Hello, darlings!
​
I excitedly present Fannie Merritt Farmer’s good old-fashioned American pumpkin pie!

You see, I discovered this frightfully fabulous and easy recipe in my 1909 edition of The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book – How Spiffing! 

Rather interestingly, the origins of pumpkin pie tumble all the way back to the 1500s, where Medieval cooks served stewed pumpkin, sweetened with sugar, livened up with spice, and enwreathed with pastry.

Also, there are many early recorded recipes of pumpkin pie, one of which has a French connection – Ooh la la! – Tourte of Pompion – created by Francois Pierre La Varenne in 1653. Then as the years zoomed by, during 1796 a recipe for pumpkin pie appeared in the first known American cookbook by Amelia Simmons, which is very similar to Fannie’s version, although it requires scalded milk, eight eggs, and one may add grated lemon-peel instead of spices. 

And I must say, to all my fellow Brits who are a little shy of pumpkin pie, please don’t fret my darlings, as I’m absolutely sure you’ll adore it! The texture is very similar to a cheesecake, and it tastes utterly divine – just one teeny-weeny mouthful and I guarantee you’ll be bouncing around culinary heaven!

​Now, you’re probably aware that pumpkins are a big thing in the US, but sadly the season has passed (September to October), “Aaah, what a shame, Miss Windsor” I hear you squawk!
​
But nevertheless, this classic sweet dish of creamy pumpkin and spices will, of course, be the dessert of choice on every American’s Thanksgiving table! However, I’m afraid to say, many American culinary enthusiasts will succumb to the convenience of a ghastly can of pumpkin puree, as Thanksgiving falls in November.  

But luckily darlings, here in the UK we’re “smack bang” in the middle of pumpkin season (October to December) – so it’s pumpkins galore! And so, one may purchase their round, rippled, orange ball of deliciousness from your local supermarket, farm shop, or maybe you’ve been blessed with “green fingers” and grow your own! 

​​Whatever the case, it’s nice to know that pumpkin pie has become increasingly popular here in the UK. However, I must remark, that it’s just recently come to my attention that many folks pay over the odds for a readymade pumpkin pie from somewhere like Whole Foods Market – around a tenner, I believe – that’s outright daylight robbery, don’t ya think?

Therefore, I invite you to have a jolly good go at recreating Fannie’s version – with a bit of a Miss Windsor twist, of course! as it’s a fairly cheap dish to make and will only cost you £4 or £5 in total. 

​Darlings, and in this in this day and age, the kind of pumpkin pie that one has become accustomed to often includes spices such a nutmeg, cloves, and allspice, however, Fannie’s version only requires cinnamon and ginger.

Now, having recreated Fannie’s old-fashioned pumpkin pie a couple of times, I must admit it tasted rather bland. So, in order to “jazz it up” a little I used a heaped teaspoon of ginger and cinnamon, plus a flat teaspoon of allspice. Oh, and please note that I used sweet cinnamon instead of the plain old boring type.

Nowadays the addition of condensed or evaporated milk often takes precedence over traditional plain old cream and milk– a culinary crime, indeed! So please do take heed my dears, and refrain from falling victim to such nonsense – the old-fashioned way is the best way!  

Darlings, please hop on board and join Miss Windsor for a merry jaunt down “food history” lane, where you’ll learn how to recreate Fannie’s traditional recipe for pumpkin pie.

Here’s Miss Windsor’s recipe for:

HOMEMADE PUMPKIN PUREE

Miss Windsor x

Print

Miss Windsor Presents: Fannie Farmer’s Old-Fashioned American Pumpkin Pie!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Servings 10 delightful guests!

Equipment

• A large pie dish or baking tin – approx. 22cm / 8.5 inches

Ingredients

• 1 & 1/2 cups (400g) pureed pumpkin
• 1 cup (140g) brown sugar
• 1 heaped teaspoon of sweet cinnamon
• 1 heaped teaspoon of ginger
• 1 flat teaspoon of allspice
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• 2 eggs
• 12 US fl oz (350 ml) milk
• 4 US fl oz (125 ml) double 0r heavy whipping cream
• short-crust pastry

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 200*C / 180*C Fan / 390*F / gas mark 6.
• First off, line your lightly greased pie dish or baking tin with short-crust pastry, then fill with baking beans and bake blind for approximately 20 minutes. Or if you don't have any baking beans to hand, brush with whisked egg instead – but make sure the pastry is pushed firmly into every crevice of your tin!
• Then immediately reduce oven temperature to 180*C / 160*C Fan / 350*F / gas mark 4.
• Darlings, as per Fannie’s instruction above, simply mix all the ingredients together in the order given.
• However, before you transfer the prepared mixture to the pastry case, take a thin strip of foil and wrap around the pastry crust (outer edge) in order to prevent it from over browning and going hard.
• Now, with a steady hand pour the mixture into the pastry case, then place the tin on the middle shelf of your oven. Bake for approximately 1 hour, or until the filling has set in the middle.
• Voila! You’ve successfully made Fannie Farmer's Old-Fashioned Pumpkin Pie from scratch – absolutely, bloomin’ marvellous!
• