.harvest pumpkin pie.

Pumpkin pie is probably one of my most favorite holiday pies. I love when Fall rolls around because I know those pumpkins are ripening on the vine and will soon hit market places. I have to admit to something. For years I used to buy the canned pumpkin, and in a pinch I will use it, but really.... nothing compares to fresh roasted pumpkin for your pie.


I bet you're thinking, "Great! I can use my Halloween pumpkins for pie!" No no no... pumpkin pie flesh comes from pie pumpkins. They are much smaller than those giant ones you use for jack-o-lanterns. The flesh isn't stringy and it's sweeter.

Aren't they just adorable? I think they are. Paige thought we were going to carve them for Halloween and I told her to BACK OFF MY PUMPKINS. Yah.. she's a little upset with mom. LOL


Cut the tops off the pumpkins and then in half. Use a large spoon to scrape out the centers. I thought having one family member upset with me was enough... when Jim saw me throwing away the pumpkin seeds, I had another cry baby on my hands. (I just can't get a break!)


Place the pumpkins in a baking dish and pour 2 cups water into it. Don't get the water in the pumpkins but around them.

Cover the dish loosely with foil and pop in a 400* oven for about 45 minutes to an hour. Pull from the oven and let cool.


I cooked the pumpkins yesterday and let them chill in the fridge overnight. You don't have to do this, but you will have to wait until the pumpkins cool enough so you can do this step. Take a large spoon and scrape out the cooked pumpkin flesh.


Mash with a fork. Make sure you look through this puree really well. I accidently had a few pieces of pumpkin shell in there that needed fishing out.

You should have about 3 cups worth of pumpkin here.


Add 1 can evaporated milk to the bowl.


Then add 1 cup sugar.


Add 1 tsp vanilla.

Time for the important spices. 1/4 tsp cloves, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp allspice, and 1/2 tsp cinnamon.


Dump in 1/4 cup flour.


And finally add 2 large eggs.



Whisk everything together until there are no lumps.


Prepare 1 single pie crust. Roll out and put in a pie plate. Trim the edge, turn under, and crimp. This recipe makes a lot of filling so if you will need a great deep dish pie plate. I love this one I use. I received two of them 16 years at my wedding. They're hand crafted clay and bake so nicely. I would cry if something were to ever happen to them.


Pour your pie filling into the pie shell. It should come all the way up to your crimped edges. Do not fill too full otherwise it will bake up and over your plate and cause a big mess in your oven.

Carefully place in a preheated 450* oven. Bake at 450* for 15 minutes and then lower to 350* and bake another 45 minutes.

The center should be just set. If you bake too long, your pie will crack in the center as it cools. Thankfully this doesn't affect it's awesome taste. ;)

Allow your pie to cool on the counter then transfer to your fridge to chill thoroughly. To keep a skin from forming on the surface, put a layer of saran on top and press on it lightly to stick it to the pumpkin.

Serve with fresh whipped cream.

.roast chicken pot pie.

Roast chicken pot pie. Or as I like to call it - poor man's pie, because really... it doesn't cost a lot to throw something like this together. I had some roast chicken leftover from the other night and some corn from when I made corn muffins on Sunday. All I needed were some other veggies thrown into the mix, pie crust, and a cream sauce! A wonderful meal on a very chilly Georgia night.

Let's start with the sauce.


Mine is more of a herb-ish/garlicky sauce which adds a nice contrast to the root vegetables and the chicken. Start by melting 1/4 cup butter in a saucepan and add 1 clove minced garlic to saute.


While whisking, add 1/4 cup flour, a little at a time. Make sure you whisk while you add otherwise you will get lumps. Lumps are not our friends. Let this cook over medium heat for a few minutes.


Now we need 2 cups milk. Again, while whisking, add the milk gradually.


Add 1/2 tsp dill weed. You really don't need to measure. If you're confident enough, just shake the jar a few times and that'll be good.


Then add about the same amount of thyme. Thyme is a good herb for anything chicken. I also added some salt and pepper to properly season the sauce.


Kick up the heat to medium high and let this thicken up. Make sure you whisk it constantly so it doesn't burn on the bottom of your pan. When the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon, it's done. Set aside.


Chop up some potatoes, carrots, and celery. I used 2 of each. You don't need more than you see here because it adds up quickly and your pie will be bursting at the seams! Yep.. been there. lol


Chop up some roast chicken. If you don't have roast chicken, cook some chicken breasts and use those. I don't play by rules. :D

At this stage, you could throw it all in a pie crust, seal up and throw in the oven. I have found my pot pies take way too long to bake through when I do this. So I do some cooking before putting it in the pie plate.


Start by melting 2 Tbsp butter. Add a little olive oil.


Add your chopped vegetables. Stir to coat them with the oil/butter. Saute for about 4-5 minutes. The potatoes will be glassy looking.


Here I added a variety of frozen vegetables. I added about 1/2 cup peas, 1/2 cup green beans, and 1/2 cup corn. Mushrooms would be a really nice addition but I didn't have any. Season well with salt and pepper then stir everything together.



Remove the skillet from the heat and pour in your cream sauce. We're almost there!


Add your chicken. I used 2 cups worth of meat. If you want yours more "chicken-y", then add more. I like a good balance of chicken vs. vegetable.


Make a double pie crust. Roll out the bottom shell and line the pie plate. Trim off any excess. Add your filling.


