The Spooky History Of Pumpkins & A Recipe For Turning Them Into Pumpkin Pie
As we leave the summer firmly behind us, we can now welcome in the cozy Fall season.
It’s not just about getting out those warm sweaters, lighting all the candles, and kicking orange and red leaves about in an autumnal frolick a spring lamb would be proud of — it’s also time for Halloween!
Halloween, or Samhain to some, rather cheerfully coincides with the ripening of beautiful pumpkins, squashes, and gourds of all shapes, sizes, and hues.
You think of Halloween or Fall and you automatically think of big, beautiful orange pumpkins carved into jack o’ lanterns, you think of fragrant and creamy pumpkin spice lattés, and you definitely think of pumpkin pie.
In this article we will talk you through the cultivation history of the pumpkin, how they became synonymous with spooky season, and then we will finish with an easy yet delicious pumpkin pie recipe that will see you through from Halloween to Thanksgiving.
Pumpkin Origins
Pumpkins were first grown as a crop around 10,000 years ago in Mesoamerica near to where modern day Mexico is.
Through time they have been eaten as a staple food by ancient civilizations in North America. Native Americans made great use of them, eating their flesh and seeds, and making domestic items such as mats woven from the fibers found inside the large fruit.
After North America was discovered by European explorers in the 15th century pumpkins began to be introduced to Europe and gradually became part of the diet by the 19th century.
Halloween
Carving pumpkins into scary jack o’lanterns is a relatively new tradition, which was introduced to America by Irish immigrants during the 19th century.
Halloween or Samhain is said to be a time where the veil between the living and the spirit worlds is at its thinnest and is when the Irish carved scary faces into turnips before placing a candle inside to ward off a particularly miserable spirit named Stingy Jack.
Stingy Jack is an Irish folklore character who was said to be a drunkard who was tight with his money, hence the stingy part of his name. Jack tricked the Devil in various ways, including persuading the Devil to turn himself into a coin before trapping him in his pocket and trapping him up an apple tree.
Throughout these escapades the devil drove several bargains with Jack to free himself, culminating in him promising to never claim his soul in Hell.
Jack must have thought he had won a marvelous victory but his miserable act actually had consequences Jack didn’t foresee.
The Devil kept his word and wouldn't let him into Hell when Jack died, but Jack being who he was, also wasn’t accepted into Heaven either. This meant he was condemned to wander the Earth as a restless spirit for eternity with just a single burning coal held inside a carved out turnip to light his way.
A tale of caution indeed!
The Irish people who had settled in America soon discovered that pumpkins were much easier to carve than turnips and the rest, as they say, is history with the trend eventually spreading across the world and into the tradition as it is today.
Pumpkin Pie Recipe
A buttery pie crust filled with a silky and delicately spiced pumpkin filling is just the seasonal treat you need at Halloween or Thanksgiving.
Pumpkin pie can also be made with the equally delicious butternut squash in exactly the same way and really celebrates this vibrant seasonal glut.
Ingredients
Pie crust:
285g Flour
25g Ground almonds (almond flour)
175g Butter
75g Icing sugar (powdered sugar)
1 Egg yolk
3 tbs Milk
Pumpkin filling:
750g Pumpkin (cooked, blended, and cooled)
135g Caster sugar
2 Eggs (beaten)
25g Butter (melted)
100ml Milk
75ml Cream
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
A few rasps of freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of salt
Directions
Begin with the pie crust.
Mix together the dry ingredients before rubbing in the butter until the mix resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Mix together the wet ingredients and add a little at a time to the dry until you form a stiff dough.
Knead once or twice to bring it together before wrapping and letting it rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
When rested you can roll out and line a fluted pie tin that you have previously greased and dusted with flour to stop your spooky treat from sticking.
Line with parchment and fill with ceramic baking beans or plain old dry rice, before giving it a good old blind bake for around 15 minutes at a 350F or 200C (180C fan).
Remove the beans/rice and paper and pop it back in the oven for a further 5 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
Let’s make the filling:
In a large bowl place your sugar, spices, salt and let them get to know each other with a quick stir before adding in your beaten eggs, butter, milk and cream, followed by another good stir.
Next, introduce them to your puréed pumpkin and beat the mixture until smooth.
Tip this smooth pumpkin pie filling into your pie crust and bake for around 50 minutes before checking in on it. Your pie is done when the filling is gently set and has a little jiggle in the center. Give it a few more minutes if you think it needs it.
Once cooled you can free the pie from its tin and place on a plate or cake stand of your choice, before dusting liberally with a mix of cinnamon and icing sugar.
Top Tip: Create a spooky design on the top of your pie by creating a stencil from paper and placing it on the pie before the final dusting. Spider webs or jack o’lantern faces are top choices!
Also, you can cover the edge of your pie crust with foil if you think it’s browning too fast during the bake.
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