This weekend I made dinner for company. What sounded good to us? Pumpkin Pie! I had some turkey legs in the freezer and decided to go for an all out Thanksgiving dinner, even though it was Halloween Day (I guess I am just overly anxious for Thanksgiving).

Just like in my Halloween pumpkin cupcakes from yesterday, I used fresh pumpkin as opposed to canned. Actually, I roasted the pumpkin for both recipes at the same time. I think using fresh pumpkin tastes a little better, but the two main reasons I go that route are that I get to roast and eat the seeds, and because I am not a fan of the fake, bright orange look that canned pumpkin adds to pies. I roasted the pumpkin following the same steps as in this acorn squash recipe.

I have made many pumpkin pies from fresh pumpkin, but this was the first that omitted both sweetened condensed/evaporated milk and sugar. I was surprised by the use of honey as the only sweetener in this recipe. It actually gave a pleasant taste, in addition to making it more healthy.

You may notice in the picture that the pie was extremely thin. I used a store bought, frozen crust that was amazingly shallow, which meant this recipe filled two pies. In the future, I will either go with a different brand or will purchase the deep dish variety. Regarding store bought crust, I typically find it to be a good value. I do not enjoy making my own pie crust, and the pre-made ones are extremely cheap and taste relatively similar. Sure, it will taste better, and be cheaper if you make it from scratch, but to me, the extra effort is not worth it.

Fresh Pumpkin Pie

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INGREDIENTS

• 1 medium sugar pumpkin
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 9 inch pie crust
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup honey, warmed slightly
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

METHOD

1. Cut the pumpkin in half, and roast at 400° until the flesh is tender. Puree the pumpkin flesh in a food processor, and combine 2 cups of it in a medium bowl with the ginger, cinnamon, and salt.

2. Add the eggs, honey, milk, and cream to the pumpkin mixture and beat well.

3. Pour into the prepared pie crust and bake at 400° for about 50-55 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Edit: Sorry, I forgot to add this when I originally posted. Recipe from allrecipes.com.