PUMPKIN LIGHTS - Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Pie is the dessert of choice at Pumpkin Lights .

Pumpkin Pie is a traditional North American dessert that originated with early American Colonists.
It is made from late fall through early winter, especially for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Pumpkin pie is so popular during the fall that often pumpkin pie pancakes, ice cream, donuts, muffins and
other pumpkin items are produced seasonally. Settlers also used pumpkin in savory recipes dishes for stews and soups.

The original pumpkin pie was created when colonists cleaned out a pumpkins insides,
filled the inside with honey, spices and milk and baked it in hot ashes. The original pumpkin pie crust was the pumpkin!
Some say the original Pumpkin Pie may date back to the first Thanksgiving Feast in 1621.
Now Pumpkin Pie recipes have become very creative and innovative using the most delicious ingredients available.

A Pumpkin pie is usually a pumpkin based custard (often made from canned pumpkin or pumpkin pie filling,
unless you make it from scratch), baked in a single pie shell, flavored with spices and served with some whipped cream.
(In Canada it is served with maple syrup.) Pumpkin Pie typically does not have a top crust.
The Pumpkin Custard is usually made with Pumpkin puree, eggs, cream or milk, brown sugar and spices like cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg and cloves. It is made with an unbaked crust and a just set, but uncooked filling,
so it is considered a "soft" pie. You can make your own puree for the pumpkin pie custard from scratch
by using smaller pumpkins like Baby Bear, Cheese Pumpkin and Sugar Pie, cutting them in half and removing seeds and strings and baking at 350 degrees for about an hour until soft, scooping out the puree and extracting all liquid with a cheesecloth before adding spices, eggs, brown sugar and cream or milk. You can add cream cheese and/or cottage cheese or ricotta cheese to make it into a pumpkin cheesecake. You can also add maple syrup or crystallized ginger
for some different tasting variations on pumpkin pie.

A couple different Pumpkin pie crusts that can be made are pre-made pie crusts,
Pate Brisee which is a short crust pastry with a buttery flavor, Classic Pie Crust, Graham Cracker Crust,
You can also add toasted and processed pecans and gingersnaps to the bottom of the crust before filling for extra flavor.
Whichever Pumpkin Pie Recipe you choose, it should bake at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes
until the pie is set and just slightly wet in the center. Top with whipped cream, non-dairy whipped cream
or a combo of heavy whipping cream and maple syrup whisked into peaks for a special treat.
Now let cool slightly before enjoying your delicious homemade Pumpkin Pie!

Now that you know how to make a delicious Pumpkin Pie , give it a try!

Pumpkinlights.com is has the very best recipes for Pumpkin Pie !