble copying it over. I can e-mail it to you if you like.

Pumpkin Stew

Ingredients

2 roasted sugar pie pumpkins

5 oz shitake, sliced

2 lbs beef

1 lb mushrooms, sliced

2 lbs Italian chicken sausage, half spicy

1-2 TBSP Herbes de Province

2 red Anaheim peppers, chopped

half a bottle of Riesling or similar white wine

1 large onion, chopped

Lite olive oil (or any fairly neutral cooking oil)

3 stalks celery, chopped

Directions

Sear beef pieces. Set aside. Brown sausage out of the casings. Set aside. Brown onions and deglaze with generous wine. Add mushrooms and cook down covered. Add celery and more wine. Add peppers and pumpkin chunks. Add back meat. Add herbs and wine. Cook for hours on low.

Pumpkin makes a fantastic and very easy soup. Or simply roasted as a side to meat.

Rob, regarding the SK recipe, I would think pumpkin, or any winter squash, could be used instead of the acorn squash.

This is simple, good and you can of course use fresh pumpkin.

Pumpkin Soup

1 large onion, chopped
1/2 stick butter
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 cups canned pumpkin
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups heavy cream
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
Pinch each of cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice, or to taste (see *Note below)

Optional garnishes: cubes of cream cheese, dollop of sour cream, minced chives, parsley, or roasted pumpkin seeds

Sauté the onion in butter until it is limp but not browned. Sprinkle with curry powder, and continue to cook for a few minutes. In batches, in a blender or food processor (or using an immersion blender for the entire mixture), puree the onions with the pumpkin and salt, then add the cream, continuing to blend. Transfer this mixture to a soup pot or saucepan and whisk in the chicken stock. Heat slowly, seasoning with the spices (see *Note). Do not allow to boil. Serve hot in large hollowed-out pumpkin "tureen" or in individual hollowed-out pumpkin "bowls." Garnish with desired toppings listed above.

*Note: Use a very light hand with the cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. You don't want the soup to taste like liquid pumpkin pie. Start with a pinch of each and check the taste. Alternatively, use only the allspice, or a pinch of ground cloves, and increase the curry powder slightly.

I make my pumpkin soup with curry powder and coconut milk. Delish!

Pumpkin cake and pumpkin scones are very popular in our house. Happy to supply recipes if you're interested.

We had a similar dish to your acorn squash at a very good restaurant here and now I make it at home as it's the only way DH will eat pumpkin as a vegetable. Roast the pumpkin slices until soft and serve drizzled with a (more or less) half and half mixture of maple syrup and miso, then sprinkle with sesame seeds.

It seems such a waste of a lovely veggie to make a pie with it. Dice and roast, or slice like in that lovely recipe you posted above. It's way superior than a pumpkin. The flavours of these smaller fruit are delicious.

Serve as a side, also delicious as a purée..... with roast pork, for example. Just don't sweeten it LOL

The little squashes are delicious baked/roasted whole. Shove them in alongside the roast. Butternut makes a lovely risotto with sage and I imagine other squashes would work.

Another idea is a savoury crumble. Roast cubed squash until tender. Make a crumble topping with equal parts parmesan, butter and flour. Put your squash in a dish. You can now add all sorts of things. Leftover roast chicken, goat's cheese.......other veggies..... then top with crumble then bake until crisp. Lovely!

I meant to tell you I have a phenomenal sweet recipe for pumpkin. I changed the streusel recipe part though, I use half pecans, and half pepitas. Also add candied ginger to the top. Not a lot of that.

https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/pumpkin-muffins.html#tabrecipe