Recipe - Pumpkin Pie

Recipe for Pumpkin Pie

There are tons of recipes for pumpkin pie.  There's nothing too far off about this one.  It's a combination of other recipes I've worked with along the way.  I make the pie crust from scratch, but use canned pumpkin.  It's heavy in spices unlike most store bought bland beyond belief pies.

One thing I've learned over the years is the term Season to Taste. It's important to remember when cooking.  If you don't like the recipe the way it is, you are free to change it.  If you don't like the idea of allspice, you can remove it or substitute.  If you don't like ginger, don't add it.

WARNING: There are vastly different qualities of spices. If you get a cheap bargain brand cinnamon and nutmeg, you may want to add a little extra unless you hate flavor. If you get a high quality Saigon cinnamon, you can always cut the amount you add.  Up to you.

Note on spices:  I usually dump in more than I have written down here, but that's just me.

I bake my pies in glass pie pans because I believe it cooks them the most evenly and doesn't interfere with the flavor.

Pie Crust
I made the recipe for pie crust a separate blog post.  You can find it here: http://ryallon.blogspot.com/2017/12/recipe-pie-crust.html

Pie filling Ingredients
(This is for a single pie, I usually double to make 2 pies)

1. Pumpkin: 15oz or 16oz can (alternatively, you can scrape out and puree a real pumpkin if you're a purist or a masochist)
2. Sugar: 2/3 cup
3. Cinnamon: 1tbsp
4. Nutmeg: 1tsp
5. Ginger: 1/2tsp
6. Cloves: 1/4tsp
7. Allspice: 1/4tsp
8. Pumpkin Pie spice: 1tbsp (Okay, let's be honest here. Pumpkin pie spice is literally all of the above spices in one.  There is absolutely no reason you can't do just pumpkin pie spice, or just the other ingredients. It is redundant to use both.  However, I use both and my pies are awesome, so nyah.)
9. Eggs: 2 large
10. Evaporated Milk: 1 can

Directions 

0. Preheat oven to 400º
1. Combine pumpkin, sugar and spices in a separate bowl.
2. Beat eggs in your primary bowl
3. Fold in pumpkin/spice mix and then beat with a whisk until mixed.
4. Gradually stir in evaporated milk until you have a creamy mix.
5. Pour into pie crust.
6. Cover edges with tinfoil to prevent burning of crust and outer filling.

7. Bake in 400º oven for 50 minutes.
8. Remove foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.


Happy eating!

John H. Carroll

Recipe - Pie Crust

Recipe for Pie Crust

There are countless recipes for pie crust.  This one is a slight alteration of the one my mother taught me.   I always make pie crust from scratch.  They taste so much better than anything you can buy from the store.

NOTE: I bake my pies in glass pie pans because I believe it cooks them the most evenly and doesn't interfere with the flavor.

Pie Crust
This is for a single pie crust, I usually double to make 2 pies.  Also, If you have a pie with crust on the top, or latticework crust, double this for 1 pie.

Ingredients

Flour: 2 cups
Salt: 1tsp
Shortening: 1/2 cup
Unsalted Butter: 1/4 cup
(You can do all shortening or all butter, or you can switch the ratios from above.  I like the consistency that shortening adds, but I like the buttery taste.  I've found a combination works best for me.)
Cold Water: 5tbsp

Directions
30 minutes by hand, or 15 minutes with a Kitchenaid mixer

1. Mix flour & salt.
2. Cut in shortening until pea size. (A Merlot 7qt Kitchenaid Chef's Catalog Special
Edition Mixer purchased for $35 at a warehouse sale makes this far easier than using a pair of butter knives. (It's okay to hate me now.))
3. Sprinkle water in 1tbsp at a time.
4. Toss lightly with fork and form dough into a ball.
5. Dust clean surface with flour, flatten dough into pancake shape. Then roll with rolling pin until proper size for pie pan.
6. Roll pie crust onto rolling pin. Place pie pan underneath and unroll crust over pie pan.  Lift edges while gently pushing into bottom corner of pie pan with fingers.
7. Trim edge until a inch of crust is left all the way around.  Fold edge of crust under to create a ridge around the top of the pan.
8. Scallop the edges, using two fingers of each hand next to each other and thumbs in between.  Go around the edge.
9. Add whichever pie filling you like and you're good to go!

Picture of the gorgeous 7qt Merlot Kitchenaid.

Happy eating!

John H. Carroll

Recipe - Thick Chili

Recipe for thick chili

This is a recipe that's excellent for Frito pies and chili dogs.  My family loves eating it on spaghetti, which is surprisingly delicious.  You can eat it just the way it is too.

I've taken recipes from multiple sources, my mother, my brother, my mother in law, and refined them into a combination I really like.  When I was growing up, we would have chili every Christmas Eve, so making it and eating it brings back fond memories for me.

One thing I've learned over the years is the term Season to Taste. It's important to remember when cooking.  If you don't like the recipe the way it is, you are free to change it.  If you don't like the idea of minced jalepeno, you can remove it or substitute.  If you don't like garlic, don't add it, you heathen.  Green and red peppers are an excellent option too.

WARNING: There are vastly different qualities of chili powder out there. If you get a cheap bargain brand, you may want to add a little extra unless you hate anything even remotely spicy. If you get a high quality chili powder made with exotic chilies, you can always cut the amount you add . . . unless you like your face turning red and tears running down your cheeks.  Up to you.

Ingredients
(May be cut in half or doubled for your needs.  May also be frozen if needed)

90% Ground Hamburger, or Vegetarian Substitute: 2lbs
Ranch Style Beans: 4 cans - 1 with jalapenos    
Stewed Tomatoes: (I prefer the fire roasted version by Hunts)
Chopped Onion: 1 ea

1/2 green and 1/2 red bell pepper
Minced Garlic: 1 clove or 1tbsp
Minced Jalapeno: 1 small jalapeno (optional)
Chopped Green Onion: 3 stalks (do not saute with other veggies)
Worcestershire Sauce: 3 tbsp
A-1: 3tbsp
Water: 1/2 cup
Chili Powder: 3tbsp
Cumin: 2tbsp
Onion Powder: 1tbsp
Garlic Powder: 1tbsp

Directions 

1. Put Hamburger/Substitute in pot on medium high.
2. Immediately add Onions, Garlic, Jalapeno to cook with hamburger.
3. Once hamburger is browned, add beans and crushed tomato. At this time, I add the water, but I put the water in the cans and swirl it around to get all the juices out before adding it to the mix.
4. Add seasonings (Adjust to taste as you prefer), Worcestershire Sauce and A-1
5. Cook on medium heat for 1/2 hour
6. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1-2 hours.

Note:  My family is horrible at waiting until it's done because of how amazing the aroma is.  Technically you can eat after the first 1/2 hour, but chili is better and more flavorful if it's left to simmer.

These are the beans and tomatoes I use.

  

Happy eating!

John H. Carroll

Half version:

Ground Hamburger, or Vegetarian Substitute: 1lbs
Ranch Style Beans: 2 cans
Stewed Tomatoes: (I prefer the fire roasted version by Hunts)
Chopped Onion: 1/2 ea
Minced Garlic: 1 clove or 1tbsp
Minced Jalapeno: 1 small jalapeno (optional)
Chopped Green Onion: 3 stalks (do not saute with other veggies)
Worcestershire Sauce: 2 tbsp
A-1: 2tbsp
Water: 1/4 cup
Chili Powder: 1tbsp
Cumin: 1tbsp
Onion Powder: 1/2tbsp
Garlic Powder: 1/2tbsp