Pumpkin Pie

Can I just say, I have always wanted a picture like this? My hands working on something and in this sort of warm lighting. I thank my sister for taking it for me as I worked on the pie crust.

When I was deciding on the dessert for Thanksgiving dinner, I chose to make something healthy as I thought my parents didn't need more unhealthy food than the rest of the dinner already included. It was sweet potato versus pumpkin for dessert flavors and since I found a recipe for Sweet Potato Biscuits, I settled on Pumpkin Pie. I've never actually had pumpkin pie before so I don't know what it's really supposed to taste like, but I didn't think this was too bad. I would keep the filling as it is. It has a clean pumpkin flavor with a light texture. But I would go for a different crust. It's quite weird to work with and while it is flaky, the taste that crusts should have was not there. If you do decide to use this crust, pre-bake it. The directions did not say so and so I didn't, but it'd be better if you did.

  

Healthified Pumpkin Pie
From Eat Better America

- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 3 to 4 tbsp skim milk

- 3 egg whites or 1/2 cup fat-free egg product
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice*
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 15 oz pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
- 12 oz evaporated fat-free milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla

1. Heat oven to 425F. In medium bowl, mix flour, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt and the oil with fork until well mixed. Stir in milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with fork until all flour is moistened and pastry almost leaves side of bowl. Shape pastry into a ball, using your hands. Press pastry in bottom and up side of 9-inch glass pie plate; flute as desired or press pastry to top edge of pie plate with fingers or fork.
2. In medium bowl, beat egg whites slightly with wire whisk or egg beater. Beat in 1/2 cup sugar, pumpkin pie spice, 1/8 tsp salt, pumpkin, evaporated fat-free milk, and vanilla. Pour filling into pastry-lined pie plate; carefully place on oven rack. Bake 15 minutes.
3. Reduce oven temperature to 350F. Cover edge of pie crust with 2- to 3-inch strip of foil to prevent excessive browning. Bake about 45 minutes longer or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
4. Cool on cooling rack at least 1 hour before serving. After cooling, pie can remain at room temperature up to an additional 5 hours, then should be covered and refrigerated.

*If you don't have pumpkin pie spice, you probably already have most of the spices in your pantry, so just mix together the following: 4 tbsp ground cinnamon, 4 tsp ground nutmeg, 4 tsp ground ginger, 3 tsp ground allspice. Yields 8 tbsp.



This is also proof that our oven is crooked because one side had more filling than the other. I also didn't put foil around the edges so the filling caramelized.