Pumpkin Pie recipe

If you are a winter squash lover, I highly recommend the lacto-vegetarian version of this pie introduced to me by Jay Dunbar, one of the teachers at Magic Tortoise Taijiquan School.  It is delicious!  The original version is probably good as well, but may not be as pumpkiny.

Margaret Dunbar's Pumpkin Pie

4-5 cups of dense well-drained pumpkin pulp (NOT from can... must be fresh or frozen pulp!!)

1 cup milk

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 Tbsp melted butter

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp cinnamon

a little salt (<1/2 tsp)

I substitute a 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk for the milk and sugar, and for a lacto-vegetarian pie, I substitute 7 tsp of Ener-G Egg Replacer for the eggs.

If using eggs, beat first, then add pumpkin and the rest of the ingredients. I use a food processor, as it de-strings the pulp, and makes the filling smooth and "fluffier." Pour in pre-baked* pie crust (see below), grate fresh nutmeg over the top, and bake at 325° for 35 minutes or so (my mother says, "till a silver knife comes out clean).

Simple Pie Crust

2 cups White Pastry Flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup safflower oil

1/4 cup + 1 Tbsp ice water

Sift or whisk salt into flour. Add water to the oil and beat with a fork till smooth and creamy. Dump liquid into flour and mix with fork. Form into a ball. Roll between 4 sheets of wax paper (two above, two below). (My mother used to make two crusts out of this... must have been for a small pie dish. For my larger pie dish I use the whole recipe for one bottom crust.)

Turn pastry into pie dish, form edge by folding excess into a rim and pinching between fingers. Puncture across bottom and around sides with a fork and *bake in 325° oven for 10 minutes.

And there you have it!

Jay