A warm apple (or pumpkin) pie!

Have you ever been homesick and had a craving of something so bad, you just had to have it? Well, last year in 06, my friend from Jersey, I. and I really really really wanted pumpkin pie around Thanksgiving time. Now, in my house growing up, we never did much for Thanksgiving, but every year we watched the Macy's parade, and at night had pumpkin pie. So that year we looked for canned pumpkin, pie crust, condensed milk - and nada. So we gave up.
This past thanksgiving, I was not about to give up in the least - if I had to grow the pumpkin myself I would. So I looked up so many pumpkin pie recipes and combined them and edited them and made substitutions and finally got it right. I made three pumpkin pies in 07 - two of which, I am not sad to say, I ate alllll by myself over the course of a week per pie. There was no sharing of those, no sir!!

***TRICK*** --->I've found that its better to make pie ahead of time, like 5 hours before or even the day before and just warm it up, because the pie comes out more solid with time and is easier to serve as actual pie slices. (Kind of like Lasagna)

So here is the crust recipe (can use for any pie):
1.5 cup all purpose flour (wheat,if you want it healthier)
1/3 cup COLD water
3/4 cup Butter,softened but not liquid (or margarine, which I use)

Mix flour and butter together first by hand, until mostly evenly mixed ,add water bit by bit until dough starts to make small clumps. I tend to roll it out between two pieces of wax paper into a roughly circular shape, about as thick as a pencil. Arrange into pie pan, in a pinch a 9" circular cake pan works about as well.

Filling recipe:

1 Pie pumpkin --- or 3 cups canned pumpkin or cooked and blended fresh pumpkin or butternut squash (DID YOU KNOW - that the canned "pumpkin" they sell in stores for pumpkin pie is many times butter nut squash, because they are easier to handle than pumpkins, but taste the same?)

1 cup sugar - may need more if using canned, not sure b/c I've only done it from scratch
1 cups of cooking cream (heavy or light cream), or some like buttermilk
2 tsp ground cinnamon
10 cloves,ground down to powder
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger (optional)
4 eggs
salt to taste



For this you need a pie pumpkin, which are those small pumpkins about the size of a tin can. Take a large serrated knife, cut out the top and scoop out all the insides. Keep the seeds to roast if you want. Then cut the pumpkin into eighths, and put in pot of water at a rolling boil. (Using a non stick pot is highly useful)/ Let them boil, until the pulp turns dark orange and is mostly soft. Make sure pumpkin is covered with water at all times.

Blend all of the above in the blender until smooth and pour in pie crust. It is liquid now, but it will harden in the oven. ( I know, it bugged me too).

Bake at 200*C for 10-15 min, then turn heat down to 175*C for 45min or until you can stick in a butter knife in center and it comes out clean. ENJOY!!!

FOR APPLE PIE...The american classic.

Make the crust like above, but make it double, one for the bottom crust and one to cover the top.

Filling:

3-4 Large apples (More if they're smaller - its always better to cut too many than too little, you just want to be able to fill the crust)
- peel, core, and cut them into cubes

1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon (though I really tend to add more - I Like Cinnamon!)
3-4 ground cloves (optional)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar

Mix last 5 items together in large bowl and add apple peices - Mix until apple pieces are evenly coated with mixture. Pour into pie crust. Put small dots of butter/margarine around the surface and then top it w/ the 2nd crust. Score slits into the top crust for air to escape.

Bake at 210*c for 40- 60 min or until juice begins to bubble through slits and crust is golden brown(Bake on middle or lower oven rack, so as to prevent too much browning of top crust)

Hope you like it!!