Pumpkin Pie

Traditional Pumpkin Pie

Update: Ivy has posted the ROUNDUP

–

–

–

–

–

Ivy from Kopiaste… is hosting another wonderful event devoted to pies, this time sweet ones.  I decided to enter a classic all-American pumpkin pie, a traditional dessert enjoyed in the Fall and always part of the Thanksgiving feast.

The poet John Greenleaf Whittier, born in Massachusetts in 1807, immortalized pumpkins—and pumpkin pie—in his work The Pumpkin, from which the following verses are taken:

What moistens the lip and what brightens the eye,

What calls back the past, like the rich Pumpkin pie?

There are many versions of pumpkin pie, more or less rich, more or less spiced, some sweetened with sugar, others with molasses, maple syrup, or even with honey.

The recipe I feature here is very simple, minimally spiced with cinnamon, and sweetened with very little sugar.  If the pumpkin is very tasty to begin with there is no need to be heavy handed with spices, and sweeteners like molasses might be too strong and overpower the delicate flavor of the main ingredient itself. Even if canned pumpkin is an acceptable shortcut, it cannot compare with freshly roasted pumpkin and the result will be much tastier—and definitely worth the extra time and effort—if the latter were used.

–

From the original recipes by Bertha Lippincott Parrish

In: “The ‘Home’ Cook Book”, by the Children’s Summer Home of Cinnaminson, NJ, 1914—USA

and Juniata L. Shepperd

In: “Handbook of Household Science”, 1902—USA

Ingredients

Filling:

1 cup (250 g) roasted and pureed pumpkin

1/4 cup (60 ml) cream or milk

3 tbsp sugar

1 tsp cinnamon or 1/2 tsp nutmeg (according to taste)

1 large egg, divided

1 tbsp butter

1/4 tsp salt

Crust:

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup (scant) butter

1/4 tsp salt

ice water as needed

Preheat the oven to 375F (190C).

Make the Crust: In a food processor put flour salt and butter (diced), and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. With the machine running add enough water for the dough to come together. Do not overprocess. Wrap the dough in wax paper and let rest in a cool place for about 30 minutes. Roll the dough to about 1/8-inch thickness and line a deep pie dish, make a decorative rim. I used a small cookie-cutter shaped like a maple leaf to decorate the rim of the pie as well as the top.

Make the filling: Cream the butter and add the sugar little by little, then the yolk, cream or milk, salt and spice, and then the pureed pumpkin.  Beat the egg white till stiff peaks form, and add it to the pumpkin mixture, gently, until well incorporated.

Fill the prepared pastry shell, decorate the rim and top as you like, and bake in a preheated oven (375°F), until the pastry is golden brown and the filling barely wiggles in the center. Let the pie cool on a rack.

Cranberry Sherbet

A wonderful way to enjoy cranberries: a frosty sherbet

This is my entry for the Garden-Cook-Event hosted by Paulchen

 

I found recipes for cranberry sherbet in several vintage cookbooks, and this one consistently gives the best result. Many cookbooks recommend serving this sherbet after the roast turkey at a Thanksgiving course dinner. However, this sherbet is so good that, in my opinion, it is worth enjoying more than once a year.

 

From the original recipe by Mrs. E. H. Williams

In the “Los Angeles Times Cook Book No. 2″ 1905 ?–USA

Ingredients

1 quart (400 g) fresh cranberries

1 lb (454 g) sugar

1 quart (950 g) water

(1 large) lemon juice, strained

Place the cranberries and water in a large pan and bring to the boil, then simmer until the berries are tender, about 10 minutes.

Strain the mixture of cooked berries and water into a clean pot through a fine sieve, pressing well on the fruit to extract all the juice and pulp and discard the solids that remain in the strainer. The resulting mixture will be a rather thin puree.

Add the sugar and the lemon juice and bring to the boil, then simmer for 15 minutes, stirring constantly to dissolve the sugar and prevent scorching.

Skim off any froth. Pour the cooked puree in a glass container and let cool.

Cover and refrigerate overnight. Freeze the chilled mixture in an ice cream maker following the instructions that come with your appliance.

 

Note: I recommend straining the cranberry puree instead of using a blender or food processor, otherwise the sherbet texture will be gritty rather than smooth.