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Old Fashioned Pumpkin Pie Recipe

When autumn leaves begin to fall off the trees and temperatures drop, it's fall baking time.  This is the season when I long for a slice of homemade, old-fashioned pumpkin pie.  Store-bought pie just won't do.  The wonderful fragrance of an old fashioned pumpkin pie baking in the oven makes our house feel like home.


After putting the pie into the oven, I enjoy sitting in my favorite overstuffed chair, reading and listening to music while the pie bakes.  Baking makes a house feel warm and comforting.  And home-baked treats are much healthier than store-bought versions.  With a few simple, wholesome ingredients, you can easily make this pie for sharing with family or friends.

This recipe for old fashioned pumpkin pie is a quick and easy autumn dessert that will fill your home with warmth.  The goodness of whole wheat flour in the crust makes this old fashioned pumpkin pie healthier than others, and wheat adds a crispness and crumb to the crust that you won't get with white flour alone.  Traditional autumn spices of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves add warmth to the quintessential autumn treat.  


Ingredients for a 9-inch pie

Crust:
3/4 cup white flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour (spelt flour is also superb in this crust)
Just shy of 1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup shortening
2 Tbsp water

Pie filling:
1 3/4 cups pureed pumpkin
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1 1/2 cups milk (we use soy milk as a lactose-free alternative, but 2% milk is also fine)
3 eggs

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  

Prepare the crust.  Mix together the flours and salt, and then cut in the shortening with a fork.  Add water all at once and then gather the dough quickly into a ball. If it's too dry, add a bit more water.  Don't handle the dough too long - quickly form a ball, and then roll it out on a floured, cloth-covered board.  Line the pie pan with the rolled-out dough and crimp the edges of the crust.  Set aside.

Prepare the filling.  Using a whisk, mix the pumpkin, salt, sugars, and spices.  Then add the eggs and milk and whisk until well blended.  Pour the filling into the pastry-lined pan. (Note: Don't over-fill the crust. There is usually a little bit of extra filling that I put into a small dish and microwave for about 1 minute. This is a pre-pie treat, that can be enjoyed right away - yum!)

Carefully place the pie in the oven.  Since wheat crusts tend to darken easily, it's a good idea to place a metal pie crust shield over the outer edge of the crust. If you don't have one, you can alternatively bake the pie at 425 degrees for the first 35 minutes and then turn the oven down to 385 degrees and watch the pie closely for the last 10-20 minutes to ensure it doesn't get too dark and that the filling sets.  Otherwise, with a metal pie crust shield in place, bake at 425 degrees for 45-55 minutes.  The pie is done when you can gently nudge the oven rack and the center of the pie only jiggles a tiny bit (or you can insert a knife 1" from the side and the knife comes out clean).  The pie will set further as it cools.  


This House with Knotty Pine

See photos of our house with its knotty pine walls in our e-book, This House with Knotty PineClick to download your copy from the Amazon bookshelf (for reading on iOS, Android, Mac, and PC using the free Kindle app). 

Knotty pine walls e-book

In the book, which you can download and view now, you'll discover how we stumbled upon our unique home. The house was once part of a dairy farm, but it had fallen into disrepair over the years.  Despite the sad state of the house, the solid planks of knotty pine throughout were still in great shape. Included are photos of the renovation plus many more photos of each of the eight rooms decorated. Click to see the book on Amazon.

We invite you to download your copy of the book, which follows our journey as we share what we learned while renovating and decorating a house with its vintage knotty pine walls. See photos of our rooms from start to finish and throughout the seasons.






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