Recipe Box: Pumpkin Pie For Thanksgiving

I have always loved the idea of Thanksgiving and wished I could live in America to be a part of the celebrations. Apparently it is making its way over the pond, which in some ways I think is great- we certainly need to be a little more thankful for what we have in this country. On the other hand I think it is a little odd as it is not exactly our history, but that of America, so why are we taking yet another tradition from them? But then saying that, it was the British that set sail and landed on the American shores all those years ago, so perhaps it is indeed our heritage. Who knows?

Either way I am excited by it! I love Autumn and so to be able to make an occasion out of it, have the family around to have a big meal and be thankful is definitely something positive in my eyes.

One of the traditional dishes served up on Thanksgiving is pumpkin pie- not something I have tried before but definitely something I have wanted to try for the longest time. A couple of weeks ago I had a lovely meeting with a local business woman- Emma from Cookery Eatery. She runs cooking classes for young children in Hertfordshire, something we are going to try in the new year so keep an eye out for that! She gave me a tin of pumpkin puree made in the US by Libby’s. I cannot tell you how excited I was- finally an excuse to make pumpkin pie!

I have never heard of pumpkin puree and assumed you could only get it online but actually I found out you can get it in Waitrose – so you can have a go at making it yourself too! It is such an easy recipe and Emma told me that the recipe on the back of the tin is renowned for being the best and is used by Americans the world over.

To make your own you need some shortcrust pastry- I bought mine as I was short of time but wished I had made my own as it is never quite the same. Roll it out and blind bake for 10 mins on 220ºC while you mix everything else together in a mixing bowl. Do you love mine? Funny how a little personalisation makes something so ordinary so special!

Combine all of the ingredients until you have a smooth mixture. Pour this into the pastry case and bake on 180ºC for 40 mins or until a knife comes out clean. Leave it to cool and serve! I served mine with a dollop of double cream and it was delicious!

Whether we take on the traditions of Thanksgiving or not over the coming years, pumpkin pie will definitely be something I make again and again for years to come.

Want to give it a go yourself? Here is everything you need:

9oz shortcrust pastry

2 eggs

1 can of Libby’s Pumpkin Puree

6oz granulated sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/2 pint Carnation Evaporated Milk

If you do have a go at making it I would love to see the finished result! Share a picture on my Facebook Page or Tweet me! Enjoy!