Thankful!

Check out those pumpkins!

They say we don’t really appreciate what we have until we lose it! Perhaps at the season when earth sheds the last of it’s old leaves, during which time we are unwinding from the abundant summer, from all the joy of vacations, gatherings, parties… we start to realise we have a long winter ahead. Perhaps during this time we reflect on all that we had and feel very thankful. Looking to what earth has to offer us now that the light summer days are behind us, and reflecting on how it continues to nurture us even in its coldest days. Perhaps that inspired our autumn feel of thankfulness.

Autumn is a beautiful season, a season where everything takes more earthy tones. The food becomes richer, the flavours deeper, the summer dried spices are ready to ground and the tubers are ready for roasting. Check out those pumpkins, those larger than life hard exteriors with fleshy interiors that only need a bit of warmth to soften up giving us the mushiest, sweetest and most vibrantly orange puree to use as we please. Unless we stop for a moment and really appreciate the gifts we are given, we won’t see the most beautiful and delicious creation ever, we only see another pumpkin pie!

This right here is an autumn classic, but it would have never become the classic that is, had no one ever stopped to give it this kind of attention.

Ingredients

Serves: 8
  • 1 small pumpkin,
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs, slightly beaten
  • 2 tsps DS Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix
  • 3/4 cup light cream
  • 1 recipe pie crust (on this link)

Preheat oven to 375F-190C.
Make your pie crust according to the recipe on the link above. Line your pie plate and blind bake the pastry until cooked through. Cool thoroughly.

For Filling
Roast the pumpkin until the flesh is very soft.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the roasted pumpkin flesh, sugar, cornstarch, DS Pumpkin Pie Spice Mix. Add eggs, beat lightly with a fork just until combined.

Gradually add light cream, and stir till all are combined.

Carefully pour filling on the cooled pastry shell. You can cover the edge of the pie with foil to prevent over browning.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the filling is set.

Cool on wire racks for 2 hours. Cover and refrigerate.

When ready to serve, thicken some cream. Top each slice with 1 tbsp thickened cream and serve.

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