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Monday, November 24, 2008

Pumpkin Pie

What are some of your favorite Thanksgiving recipes or traditions? Here's one of ours that my 12 year old son proudly makes himself. I'm sure many of you already have this recipe, but it's so good and so easy that I figured what the heck? (I actually make this quite often, not just for Thanksgiving).

Top with whipped cream, Cool Whip or vanilla ice cream, and it makes a great dessert. I even let the kids eat this for breakfast when we have it; it's probably better for them than waffles or some of the cereals.

BTW I have never mastered the pie crust, although I can make one that's *OK* There's a secret to MY pies, though: Two words: GRAHAM CRACKERS.

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PIE CRUST

In a 9" pie plate, combine about 1 to 1 1/4 cups crushed graham crackers (about 10 square or 5 double crackers), 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/4-3/8 cup oil. Mix well and press along the bottom and walls of the plate. You can buy the graham crackers already crushed, or put them in a (sturdy) zippie bag and crush them with something -- my kids when they were little used to love this! It ruins the bag, though :-(

PIE

Preheat oven to 425F

2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger

Mix these together until smooth. Add:

15 oz (1 can) pumpkin
1 1/2 cups milk

Mix again until smooth. Pour into prepared pie plate.

Bake at 425F for 15 minutes, then turn down heat in oven to 350F and bake 45 more minutes (or until toothpick comes out clean).

Cool, refrigerate, you're set!

9 comments:

Jane Lebak said...

My Patient Husband is the pie-maker in the family. BUt yeah, pumpkin pie is good with whipped cream. (That's my secret: one slice of pie, and three cans of whipped cream.)

A TD tradition in my family, which I've never seen elsewhere, is what we call "antipasto" but no one else would. You layer a serving dish with rolled slices of salami, then load the top of that with olives (black and green), sliced roasted peppers, capers, chunks of provolone cheese, artichoke hearts, and I forget what else.

It's basically a vehicle for salt, and yes, it's pretty much an entire meal on its own.

THEN they serve the turkey. Hooboy.

My favorite one that I cook is stuffed mushrooms. Pull the stems from the mushrooms, whirl the stems to smithereens in the food processor, fry the chopped stems up in butter, add some chopped onion and garlic to that, then add shredded mozarella cheese, and then add stuffing. Mix all that goop together, and then stuff the mushroom caps. Sprinkle parmesan cheese. Bake in the oven until the mushrooms are cooked (about 15 minutes) and grab a couple before everyone else does.

Rita Gerlach said...

I have a recipe for Sweet Potato Praline Casserole that is to die for. It is a huge step above the same ole, same ole, sweet potatoes with marshmellows. This has a brown sugar and pecan topping instead.

You can find the recipe at the link below. Go to the Nov/Dec issue and scroll down the page. There are some great recipe links for Holiday fare as well as some favorite recipes from authors.

May your Thanksgiving be festive!

http://www.freewebs.com/steppingstonesforwriters/index.htm

Lydia said...

Amy,

I'm hopeless at pie crusts too. Then a friend shared a recipe for "No Roll Pie Crust". You mix the ingredients in the pie pan w/a fork. The crust comes nice & flaky. The dough is made w/oil, so it's better for you too.

So as not to take up room here, and
to aid other fumbling pie-makers, I will post it on my blog. (I just put something up there today, so I'll post it first thing tomorrow).

Amy Deardon said...

This stuff sounds great! Although the antipasto sounds dangerous :-)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Lydia said...

Oops, sorry for the blunder.
Re-reading your recipe, I see your pie crust is a press-in-the-pan.

Mine is made with flour, though, instead of graham crackers.

Have a joyous Thanksgiving!

Anonymous said...

MMMMMMM, I can't wait for Thanksgiving Day food! MMMMM

Travis said...

Pumpkin pie is so good, that's what God eats on Thanksgiving, while watching the Cowboys play football.

That's what I request for birthdays rather than cakes.

Another simple solution to the pie crust is to buy those pre-pressed, ready to you crusts. They aren't bad for the crust impaired.

Alison Bryant said...

Mmmm...pumpkin pie. The last couple of years during fall, my husband and I have also been making pumpkin pancakes with apple cider syrup.

Have you seen those pumpkin baked pies that McDonald's has? Here's something funny: a week ago--which was a week and half before Thanksgiving, you'll notice--I ordered one. "We don't have them anymore," she told me. "They're not in season." Drat.

And I'm with you, Amy, on the graham cracker crusts. I think all pies should be made that way.

Avily Jerome said...

Mmmm.... pie.... :)

I love pretty much all the traditional foods. Pumpkin pie, home-made cranberry sauce, green-bean casserole.

Thanks for the recipe!