The Sweetest Pumpkin Pie!

By Lorraine Scanlon

Lorraine Scanlon's maternal great-grandmother, Juliana Hubatschka Mueller, was born in 1856 in Brusau, Zwittau, Moravia, Austria, which is now part of the Czech Republic.  She was a chef in Vienna before coming to the U.S. (New York City) in 1883.  She and Lorraine's great-grandfather, Anton Mueller, took up residence in West Hoboken, NJ.  The recipes were Juliana's. 
 
Lorraine is originally from New Jersey, and they always used “milk pumpkins,” or another name is Long Island Cheese Pumpkins, to make their pies.  They are usually shown as a gourd here in Connecticut, and Lorraine has shared that they are sweeter than a regular pumpkin. 
 

PUMPKIN CUSTARD PIE FILLING
 
 
Prepare fresh pumpkin — purchase whole sugar or milk pumpkin.
Cut pumpkin in half and clean out seeds and insides.  Cut pumpkin into smaller sections and then cut off outside skin.   Cut pumpkin into chunks, put in large pot, cover with water and cook until soft.  Drain water from pumpkin and then mash.  Freeze pumpkin mash not needed for future use.
You will need approximately 2-3 cups mashed pumpkin per pie.
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INGREDIENTS
Pumpkin Custard Pie Filling for 3 pies;             2 pies      1 pie
 
  1. 6 cups mashed pumpkin                             (4)          (3)
  2. 3 tablespoons flour                                     (2)          (1½)
  3. 1½ cup sugar                                            (1)          (¾)
  4. 6 or 7 eggs (use 7 if small eggs)                 (5)          (4)
  5. 1½ cups milk                                            (1)          (¾)
  6. 1 teaspoon salt                                             (¾)       (½)
  7. Cinnamon
 
For pumpkin spice pie:
  1. ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  2. ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  3. ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
 
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Place mashed pumpkin in large bowl. Stir in each ingredient thoroughly, one at a time, except cinnamon.*
  2. Beat eggs before adding.
  3. Pour filling into pie crust shell (see pie crust recipe).
  4. Sprinkle top of pie with cinnamon (no top crust on pie).
  5. Bake at 375 F for approximately 45-60 minutes.  When pie is firm to the touch and does not stick to finger, it is done.
 
*For pumpkin spice pie, mix the cinnamon, cloves and ginger into the pumpkin mash before filling pie shell.

PIE CRUST
 
INGREDIENTS
  1. 2 cups flour
  2. ¾ cup Crisco vegetable shortening
  3. 1 teaspoon baking powder
  4. ¼ teaspoon salt
  5. ⅓ cup milk and water mixed together
 
INSTRUCTIONS
 
  1. Mix flour, baking powder and salt together.
  2. Cut in shortening using dough cutter (or knife or fork).  When shortening is thoroughly cut into flour, the flour should stick together when you press together in your hand.
  3. Gradually add milk to mixture and form dough into a ball. (Don’t add all the liquid if the dough starts to get too sticky.)
  4. Divide the ball in half — this recipe will make two crusts (1 top and 1 bottom).  
 
Roll out Pie Crust:
Step 1:
Flour counter and rolling pin, and roll out pie crust to about ⅛-inch thick and so that it is at least 1 inch larger than the pie dish.  (Place pie plate onto dough to see if it is large enough.)
To get crust onto pie plate without it breaking. Place rolling pin at one edge of rolled-out crust and then gradually wrap dough loosely onto rolling pin and roll up.  Place rolling pin with rolled-up pie crust on one edge of top of pie plate and then gently unroll the crust over the plate. Adjust so that the crust overlaps about an inch around the pie plate — cut off any excess.  
Step 2:
When making a single, bottom-crust pie (like pumpkin pie), fold the excess crust over and tuck inside pie plate so the crust is just above the edge of the pie plate all the way around.  Use fingers or fork to flute the edge of the crust all the way around the top of the pie plate.
If you are making a double-crust pie (like apple pie), follow step 1 above. Fill the pie with filling. Next, roll out second pie crust and then place it over top of the apples using the same procedure as step 1 to get it on top of the pie.  Cut off excess dough so that it is about ½ inch shorter in diameter than the bottom pie crust.  Fold the bottom crust edge up over the top pie crust edge, pinching it together all the way around.  Use fingers or fork to flute the edge of the crust all the way around the top of the pie plate. Cut some small air holes in top of pie crust.  
 
Follow directions for baking for the particular type of pie you are making.

 

Have a great family recipe you would like to share with your neighbors? Please send to cathy.breen@strollmag.com.

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