The recipe that follows is my take on Libby’s and my mother’s pumpkin pie recipe. I encourage you to invite as many friends and family into the baking process as possible. Enjoy!
How to make the pumpkin puree
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut pumpkin in half, from top to bottom. Remove seeds and pulp.
Wrap pumpkin halves in aluminum foil and place face down on cookie sheet.
Bake for 1-1 1/2 hours, or until flesh “melts” away from the skin.
Remove from oven, let cool. Remove skin and cut into pieces.
Blend baked pumpkin pieces in a food processor until smooth.
How to make whole wheat pie crust
3 cups organic all-purpose flour
2 cups organic whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons organic sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons local salt
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 cup ice water
2 tbsp local honey
1 1/4 cups kefir (preferably homemade)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Whisk together dry ingredients. Whisk together the water, honey and kefir until smooth in another bowl.
Stir the kefir mixture into the flour until a crumbly dough forms. Do not overwork!
Roll out the dough to fit a nine-inch pie dish. Set aside. (Use any leftover dough to make miniature pies!)
Pumpkin pie
Pulp of one small baking pumpkin (three and a half to four cups of pumpkin puree)
unbaked whole wheat pie crust
3/4 cup organic sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt, preferably local
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 eggs, preferably local
2 cups milk (preferably local) or homemade kefir
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Combine dry ingredients in small bowl. Beat eggs lightly in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and the sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in kefir/milk. Pour into pie shell.
Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and continue to bake for 40 to 50 more minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for two hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate.