My mother was an incredible pie baker. Growing up on an Iowa farm with a father known as Apple Johnson and renowned for his orchards, most of her pies were of the fruit variety. Apple, peach, plum, gooseberry, strawberry rhubarb, and sour cherry. She always made her own crust and one of her cookbooks has notations next to a crust recipe for how to double, triple and quadruple the mixture.
Whenever I bake my mother is in the kitchen with me. She taught me how to make pie crust and roll it out like a pro. By the time I was eight I could make a credible pie from scratch. I remember her holding my hands, showing me how to make the fluted edging on the crust.
Today I was baking pumpkin pies for the St. Michaels Community Center.
Tomorrow is their pumpkin carving contest and pie baking contest. I was just making pies to donate as many are sold by the slice, but they came out so pretty, I think I might enter one of them. Did I make my own crust? I confess I don’t often do that anymore. In fact, I don’t bake a lot anymore. My husband is gluten intolerant and having yummy baked goods in the house is not beneficial to our waistlines or his health. This time I saved out a little of the filling and baked it without a crust for us. These pies were made with Pillsbury already rolled out crust from the grocery store. I put two packages of crust in the freezer for the two apple pies I’ll make for the Thanksgiving table..
The filling is from a recipe from my friend Cathy Mendenhall. She actually won the Community Center pie contest one year with this recipe and has shared it with many friends. My mother’s pumpkin pies used the recipe on the label of Libby’s pumpkin. This is better – sorry, Mom. The half stick of butter and heavy cream certainly contribute to the fantastic result.
Cathy Mendenhall’s PUMPKIN PIE
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp nutmeg (I used freshly grated nutmeg.)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup cream
1/2 stick melted butter
4 beaten eggs
2 cups pumpkin (I used one can per pie which is slightly less than 2 cups)
Unbaked pie shell. (I believe store bought pie crust is better than not making a pie.)
Combine sugar, flour, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Stir well.
Add eggs, melted butter and cream to dry ingredients and beat with a hand mixer until well blended. Then add pumpkin stirring well.( I used a whisk instead of getting the mixer out.)
Pour into unbaked pie shell and bake in 400 degree oven for 45 minutes or until done. (I baked two pies on a half sheet pan and the crust didn’t burn.)
Insert a knife in center to test for doneness. When it comes out clean the pie is done. Serve plain or topped with whipped cream.
That’s just about the prettiest pie I’ve ever seen . Hope you enter it & hope you win. 👍👍👍
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I was kinda impressed myself. Usually the crust burns at that oven temp. I baked both pies on a half sheet pan. Maybe that made the difference.
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I too grew up in a pie baking Midwest family. Hard to find the joy when there’s no one in the house to feed it to. But I’m glad you can remember your Mama and do something good for the community.
Love,
Shalagh
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We did enjoy the crustless filling I baked. When I get the chance, I bake with my granddaughters, They are on the other side of the country so it doesn’t happen very often, but when they were little we baked alot of cookies, made pies and always Norwegian kransekakke at Christmas.
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I am amazed at how Fiona is cracking eggs at three. She harassed me to let her help so I’m sure your granddaughters are trained professionals.
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I love this recipe, thank you 😊 please visit my blog, https://baking781.wordpress.com/
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Thanks, Bernadine. It is really good! I will certainly visit your blog. Thanks for posting on mine.
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Your welcome! I’m really glad you replied, as people usually don’t. I’ve already put you as a follower and thanks again!😇
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Thanks for making me a follower. The Haitian porridge recipe was intriguing. Are you from the island?
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No actually, but you’re really close! My parents are from Haiti, and so I’m Haitian American. Thanks for asking!
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For a lot of years we had a house on St. Lucia and I learned to love some to the island recipes. Breadfruit balls were my favorite but I don’t know where to find breadfruit in my small town in Maryland.
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Cool. I’ve never heard of that fruit. Thanks again for checking out my blog please follow. I really appreciate it!!!🙂🙂
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This looks delicious and seems a lot simpler to make that I would have thought! I’m kind of a newby in the pie-making game, but I definitely want to try making this pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving!
Check out my latest baking post at https://courtneylivin.wordpress.com/2016/11/07/baking-for-days/
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Don’t be afraid to use the Pillsbury already prepared piecrust. It comes rolled up and all you have to do is bring it to room temperature and unroll it.
Have a great Thanksgiving Day with your family and friends.
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Thats a great suggestion! Thanks, you too!
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