Fresh Pumpkin Pie

Making a fresh pumpkin pie is something I've always wanted to try!  This year my son encouraged me to make one.

I bought a sugar pumpkin (also called a pie pumpkin) from Trader Joe's.  It was the perfect size for a pie.

I found a five-star recipe online.  It is not difficult but is a bit time consuming -- you remove the seeds from the pumpkin, roast it, scoop it out of the rind and puree it (I used my food processor).

I found that I needed to bake the pie longer than the recipe recommends.

Here is the result:

I really loved this pie!  The brown sugar carmelized and gave it a delicious flavor.  I may need to make one of these every year!  It was especially good with fresh whipped cream.

I couldn't wait a whole day to try the pie (as the recipe recommends) but fortunately I had leftovers.  I found that it really did taste better after a day or two.

Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes

I am a huge fan of Thanksgiving food.  I can't even pick a favorite.  I want it all!

After many years of making sides, desserts, and even a few turkeys, here are my favorite recipes (click on the hyperlinks to access the recipes online).

Turkey:

I have made Martha Stewart's perfect roast turkey several times.  It always turns out tender and juicy.  I'm also a fan of her giblet gravy (included in the turkey recipe) and classic stuffing with cherries and pecans.

Turkey breast:

This is the perfect recipe for a smaller crowd.  I back off on the salt (reduce to 2 teaspoons).  Butter and bacon and herbs...oh my!

Cranberry mocktail:

I had one of these on my recent Disney cruise and will be re-creating it for Thanksgiving.  Yum-o!

Cranberry sauce:

Homemade cranberry sauce is super easy to make.  The recipe on the back of the bag works well.  If you want to try a new recipe, I've been making Alton Brown's recipe made with honey and juice instead of sugar and water (note: a standard bag of cranberries is 12 oz not 1 pound, so you'll need 3/4 of the ingredients).  I prefer it with clover honey since wildflower honey was a little strong (though after a few days it tasted perfect!).

Sweet potatoes:

The dessert that we call a side dish.  This is my go-to recipe.

Dinner rolls:

See my recipe for perfect dinner rolls here.

Chocolate pie:

My husband is a fan of chocolate pie so I make one every year.  I use a Pillsbury crust (the kind in the refrigerated section of the grocery store) and cook it first (follow the directions on the box).  I fill it with a large box of chocolate pudding, made according to the directions on the box (I prefer the cook kind, not instant -- you can make it in the microwave).  I pipe on homemade whipped cream and sprinkle on mini chocolate chips for a show-stopping dessert.  If you want to make homemade filling, this one is my favorite.

Whipped cream:

Homemade whipped cream is simply whipping cream, vanilla, and powdered sugar.  I don't measure my ingredients -- I just add vanilla and the sugar a little at a time until it tastes good.  Beat it until it's fluffy but stop before it turns into butter.

Mini pumpkin pies:

These are adorable mini pumpkin pies.  They are called "impossible pie" because they form their own crust while they bake.  I like to bake them in foil liners since they look like mini pie pans.

Pumpkin cupcakes:

Oh my!  These are light and delicious and melt in your mouth.  I top mine with homemade whipped cream instead of frosting.

Pumpkin cheesecake:

Crust:

1 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/3 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup sugar

Mix ingredients together.  Press into a springform pan.  Bake at 375 degrees for 6-8 minutes.  Cool.

Filling:

3 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese

3/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

5 eggs

1/4 cup heavy cream (2 oz)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1 can pumpkin (16 oz)

Mix together cream cheese and sugars.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each.  Beat until light and fluffy.  Stir in cream, spices and pumpkin.  Poor into cooled crust.  Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.  Cool.  My cheesecake usually cracks, so I spread homemade whipped cream over the top.

By now you've figured out that I love pumpkin desserts!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!