This recipe comes from the children’s Book, “Pumpkin Spice,” from “The Realm of Halloween” book series. You can purchase, “Pumpkin Spice” at this link HERE.
FINDING A PUMPKIN
Funny story! All year long I have been planning on putting a Grand Prize winning pie recipe in the back of my “Pumpkin Spice” children’s book. I thought to myself, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have the most delicious pumpkin pie recipe in the back of the book so that parents and children could “step into the Realm of Halloween” and bake the same pie Pumpkin Spice bakes for the “Halloween Grand Ball!” But where on earth was I going to find a pumpkin this time of year to do the final testing for the recipe I had created? I mean, it’s totally impossible to find pumpkins during the summer, and so I sat that beautiful idea down on the shelf in the back of my mind, and I decided that I needed to just forget about making it happen.
PUMPKINS IN JULY–IT’S A SIGN
Funny thing is, about a week before I was planning on submitting the final copy of my book for printing, I went to the farmers market during the sweltering summer heat to buy produce, and BEHOLD, guess what was sitting at one of the stands—a beautiful pumpkin! There are never pumpkins this time of year. However, the farmer told me their neighbor decided to plant an early batch, and so she decided she might as well bring a few with her to the market to be sold. There they were—fresh, beautiful pumpkins that were planted in February, waiting just for me. I went home, and I did the final testing for the wonderful recipe! It was spectacular! That was my own personal sign that “Pumpkin Spice” needed a spectacular recipe for the end of the book. Who would have thought you could find a fresh pumpkin in July! That moment was divine! I knew the recipe was supposed to be included in the final printed copy.
Pumpkin Spice’s Grand Prize Winning Pie
2 Cups Fresh Pumpkin, puréed and drained 1/2 Cup Sugar
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar, packed
2 Large Eggs, Beaten
1/2 Tsp. Kosher Salt
1 Tsp. Ground Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp. Ground Ginger
1/4 Tsp. Ground Cloves
1 Pinch of Nutmeg
1 and 1/4 Cup Half & Half
1 (9-inch) Unbaked Pie Shell 1 Part Confidence
To Prepare Your Pumpkin Purée:
- Slice pumpkin in half. Clean out seeds.
- Lie pumpkin face down on parchment paper. Cover with foil, and bake at 375 degrees for 1 to 1 and 1/2 hours, or untilyou can pierce easily with a fork.
- After pumpkin has cooled, scrape out meat and purée in a food processor.
- Wrap puréed pumpkin in cheese cloth and strain juices over wire wrack into a bowl. Remove as much liquid aspossible.
Instructions for the Pie:
- Mix pumpkin, sugars, and beaten eggs together in a bowl.
- Then add salt, spices, and finally blend in half & half.
- Pour into an unbaked 9 inch pie shell inside of a deep dish pie plate. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, and thenlower temperature to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 40-50 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Coveredges of crust with foil about half way through baking to prevent over-browning.
- Allow pie to cool for approximately 2 hours on a wire rack before serving.
- Serve your Grand Prizing winning pie with confidence and freshly whipped cream, because YOU are already royal!
