My birthday is November 23rd - it’s always been fairly inseparable from Thanksgiving - often falling on the same day (Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday of November, so the dates rotate).  I never really liked cake growing up, but I absolutely loved pumpkin pie.  So since pumpkin pie was a necessary component of Thanksgiving for our family, when I was younger I had the bright idea that we could just make one more pie for my birthday, to replace cake.  My extra special birthday breakfast was pumpkin pie, followed by pumpkin pie for lunch (with leftover cranberries, stuffing, and potatoes), and pumpkin pie for dinner’s dessert.

This year I brought my own pumpkin!  It’s approximately 25-30 lbs., pretty and orange.  Last night we went out to eat, so today my mom and I made pumpkin pie with fresh pumpkin from the garden.  Wow.  The best pumpkin pie I’ve ever had.  Usually we make it with canned pumpkin, but this was lighter, creamier, and tastier.  Wow.

Pie Filling.

(Adapted from a recipe on Cooks.com)

4 c fresh pumpkin

3 c evaporated milk

1/2 c brown sugar

1 c white sugar

1 t salt

2 t cinnamon

1 t ginger

1/2 t nutmeg (or allspice)

1/4 t cloves

4 eggs, slightly beaten

Pic:  Mom tackling the pumpkin

1. 1.Wash the pumpkin, remove all seeds and stringy pulp, and cut into medium-sized pieces.
   

2. 2.Bake on a cookie sheet at 400 degrees for 30 mins, or until pumpkin is tender.
   

3. 3.Scrape the meaty pulp from the rind, and puree it in a blender (a fork, food processor, or mixer would also work).
   

4. 4.Let stand 1-1/2 hours.  Drain into a colander.
   

Pic:  Mom and I removing the seeds.

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5. 5.Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
   

6. 6.Mix 4 c fresh pumpkin puree with the rest of the ingredients.  If you’re not using pie pumpkins, you may want to add an extra 1/4 c sugar (we did and it was perfect).  Pour into two pie shells.
   

7. 7.Bake 15 minutes at 425 degrees, then reduce heat to 350 degrees.  Bake another 45 minutes or until done (when inserted knife comes out clean).
   

Pic:  Best pumpkin pie I’ve ever had.

Pie Shell.

2.5 c all-purpose flour

1 c unsalted butter, cut into 1/2” cubes

1 t salt

1 t sugar

3-6 T cold water

1. 1.Place butter in the freezer for 15 min so that it becomes thoroughly chilled.
   

2. 2.Combine flour, salt, and sugar into a bowl and mix.  Add butter and mix until the mixture resembles coarse meal, with butter the size of peas.  Add water 1 T at a time, mixing and adding additional water until it just begins to clump together.  (You should be able to pinch the dough and it will hold together.)
   

3. 3.Remove dough and place on a clean, floured surface.  Divide the dough in two.  Gently knead the dough just enough to form a round disk, being careful not to over knead (you should still be able to see small bits of butter in the dough).  Lightly sprinkle flour over the dough, wrap in plastic wrap or some other airtight covering, and refrigerate for at least one hour (up to 2 days).
   

4. 4.Remove dough one at a time from refrigerator, letting it sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes.  On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 12-inch circle.  It should be about 1/8” thick.
   

5. 5.Carefully place the dough into a 9” pie pan, molding it along the edges so that it comes within 1/2” of the pie pan.
   

6. 6.Add filling.
   

7. 7.Repeat steps 4-6 for second pie.
   

Pic:  Served with fresh whipped cream.