Guest Post:Pumpkin Pie

Thanksgiving, which happens to be my FAVORITE holiday, is right around the corner. So I have the perfect post for you!  I am so happy to be sharing a post from my friend Kristen.   She is one of my favorite blogging friends.  I look forward to reading her thoughtful writing, and maybe someday, like her, I will try to eat less sugar! When Kristen offered to share her Dad's recipe for Pumpkin Pie, I was very excited.  I love family traditions and I think Thanksgiving is the perfect day to celebrate just that.  Please enjoy this post from Kristen and then check out her blog...you'll love it!  

My Dad’s Famous Pumpkin Pie

Hi Everyone! My name is Kristen and I blog over at Mind your Bees and Trees . I started my blog with a friend of mine at the end of May. We challenged ourselves to not eat any processed sugar over the summer in an effort to become more mindful of what we eat. Previously, I was a sugar addict. I love to bake and therefore I loved to eat anything sweet. The challenge was really hard at first, but it ended up being a huge wake up call for me. After the first couple of weeks (when I think I was going through withdrawal), I started to feel better than I had in a long time. I had a lot more energy, was sleeping better, and to my husband’s delight, I was less irritable ;). Anyway, if you’re interested in reading about the experience, you can check it out here.

I “met” Alex a few months ago when I was searching for new blogs on Foodbuzz. We started emailing each other back and forth and became fast friends. One of the best things about blogging is meeting new friends like Alex. Although I live in Japan and she lives in Seattle (and we have never met in person) I still consider her a friend. Thanks for letting me guest post today, Alex!

I wanted to share a Thanksgiving recipe with you today since the holiday is quickly approaching. If you’ve already created your menu, I hope you’ll consider revising it to include the recipe I’m sharing with you today for My Dad’s Famous Pumpkin Pie.

Let me preface this by saying that my dad does not cook. Since he retired, he has become quite the grill master, but cooking and baking are something different entirely and he leaves that up to my mom (because she is pretty much an expert!). I remember my dad making me a hot dog for dinner one time when I was really little. It was a night my mom was at a meeting and I fell asleep at the table waiting for it! Other than that, the only things my dad made while I was growing up were peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and eggnog—he does make the best homemade eggnog!

However, there is one caveat to my dad’s lack of cooking and baking skills and that is his pumpkin pie. I don’t know where he got the recipe or when he started making it, but for as long as I can remember, this pie has graced our Thanksgiving dessert table and oh man is it awesome.

I promise you it has won over even the most skeptical of eaters who claim they do not like pumpkin pie. They might not like Joe Schmoe’s pumpkin pie, but my dad’s is a whole other story!

Now that I’m older and have much more experience baking, I know that his recipe is only slightly adapted from Libby’s Pumpkin Pie recipe, but the changes he makes are really important—especially the crust. Rather than using a plain old piecrust, my dad makes a pie crust using crushed gingersnaps and butter. Let me tell you, a gingersnap crust turns a regular old pumpkin pie into a phenomenal and irresistible pumpkin pie.

I hope you enjoy this pie as much as we do! It’s especially good with a serving of vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream. Enjoy!

Dad’s Famous Pumpkin Pie
*Recipe adapted from Libby’s

Ingredients
For the Crust:

30 gingersnaps
1/4 cup melted butter

For the Pie:
2 eggs
1 can (14.5 oz.) pumpkin (my dad always uses the pumpkin pie filling for more flavor)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 cups (1 can) evaporated milk (fat-free is okay)
1 tsp vanilla

Directions
For the Crust: Crush gingersnaps in a food processor and mix with melted butter. Press into bottom of spring form pan and bake at 450° F for 10-15 minutes. Let cool slightly. Reduce oven temp to 350°F.

For the Pie: Mix all ingredients together and pour over slightly cooled crust. Bake at 350° F for 1- 1 1/2 hours until set in the middle. When you jiggle the pan, the pie should not move around too much (it should be like a cheesecake). I baked mine for about 1 hour and 20 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out mostly clean with just a few crumbs stuck to it.

Let cool completely before serving. (This can also be made a day in advance.)

Serving Suggestions: Homemade Maple Whipped Cream or Vanilla Ice Cream

Thanks for reading my post today and I hope you stop by Mind your Bees and Trees


Yum!!  I can't wait to make this pie and eat it all by myself!  Thanks for sharing such a great and tasty recipe Kristen! I think that crust sounds perfect!  I've already requested she send me a slice from Japan! I'm looking forward to sharing more recipes from Kristen!

Apple and Peach Hand Pies

Nothing says summer like pie.  
I made these little hand pies to bring to a delightful pig roast hosted by our fantastic, foodie cousins Jimmy and Heather.  
I wanted something easy to eat and serve, with minimal effort from our hosts.  After lots of research I found a great recipe on one of my favorite blogs, Smitten Kitchen.   I have tried several of her recipes and not a single one has failed me.
These little pies were time-consuming, but I think totally worth the effort.  The process does involve a lot of time spent chilling your dough, so you definitely have down time.  
Did I mention I've never made a pie crust?  Yes, it's odd, but true...it won't be my last. For my first pie crust...not bad.  I think the process yielded a very flaky crust.  I'd like to try it in a regular pie sometime.

For the filling I decided to do two classics: peach and apple. 

For 24 pies I used 2 Granny Smith apples and about 4 fresh peaches.  

Peel peaches and dice into very small cubes.  

Combine with 2 Tbsp flour and sugar.  

Add a pinch of salt and a splash of vanilla extract.    

Stir together and set aside.

Peel,core, and dice apples into very small cubes.

Combine with: 

1/4 cup sugar 

1/2 Tbsp flour 

1/2 tsp cinnamon

pinch of salt and nutmeg

1/2 tsp lemon juice

For the actual pie crust instructions I"m going to refer you to Smitten Kitchen.  I couldn't do any better explaining all the details to you.  I followed every step down to the last detail....you should to, she won't lead you astray.  

Unfortunately the largest biscuit cutter I had was only 3.75, I wished I had one that was at least 4 like recommended.  The pies were quite small and didn't hold a lot of filling, but that just makes it easier to eat two!

Your house will smell fantastic.  Serve with some vanilla ice cream and you are set!

Nice, flaky, layered crust.  I'd like to try making these again.  Maybe with a cream filling? Peanut butter? Chocolate?  The possibilities are endless!  I think this would also be a fun project to do with little helpers in the kitchen.  Kids would love to help with making these pies!

Hope you enjoy the rest of your summer...eat some pie, it will help!