Pumpkin Pie

 (Yes, I know the picture is dark; but the pie was darn good :p)

With the arrival of October, come the requisite pumpkin "items". Pumpkin cookies at Planet Organic (love these!), pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks (another guilty pleasure), pumpkin gnocchi (delicious in butter sauce), heck, why not go for a pumpkin facial while you're at it? And, of course, one cannot forget the mainstay of the Thanksgiving table: PUMPKIN PIE! (extra whip please!)

I wasn't a fan of pumpkin pie until I was about 11; I'd never tried it until then. As a kid, I couldn't fathom that giant orange fruit with the slimy insides being palatable. Picky eater? Yes, I think so. Then at a Thanksgiving dinner, a slice of pie with whip was placed in front of me, and a little girl with red pigtails dared me to try it. So, I ate every last bit; and liked it. The warm combination of cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice; the smooth texture of the puree; the cool and creamy whip melding with the crust and pumpkin. Definitely a favourite in my books :)  So now, after so many years of eating pie, I finally decided to try my hand at making the pie (the filling anyway; next year's feat will be making it all from scratch).

Pumpkin Pie (adapted from Canadian Living )

The recipe calls for pumpkin puree. I could've gone to the store to buy a can; but I went to the farmer's market, bought a sugar pumpkin; roasted that sucker and had enough puree to make a pie AND a loaf. Just a suggestion :)

1 pie crust (or make it yourself; I wasn't feeling THAT ambitious)
1 3/4 cups pumpkin puree
1/2 cup brown sugar 
1/4 cup maple sugar (or syrup)
3/4 evaporated milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground clove (or ginger, if you really like ginger. I don't :|)
1/4 tsp salt

1. Whisk together the puree, sugars/syrup, milk, eggs, salt and spices in a medium-large sized bowl (or you could just put it all into the blender).
2. Pour into the pie shell and bake in preheated oven (425 F) for about 15 minutes. Then reduce the temperature to 350 F and bake for another 30 minutes (toothpick/knife inserted into centre should come out clean).
3. Cool and enjoy! (with extra whip!!)