PUMPKIN is not only versatile and tasty; it is good for you as well. Some physicians and nutritionists have identified pumpkin as a “super food,” meaning that it is packed with rich phytonutrients that help protect the body and make for a healthier life. Steven Pratt, MD, author of the book "SuperFoods Rx: Fourteen Foods that Will Change Your Life", includes pumpkin on his short list of nutrient-packed foods, noting that it is particularly helpful in protecting the skin from the damages of sunlight. Therefore, a more youthful glow may be a side-benefit of incorporating pumpkin into your diet.
Did You Know?
Pumpkins have always been an American staple food as illustrated in this anonymous early New England verse:
For pottage, and puddings, and custards, and pies.
Our pumpkins and parsnips are common supplies.
We have pumpkins at morning and pumpkins at noon;
If it were not for pumpkins, we should be undoon.
The world's largest pumpkin pie was made in New Bremen, Ohio, at the New Bremen Pumpkinfest. It was created on September 25, 2010. The pie consisted of 1,212 pounds of canned pumpkin, 109 gallons of evaporated milk, 2,796 eggs, 7 pounds of salt, 14.5 pounds of cinnamon, and 525 pounds of sugar. The final pie weighed 3,699 pounds (1,678 kg) and measured 20 feet (6 m) in diameter.
This easy pumpkin pie recipe is a favorite to the pie lovers for its taste (decadently delicious), while the pie bakers love it for its recipe (easy as, well, pie). This healthier version uses sugar substitute and fat-free evaporated milk to keep the flavor without all of the calories.
Makes 8 servings
INGREDIENTS:
2 fresh eggs
One 15-ounce canned pumpkin
1/2 cup sugar substitute, such as Diabeti Sweet or Splenda
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
One 12-ounce can fat-free evaporated milk
One 9-inch frozen piecrust or Perfect
Piecrust (please refer to recipe below)
BAKING PROCEDURE:
1) Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2) In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin, sugar substitute, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, salt, and evaporated milk. Pour into the piecrust.
3) Bake on a baking sheet for fifteen minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean, about 40 minutes more.
Related Recipe: How to Make Homemade Honey Marshmallows- Awesome Classic Recipes
Patti Labelle's Quick Tips:
Be sure that you use a sugar substitute that specifies that it can be used for cooking and baking. Many cannot stand up to the heat! And before opening the can of evaporated milk, give it a quick shake to mix in the thickened milk that settles on the bottom of the can.
Diet Exchanges: 2 starches, 2 fats, or 2 carbohydrate choices
How Many Calories in a Slice of Pumpkin Pie?
Per serving: 230 calories, 9 g protein, 28 g carbohydrate, 9 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 60 mg cholesterol, 2 g dietary fiber, 310 mg sodium
Patti Labelle's Perfect Piecrust Recipe
Making a crust from scratch is not that hard, and the result is so satisfying that you can keep a batch in your freezer. Sometimes, not often but sometimes, only a homemade piecrust will do. Most times, however, it is best (and so much easier!) to use frozen piecrust. That is because commercial machines can roll a piecrust much thinner than human hands ever could, I do not care how skilled a baker a person may be. And the thinner the piecrust, the lower it is in fat and calories. Cookbook author and recipe developer David Joachim shared this recipe to Patti. According to Patti, this is the best piecrust she ever tasted.
Makes 8 servings
INGREDIENTS:
1- 1/2cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cold butter-flavored vegetable shortening
1/4 cup cold reduced-fat cream cheese
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 cup ice water
PREPARATION PROCEDURE:
1) In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt. Using a pastry blender or fork, quickly cut in the shortening and cream cheese until the mixture resembles coarse meal.
2) In a cup, combine the lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of the ice water. Mix into the dough just until moist. Mix in just enough remaining ice water so that the dough can be shaped into a ball. Gather the dough into a ball and flatten it into a disk in the bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour, or up to 8 hours.
3) Preheat the oven to 400°F.
4) Roll the dough between sheets of lightly floured waxed or parchment paper, into a 12-inch circle. Remove the top sheet and carefully invert the dough into the center of a 9-inch pie pan. Remove the remaining sheet of paper and carefully fit the dough into the pan without stretching it.
5) Crimp the edges with your fingers or a fork and prick the bottom of the crust with a fork to prevent bubbling.
6) Line the inside of the crust with heavy foil. Bake on a baking sheet for 7 minutes.
7) Remove the foil and bake until lightly golden, about 7 minutes more. Cool on a rack.
Option: To make a Perfect Nut Crust, stir 2 tablespoons finely ground almonds or walnuts into the flour and salt.
Patti’s Quick Baking Pointers:
The secret of a tender, flaky piecrust is not to over mix the dough once the water is added. It is one of those recipes with a few simple ingredients that must be put together with great care. There are two secrets to a tender, flaky piecrust. The first is to handle the dough as little as possible. The second is to keep everything cold. Especially the fat. Cold fat in a hot oven creates steam, which puffs apart the layers in the crust and makes flaky pastry. If the fat warms up before it gets to the oven, it melts and gets absorbed by the flour, creating a tough crust.
If you make a pie dough on a hot day, chill all your ingredients and equipment in the refrigerator. If the dough warms up and gets sticky as you work, pop it back in the fridge for 20 minutes before continuing.
Perfect Piecrust Calorie Count:
Per Serving: 160 calories, 3 g protein, 19 g carbohydrate, 8 g fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, less than 1 g dietary fiber, 25 mg sodium
Diet Exchanges: 1 starch, 1- 1/2 fats, or 1 carbohydrate choice
Try this easy recipe next time from a award winning chef, Vanilla Panna Cotta -Marcus Wareing Recipes
References:
Patti Labelle. 1999. LaBelle Cuisine: Recipes to Sing About. Clarkson Potter. ISBN-10: 0767903145
Patti Labelle. 2004. Patti Labelle's Lite Cuisine. Gotham. ISBN-10: 159240085X
Watch Baking Videos:
1) Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie | Thanksgiving Recipe | Jon Rotherham
2) How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Pie from Scratch
3) How to Make Pumpkin Puree (if you plan not to use canned pumpkin in making your pie)
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