Beyond the Book: Pumpkin Pie

Happy Thanksgiving to you all! Yes, I know it isn't Thanksgiving yet, but I've already started thinking about my menu so this seemed like a good time to share recipes.

My menu doesn’t vary too much from year to year. We always have turkey with all the trimmings, including some homemade gravy and cranberry sauce. I have a broccoli casserole that I always make for my grandson, an orange pineapple salad that people love, green beans, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and anything else someone might request. The star of the whole show as far as I’m concerned is the pumpkin pie.

I’ve been making this recipe for thirty-five years, and everyone always goes back for seconds. I got the recipe from a little cookbook that came in our local newspaper. The paper ran a cooking contest one year, and this pie was in that cookbook.  It would be my pleasure to share this recipe with you. If you don’t have a special recipe yourself, you might want to try it.  I promise people will love it.

Praline Pumpkin Pie

1 16 oz. can pumpkin

1 1/3 cups evaporated milk, undiluted

1/3 cup honey

½ cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (may substitute allspice if you wish)

In a large bowl mix pumpkin, milk, honey, sugar, eggs and pumpkin pie spice with a wire whisk until smooth. Pour into unbaked 10 inch pie shell. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Bake pie 15 minutes. Reduce oven to 350 degrees. Bake 35 minutes or until knife inserted comes out clean. Cool on rack and chill

Praline Topping:

¼ cup sugar

½ tsp allspice

¼ cup pecans

2 T. water

In a small saucepan cook all the ingredients until golden brown. Pour onto greased foil. Cool. Chop.

Spread Cool Whip over the pie and top with the chopped pralines.

Notes:

I always double the praline recipe. 

If you like you can go a step further and make a real whipped cream topping. Here’s the recipe for that.

Whipped Cream Topping

1 tsp. unflavored gelatin

½ cup dark rum or praline liqueur

1 cup whipping cream

¼ cup confectioner’s sugar

In a small saucepan sprinkle 1 tsp. gelatin over the rum. Heat to dissolve gelatin. Cool. In another bowl combine 1 cup cream, ¼ cup confectioner’s sugar, and rum mixture. Beat until stiff peaks form. Chill. Before using stir until fluffy. Spoon onto center of chilled pie and sprinkle with praline topping. 

What about all of you? Do you have a favorite Thanksgiving recipe?