It was May and I was ready. I wanted that pie badly, and was on the search for a good recipe. My mom was rather shocked that I would even consider this on an abnormally hot May day, but when my mind is set, nobody stops me. I was pleased to find that I had all the ingredients on hand, and jumped head first into the endeavor. I mixed all the pumpkin puree, sugar and soy milk. I measured all the spices carefully. I made that crust by hand, and put it into the pie plate like the chefs on tv. I was proud of myself when I put it into the oven.
And when it was done, I was even more proud. Until I reread the recipe. Yes everyone, you can call me blind. I don't know how I missed it myself... The pie filling in this recipe needs to set overnight in the refrigerator, so make it the day before you serve it. My reaction. "NNNOOOOOOO!" I was so hungry, so finally ready to bite into a pie I waited two years to consume and for some reason it had to set overnight! What kind of travesty is this?
Amazingly, I abided by the rules and when I awoke, I sprang out of my bed and down the stairs straight to the fridge. My mom was talking on the phone while I silently took out the smallest piece of pie imaginable, and lifted it to my mouth. It. Was. Delicious. So delicious that I felt that it would be rude to not wait for somebody to share my joy of a piece of pie, so I sat there, staring at the golden brown edges of the crust, (the crust recipe I used is my grandmas recipe, not the one below,) and the smooth top of a lovely and simple pumpkin pie. Later, when the phone call was finished, we indulged in a dessert filled breakfast on a sunny May day...
SERVES 8
The pie filling in this recipe needs to set overnight in the refrigerator, so make it the day before you serve it.
- 2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- ½ cup unbleached flour
- 7 Tbs. whole wheat pastry flour
- ½ tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. sugar or granulated sugar cane syrup
- ½ tsp. baking powder
- 3 Tbs. canola oil
- 3 Tbs. soymilk plus ½ tsp. lemon juice
- 3 to 4 Tbs. water
- 2 cups canned pumpkin or puréed home-cooked fresh pumpkin (see note)
- 1 cup low-fat soymilk or rice milk
- ¾ cup granulated sugar cane syrup
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ Tbs. dark molasses or to taste
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp. ground ginger
- ¼ tsp. grated nutmeg
- ¼ tsp. ground allspice
To make Crust:
1. In medium bowl, combine both flours, salt, sugar and baking powder. In small bowl, mix oil and soymilk mixture.
2. Pour liquid mixture into dry ingredients and mix with a fork until it holds together in a ball. If it is too dry, add some water, a little at a time, until dough is moist enough to roll. (If time allows, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.)
3. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin forming an 11-inch circle. Line a 9-inch pie plate with the dough. Flute or crimp the edges with your fingers or a fork. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
4. Preheat oven to 425°F.
To make Filling:
5. In large bowl, mix all remaining ingredients until smooth and blended. Pour into prepared crust and smooth top. Bake 10 minutes.
6. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F; bake until filling is set, about 50 minutes. Set on wire rack to cool, then refrigerate overnight. Top with your choice of dessert topping if desired.
NOTE: If you are going to use fresh pumpkin for the pie, do not use the jack-o’-lantern type; the flesh of these large pumpkins is too watery and stringy. Instead, look for small pumpkins, sometimes called pie pumpkins or other varieties of winter squash. To bake, cut pumpkins in half and remove seeds. Set, cut side down, in a lightly oiled baking pan. Bake at 400°F for 30 to 40 minutes. Scoop out the cooked flesh and purée.
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