KOSHER PUMPKIN PIE

Pie is a mental state. Pie is a way of life.

One of my correspondents reacted to my previous posting of a pumpkin pie recipe by sending me something entitled "Kosher Pumpkin Pie".

[Previous pumpkin pie recipe here: http://atthebackofthehill.blogspot.com/2007/11/take-that-pumpkin-and.html ]


KOSHER PUMPKIN PIE

Two cups pumpkin puree.
One and a half cups milk.
Half a cup heavy whipping cream.
3 eggs.
1 egg yolk.
Half a cup white sugar.
Half a cup packed brown sugar.
One teaspoon salt.
One teaspoon ground cinnamon.
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg.
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger.
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves.

A nine inch pie shell.


Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Combine eggs, egg yolk, white sugar, and brown sugar. Add salt and spices, stir in milk and cream. Add the pumpkin puree and mix well. Pour filling into the pie shell. Bake for ten minutes in preheated oven. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and bake for 45 minutes more, until the filling is set.


I am at a loss to explain what makes this recipe kosher above all others. Perhaps it is the pie shell...... In which case I would suggest carefully scrutinizing the list of ingredients on the box if that is a concern.

A good Chinatown bakery would use lard in their pie crusts and pastries, because it contributes much flavour and flakiness. This practice is not uncommon, and animal shortening is traditional in pie-crusts. Vegetable shortening does not have quite the luscious effect.
Additionally, the American food industry is not particularly aware of kashrus, and consequently a ready-to-use crust may have some ingredients which are not, strictly speaking, edible.
Some commercial pie-crusts also have a cocktail of chemical additives to prevent spoilage and cracking, besides tasting like industrial packing material.

But you can make your own. It is not difficult.


PIE CRUST
[for a nine-inch pie dish.]

One cup all purpose flour.
One Tbs sugar.
Half a teaspoon salt.
Half a cup (one stick) butter.
Two Tbs oil.
Three to four TBS ice water.

Sift flour, sugar, salt together. Cut in butter, and then mix in oil. It should be crumbly and somewhat sandy between the fingers. Add the water in sprinkles and fold over, spread out, refold. Do not overwork - when the dough sticks together, roll it into a flattish ball, dust with a little extra flour, cover with plastic wrap over the top and around the sides so that no air comes between the ball and the mixing bowl, and refrigerate it for an hour.

To roll the dough out, decant the ball onto a generously flour-dusted surface and work the rolling-pin over in an even circular motion till you have a disc around eleven inches across. Press into a buttered and floured pie dish, trim or fork edges as needed. Refrigerate for another hour at this point.

To prebake the crust for a pumpkin (or other wet-filled) pie, line the chilled pastry with tin foil (or parchment paper), and weigh this down with dried beans. Bake for twenty minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven, slide out the foil and beans, and bake for another ten minutes more.

Let it cool completely before pouring in the filling and proceeding with the pumpkin pie. You should probably brush a little water around the exposed edge of the pastry to keep it from darkening or drying out too much while baking.



Note regarding pumpkin puree: Seed a pumpkin, pare off the rind, cut the pumpkin into large chunks, and place on an oiled baking sheet.
Cover with foil and roast at 350°F for one hour or until tender enough to mash.
When mashing, a little butter may be added for flavour - do not overdo it. Keeps for a fortnight in a sealed container in the refrigerator.