Recipes/Cooking/Baking

Pumpkin Pie From Fresh Pumpkin With Homemade Crust

For decades I've avoided making homemade pie crusts. But Meredith Laurence inspired me with this homemade pie crust video, and it came out great! I've since bought:

a silicone x-large pastry mat (since my parchment paper shifts and crumples)
a pie crust maker bag (to get perfect circles and make transferring to the pie dish easier);
[Note: this didn't work for me; I prefer using the circle markings on my pastry mat so there's no bag to wash;
I use Meredith Laurence's tip to roll the crust onto the rolling pin to transfer to pie plate]
a pie crust protector shield (so I don't have to mess with tiny pieces of aluminum foil to keep the edges from burning)

I think there will now be lots more pies in my future!

PREPARE FRESH PUMPKIN IN THE INSTANT POT:

I prepare the fresh pumpkin 1–2 days ahead, if things are busy.
At Thanksgiving time, I buy pie pumpkins. (Walmart didn't have any; went to Fry's.)
(Only one pie pumpkin fits in the instant pot at a time, so plan ahead!)
I get about 1¾ cups of fresh pumpkin from each pie pumpkin.
(For buying purposes, estimate about 1 pie pumpkin per pie.)

Wash the pumpkin exterior.
Put the whole pie pumpkin (even with the stem on!) in the mesh basket of the instant pot, with about 1.5 cups water.
25 minutes manual, quick release; let cool so it can be easily handled
The skin just peels off! Cut in half; the seeds scoop out effortlessly.
[Carol: give the seeds/peel to the chickens or birds/critters]
To get a smooth texture, process in a food processor or beat with an electric mixer.
The fresh pumpkin can be refrigerated (or frozen) until needed.

HOMEMADE PIE CRUST:

Use this video (YouTube, 4:58). (The full recipe is in the description; click ‘show more’.)

[Carol: can use salted butter, and no added salt.]
I prepare the plastic-wrapped dough circles (one for each crust) the day before, and put them in the refrigerator overnight.

I use a pastry cutter, since I don't have a large food processor.
Her recipe makes enough for two thin single-crust pies in 9.5" diameter pie dishes (with no significant overhang).
If you're using her recipe for two thin crusts, then make two dough ‘circles’ (not just one).

Note: The pumpkin pie mix gets poured into an unbaked pie crust.

MAKE THE PIE FILLING AND BAKE:

Preheat oven to 425 °F.

I got 4 pies from a double batch.
(In other words, the recipe below makes two pies.)

two 9.5" pies with homemade crusts
two 9" pies (store-bought frozen crusts)

I wanted to compare! (The homemade crust is DEFINITELY better!)

Mix with an electric mixer:

3 cups cooked pumpkin (requires two pie pumpkins)
1 cup sugar
1.5 cans (12 oz each) evaporated milk
1.5 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp allspice
½ tsp ginger
½ tsp salt
4 large eggs

[Julia uses more of all the spices.]

Pour into the pie crust.
Bake at 425 °F for 15 minutes.
Turn temperature down to 350 °F and bake another 45–60 minutes.
Insert a clean knife into the center; it should come out clean.
Serve warm or chilled, with whipped cream or ice cream.