Roll out the top crust and put on top. Again, trim excess, then pinch closed. Mark the top with a knife to create vents.

You wouldn't think I was a pie baker by this pie crust. I totally mangled it. Oh well. Brush with a little milk and pop in a 350* oven for about 1 1/2 hours. The sauce will probably be oozing out the top and your crust will be golden brown. A sure sign it's time to feast!


Printable version:
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dg2vfjqm_122mg2sb3fp

.apple, bacon, and cheddar quiche.

I like quiche. Jim likes it too. Who says real men don't eat quiche? Whoever said that has no clue what they're talking about.
I feel like my life has slowly spun out of control. Last weekend I had the wedding. This weekend we had a yard sale. And this week and next weekend we're putting hardwood floors in our kitchen and entryway. I. am. insane.

Did I mention I am helping with a luncheon at church this Tuesday and planning a baby shower for a girlfriend? Mmm hmm. Out. of. control!!!!!

Since we were busy with the yard sale this weekend, I didn't have a ton of energy to fix fussy meals. Quiche is a great dish because it's not difficult to whip up.

If you're afraid of making your own crust, go on and buy them frozen or whatever. I can't stand them because the taste is "off" for me, but I understand that not everyone is confident making their own.

I, however, do make my crusts from scratch. Been doing it for so long now, I can get one whipped out in 5 minutes. In fact, over Christmas, my parents were here visiting and had to run to the drug store. In the time they were gone (approx. 1/2 hr), I made an apple pie and had it in the oven, cleaned up my mess, and started the dough for the rolls. Suffice it to say, the master pie baker (my dad) was impressed. :

For a single pie crust, I use:
1 1/3 c. flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup shortening or butter
ice water

Mix together the flour and salt in a bowl. Cut in the shortening until nice and crumbly. Spoon in some ice water and fluff with a fork until the dough starts pulling together. Use ice water so it keeps the dough cold. Cold dough=flaky crust.



Roll out and put in a deep dish pie plate. Trim edges and tuck under.

Crimp the edges.

In a bowl, crack open one dozen eggs. Slightly mix with fork. Don't overmix, because it will break down the protein.

Add 1/4 cup milk. (I eyeball it.)

Cut up about 4-5 strips of bacon and fry. I keep my bacon frozen because it makes it easier to chop. But it's virtually impossible to pull the slices apart, so I just cut strips off.

Grate a cup or two of cheddar cheese.

Peel, core, and dice one granny smith apple.



I know what you're thinking. Bacon, cheese AND apple??? It really pairs well. It adds a little sweetness and texture to the quiche. It's quite wonderful.

Season the egg/milk with some salt and pepper, and garlic powder (1 tsp).

Add all of the cooked bacon, grated cheese, and diced apple. Mix in with a fork.

Pour the egg into the pie shell.
Put in a 325* oven and bake for an hour or until the center is completely set and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

The edges of the crust will be nice and golden and the top will be browned nicely. It will also be slightly puffed up when it's done. Slice up and eat warm with some fresh fruit. Absolutely scrumptious!!

Printable version:
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dg2vfjqm_65hrhk9kf8

.coconut cream pie.

For dessert tonight, I whipped together a delicious coconut cream pie. YUM!


You'll want to start out making a single pie crust. Here's how!


Put 1 1/3 c. flour and 1 tsp salt in a bowl. Mix together. Cut in 1/2 cup shortening until it becomes nice and crumbly. Add tablespoonsful of ice water and fluff with a fork until the dough starts pulling together. Form a ball and roll out.

Put in your pie plate. Trim the edges then flute. Prick the crust all over with your fork. You want to create a lot of vent holes otherwise the crust will balloon up when it bakes.

Put in a 425* oven and bake for 10 minutes or until the crust is nice and golden. Pull from oven and allow to cool completely.


While the crust is cooling, make the filling.


In a pot, put 2 3/4 c. milk and 3/4 c. sugar. Put on medium-high heat until it becomes nice and foamy and is almost to a boil. DO NOT LET THIS BOIL! It will curdle your milk. If it boils, dump and start over.







In a side bowl, mix together 1/4 c. milk, 1/3 c. cornstarch, and 4 egg yolks. Whisk well to remove all lumps.

When the milk on the stove is scalding, pour some (about 1 cup) into the cornstarch/yolk bowl and mix while you pour. This is called "tempering". If you added the yolks/cornstarch directly to the hot milk on the stove, it would lump up really bad and the eggs would cook too fast and basically you'd have yummy scrambled eggs in your pie filling. Ick.









Once the yolks are tempered, pour everything back into the big pot and put back on medium high heat. Stir with a whisk constantly while it thickens. Be careful not to let this burn so keep stirring!








Once it's nice and thick like pudding, pull from the heat and add a bunch of coconut, 1 tsp vanilla and 2 Tbsp butter. Stir well.









Put your pot in an ice bath (either a sink filled a few inches up with cold water and ice, or a large bowl filled with some water and ice). This will help cool your filling quickly. Don't let any of the water get inside your pot though. Stir so it doesn't form a skin on top.






Once cool, pour into your cooled pie crust. Cover the top with saran and put in the fridge to chill and set. Just before serving, whip up your cream (2 cups whipped cream, 1/3 c. sugar, 1 tsp vanilla).








Put on top of your pie and then sprinkle the top with toasted coconut.

Voila!



Printable version:

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dg2vfjqm_22ggh3ffhm