Classic Pumpkin Pie

This past Thanksgiving holiday marked a first for me--a homemade pie. I'm big into doing most things from scratch but when it came to pumpkin pie, I confess...I used canned puree like most of us as well as a frozen pie crust. I've turned a new leaf however, and it wasn't difficult. If you have a food processor it's a cinch. Seriously.

Buy a 4 lb sugar pumpkin. Cut in half and scoop out seeds, strings, etc. Place down on rimmed cookie sheet. Pour a cup of water onto the sheet. Roast on 350 for 90 minutes. Scoop out baked pumpkin and puree in a processor. Hands on time was about 5 minutes total. You have yourself the homemade equivalent of a can of Libbys.

Click here for the full Classic Pumpkin Pie recipe.

Thanks to the inspiration of my friend Tamara, I made a homemade pie crust too. Again, something I was always intimidated by before I realized how easy it was to make. It's a good lesson for me to learn.

Click here for the pie crust/ pate brisee recipe.

Next time I will not serve my pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving. Instead, I will chill it in the fridge and serve it for breakfast the next morning since that is the way I like to eat it anyway and I know I'm not the only one! Let's be honest with ourselves, it's so much better this way :)