Always Pie.

Historically speaking, I do not make pumpkin pie from scratch-scratch. I much prefer buying a can of pureed pumpkin than making my own. This year however, I had a pumpkin sitting on the counter, saying to me 'Cook me! It won't be hard! You'll love it!'.

Never trust a talking squash. 

Pumpkin Pie (From scratch-scratch)

2 eggs
2 cups pureed pumpkin
1 1/2 cups sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp powdered ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cloves

Pureed Pumpkin (Recipe below)
Pie crust (Recipe below)

  1. Prepare pureed pumpkin!! (Kill the talking squash!!)
  2. Pre-heat oven to 425'F. Using a rolling pin, roll out pie crust to fit an 8 or 9 inch pie plate. Transfer pie crust to pie plate, shape or flute edges (if you want) and pierce pastry all over with a fork. Bake pie crust for 15 minutes till slightly golden. (You can brush with egg yolk as well to get a glossy pastry.)
  3. While pie crust is baking, whisk eggs thoroughly until light in colour. 
  4. Add pureed pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, sugar and spices. Mix pie filling together thoroughly.
  5. Remove pie crust from the oven and while still hot fill with pie filling. (Depending on the size of your pie shell you may have some batter left over.)
  6. Reduce oven heat to 375'F. Bake pie for 35-45 minutes, until filling is puffed around the edges and the centre is firm. 
  7. Cool completely. Refrigerate for at least an hour. Serve with whipping cream!

Puree Pumpkin: I've found there are two best ways to make pureed pumpkin. Either by baking the pumpkin, or boiling it. 

To bake, prepare the pumpkin by giving it a good scrub, cutting it in half (remove the stem first), and scooping out the seedy-gooey innards. Pre-heat the oven to 325'F. Place pumpkin halves face up on a foiled cookie sheet and bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Scoop hot pumpkin out of the rind into a blender. Puree and chill.

To boil, prepare pumpkin by giving it a good scrub, cutting it in half (remove the stem first), and scooping out the seedy-gooey innards. Peel the pumpkin rind off the raw pumpkin flesh. Fill up a large dutch oven (or two) with cubed raw pumpkin. Add water to pot till 3/4 of the way full. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, covered, for 45-50 minutes. Check that pieces are soft. Drain and puree and chill.

If the puree is still runny I recommend cooling the puree and straining it through a super fine mesh sieve. I tried boiling off the excess liquid and lets just say it was a minor disaster. 

Pie Crust: My favourite pie crust is my standard pie crust found here. It makes enough for three pies, top and bottoms, but it freezes well so portion out what you need and freeze the rest in discs. Or. You know. Buying a pre-made pie shells works just as well too. Haha.

I will be looking into my squash-communing issue. Don't worry. Until then though: Piiiiiiiie. <3

-Andrea

The Half-Assed Hobbyist

Twisted Tradition

I don't often make family heritage inspired dinners. My Father's side of the family is from Germany and I've been able to make goose for Christmas dinner and rouladen, but I've not really made anything inherently French-Canadian (Mom's side). This thanksgiving, however, I thought I'd make a meat pie.

My grandmother used to make a traditional French-Canadian tourtière years and years ago. (I don't personally remember but my Dad swears they were to die for.) So I thought I'd try my hand at it. I didn't have a recipe so I just made one up. A little twist on the traditional half-beef, half-pork tourtière. 

Lamb tourtière

Pastry

(Same as Apple Pie)

5 cups flour

2 tsp salt

1 lb shortening (LARD!!! Go French cooking!)

1 egg

2 TBSP white vinegar

Cold Water

Instructions: 

  1. Measure out flour and salt into a large bowl. Mix. 
  2. Cut in shortening until pea sized.
  3. Crack egg into a 1 cup liquid measure. Beat egg.  
  4. Add vinegar to beaten egg.
  5. Add cold water to egg and vinegar mixture until 1 cup measure.  Mix.
  6. Pour liquid mixture into flour mixture. Mix till a dough forms. (Add extra flour if dough is to sticky to handle)

Make enough for 3 pies (top and bottom).

Turkey.JPG

Meat Pie Filling

1 TBSP olive oil

1/2 medium white onion, chopped

3 celery sticks, chopped

2 tsp garlic, minced

1 lb ground Lamb (Frozen or fresh)

1/2 TBSP coarsely ground pepper

1 russet potato, cut into cube-ish shapes

1 medium zucchini, cut into cube-ish shapes

2 cups beef broth

2 - 3 TBSP flour

Instructions:

  1. Roll out pastry into a deep dish pie plate. Set aside.
  2. Prep all the ingredients. (Chop veg, defrost lamb, etc.)
  3. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and celery. Cook till onions are clear. 
  4. Add garlic. Cook for 2 minutes until fragrant. 
  5. Add ground lamb, breaking up lamb into peices. Cook till is lightly pink. Add ground pepper.
  6. Add potato and zucchini. Stir. Cook for 10 minutes or until potatoes begin to soften. 
  7. Pour broth into meat mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. 
  8. With a slotted spoon, transfer meat mixture to pie plate.
  9. Add flour to remaining liquid in the pan. Whisk together. Heat over medium high heat until gravy thickens, about 5 minutes.  
  10. Pour gravy over meat mixture in pie plate.  
  11. Roll out pastry for the pie top. Seal with water. Press top and bottom pie shells together.
  12. Bake at 400 for 45 minutes or until filling is bubbling and pastry is golden brown.  

 

That pie was amazing. I will be definitely making tourtière again. (Christmas anyone?)

To be honest though, thanksgiving isn't quite right without a turkey, so we had that too. (Thanksgiving is my favourite food holiday, hands down.)

-Andrea

The Half-Assed Hobbyist