Those Halloween pumpkins are ready now for some tasty pie baking, but boiling pumpkin makes them too watery. I like to roast them without any water at all!
Makes 2 large pies.
Ingredients:
- 1 large pumpkin
- 2 (10 oz) cans evaporated milk
- 4 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 c dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 c granulated sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp mace
- 1/2 tsp cardamom
- 1/4 tsp ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 (9.5 inch) deep dish single pie shells
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Cut pumpkin in half and scoop out seeds and stringy matter. (Save seeds for roasting later.) Remove stem.
- Cut each half into large pieces.
- On two large baking sheets, spread tin foil or parchment paper. Arrange pieces of pumpkin on the baking sheets, placing them peel-side up.
- Roast the pumpkin 40 minutes. Remove and pierce each piece with a fork. place back in oven, rotate pans and bake another 35 minutes or until fork tender.
- Remove pumpkin and cool in pans with oven off. When cool enough to handle, peel the pumpkin and cut off any hard edges or overly browned area. Cut the remainder in 1-2 inch pieces.
- Working in one or two batches, place the pumpkin in a food processor or blender and process until pureed. At this point the puree can be frozen or refrigerated until ready to make pies.
- When ready to make pies, measure out 4 cups of puree and place it in a very large bowl.
- To the pureed pumpkin, add evaporated milk, beaten eggs, dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, cardamom, ginger, cloves and salt. Whisk until very well blended.
- Pour into the unbaked pie shells and place on a rack at the lower third of the oven. Bake 30 minutes and then move pies to a higher rack. Back another 15-25 minutes, or until the outer inch of the pie filling is set up, and only the center portion jiggles slightly when moved.
- Cool on racks. Best chilled. If desired add a dollop of whipped cream.