How is it that no matter how much turkey, stuffing, or cranberry sauce one eats on Thanksgiving, there is always more room for a slice of homemade pumpkin pie? Today we share with you the Tasha Tudor family's own delicious (and wonderfully simple) pumpkin pie receipt from the new Tasha Tudor Family Cookbook!
Pie Shell:
- 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon shortening
- 2 tablespoons ice water
Filling:
- 1 1/2 cups cooked pumpkin
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 eggs
This recipe comes from the Tasha Tudor Family Cookbook written by Tasha's grandson, Winslow Tudor, which is full of wonderful recipes and ancedotes inspired by Winslow's relationship with his Granny. Here's what Winslow remembers about Tasha's process for making pumpkin pie:
"Tasha did not often make pumpkin pies, but when she did they were particularly good. She made pies with small, smooth-skinned baking pumpkins, or butternut squash. Both grow well in her vegetable garden as long as a late spring frost doesn't visit in the night. Around dusk each day during the growing season she would walk through her gardens to give them a final check. She often went barefoot, and if the dew was especially cold on her feet she covered plants sensitive to frost with sheets, upside-down baskets, or her apron."
The Tudor family still tends to Tasha's beautiful garden, collecting seeds each year so that her heirloom plant varieties can live on. If you are interested in purchasing seeds from Tasha's garden, visit the Tasha's Secret Garden section of our online store! If you would like to learn more about the Tudor family seed collecting tradition read these two stories from our archives!
Directions
To make the pie shell, mix flour and salt. Dump in shortening and cut into flour until size of peas. Sprinkle with water and gather together. Press into a ball, roll out on a lightly floured surface, and transfer to pie plate.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
To make the pie filling, cut small baking pumpkin into 2 inch chunks and bake in 1/4 inches of water, skin side up, 30-45 minutes or until soft.
Cool slightly, scrape pumpkin from rind, and work through sieve by stirring with a wooden spoon. Combine remaining ingredients and mix well.
Pour into pie shell and bake at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes, then 350 degrees F for about 45 minutes or until fork insterted in center comes out clean. Cool for an hour or two and serve with whipped cream.
Enjoy!