Pumpkin Pie or Pumpkin Pie

How to make a pumpkin pie or Pumpkin Pie .

In Autumn the pumpkins are in all their splendor. That is why today I present you a delicious cake with this versatile vegetable especially designed for the night before ” All Saints “, ” A noite de Samhain ” or ” Halloween night” .

Its main ingredient is pumpkin, which, as you well know, is the undisputed queen on this holiday and it is also a seasonal product from Autumn .

This sweet is one of the most classic of  American dessert recipes , the pumpkin pie , which is also usually prepared on Thanksgiving and Christmas in all US homes.

Until very recently in my house the tradition of Halloween had not taken root , but we have decided not to disgust this North American holiday, after all, any party is an opportunity to have fun.

In our dessert recipes, this easy and tasty dessert could not be missing, the pumpkin provides flavor and color. In addition to certain humidity that makes it stay juicy for several days.

With a soft texture that is rough on the palate, it may not completely win you over with the first tablespoon, but as you eat it will not only seduce you but will take over you.

Preparation of the base of the cake. Broken mass

1. We preheat the oven to 200ºC.
2. We stretch  the broken pasta (if you dare to make it at home I leave you with a very simple recipe) . We cover it in a round mold, better if it is removable.
3. We cover the base with baking paper and put raw legumes on top (to prevent bubbles from forming under the dough).
4. Bake the base until it is toasted, approximately 10-15 minutes at 180º C.
5. We remove the paper and the vegetables and leave another 5 more minutes in the oven on the tray greased with a little butter, thus we will make the base crisp.
6. We remove from the oven and let cool before filling. We reserve.
7. We peel the pumpkin and remove seeds and strands. We cut it into small pieces.
8. As a guideline I will tell you that about 600 gr. of raw pumpkin is equivalent to half of its weight cooked, about 300 gr., in case you make the recipe out of season and buy the already cooked pumpkin.

Preparation of the cream of the pumpkin pie

1. We put the pumpkin peeled and cut into pieces in a saucepan or casserole. Add a little water (a glass is usually enough, do not add more since the pumpkin has enough), just so that it does not stick.
2. Cover and cook over medium-slow heat for 10-15 minutes until it is halved and when you prick this squishy. We drain the excess water.
3. Crush with a fork as if they were cooked potatoes. We add the flour stirring constantly until it integrates with the pumpkin puree.
4. Pour the whole milk and cream, put on the fire at medium temperature.
5. We add the sugar and butter and stir very well. It is time to add the flavorings, oranges and spices that accompany the flavor of the pumpkin without camouflaging it.
6. We wash the oranges and grate them with a good grater.
7. We add the zest, the pinch of salt and the spices directly to the pumpkin cream.
8. Remove from the heat and when the dough is at room temperature, add the eggs and beat with the mixer until you get a homogeneous cream.
9. We pour it on the shortcrust pastry that we have previously baked and that has rested 10 minutes out of the oven.

Baking and final presentation of the pumpkin pie

1. To bake the cake, the oven must be preheated to 200º C for about 10 minutes before putting it in.
2. Cooking will be at 180ºC for 30-35 minutes or until it sets.
3. When the cake takes 20 minutes in the oven, cover it with aluminum foil. This way we avoid that the surface of the cake burns and looks bad.
4. We remove from the oven and let cool outside it for a few hours, carefully remove from the mold.

This dessert is perfect for breakfast or a children’s snack and to accompany coffee or afternoon tea.

You can see all the step by step photos of this pumpkin pie recipe  in this album.

Tips for a yummy pumpkin pie

• I had used the pumpkin before to make some stew or cream , but this was the first sweet recipe, in the form of a cake and I must admit that the result has been surprising, it has liked so much that I have already prepared 3.
• When we are going to grate the oranges we must have a good grater and it is important not to get to the white part, the recipe would make us bitter.
• Remember that you should not open the oven during cooking. It is to avoid sudden changes in temperature that alter the surface of the cake. If while you bake you see that the filling swells a lot, lower the temperature a little.
• This cake earns a lot from one day to the next and I recommend you take it cold.