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Quick & EasyBy Beverly Barbour
Give thanks for pumpkin pieWe must give thanks to the inventive cook who decided that the big orange vegetable growing out there in the corn patch could be baked into a pie. She was a culinary genius equaled only by the person who first dared to cook and eat a lobster. Even after a big Thanksgiving dinner we always manage to pay homage to the lowly pumpkin by turning it into pie and then, alas, we don't taste pumpkin pie again until a year later. This fact has nothing whatsoever to do with the pumpkin pie itself--it is just the fate of fat pumpkins to be ready, willing and able to jump into a pie crust come November. With regard to the member of the squash family that we refer to as pumpkin; you can use cooked fresh pumpkin if you want to but most of us find canned pumpkin to be just as good and a lot easier to work with than the pumpkins that have been laying around in the sun. Fortunately, pumpkin pies come in many very interesting variations so you don't have to settle for the recipe on the pumpkin can (although that is tried, true and good). Here are some ways of bringing the annual pumpkin pie to the holiday table wearing a new dress. Pumpkin Streusel Pie This pie comes with a streusel topping and if you wish you can cut leaves from leftover pastry dough to decorate the center and the edges. If you arrange a few pastry leaves in the center you can put a few fresh bright cranberries in the center as well. Add the cranberries about 10 minutes before you take the pie from the oven. Makes 10 to 12 servings. 1/2 cup granulated sugar
Move rack to bottom of oven and preheat to 375 F. Mix together granulated sugar, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and ginger. Add pumpkin, milk and eggs; whisk until well blended. Pour mixture into unbaked 10-inch pastry lined pie pan. Sprinkle walnut streusel evenly over filling. Bake until center barely jiggles when pan is gently shaken, 35 to 40 minutes. Set on rack until cool to touch, about 2 hours. Walnut Streusel Topping Can be used for pies, bars, cakes, muffins and coffeecakes. Makes 2 cups. 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
Mix together until crumbly but well combined. Store any extra in air-tight container in the refrigerator. Decadent Whipped Cream Pumpkin Pie Light as a feather and loaded with delicious calories. Makes 6 to 8 servings. 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
Dissolve gelatin in cold water; set aside. Combine pumpkin with salt, spices and brown sugar; stir in milk until smooth. Stir in pumpkin and vanilla and then heat in a double boiler. Remove from heat and stir in the dissolved gelatin and vanilla. Let mixture cool. When it starts to thicken stir in the nuts. Whip cream well and fold in the slightly thickened gelatin/pumpkin mixture. Pour into pastry shell and chill. Serve with dollops of whipped cream perhaps topped with candied cranberries if any such colorful fruits are rolling around in your kitchen. No-Crust Pumpkin and Coconut Pie This quickly thrown together pie forms its own crust. The coconut becomes a topping and the center a delicious custard. Makes 2 pies--12 to 16 servings. 4 eggs
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease two 9-inch pie pans. Beat together eggs, butter and vanilla. In a bowl stir together flour, sugar and spices; gradually add flour mixture to the egg mixture. Beat together pumpkin and milk and then gently combine with egg mixture and coconut. Pour into greased pie pans. Bake about 50 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let us give thanks for the good things life has given us.
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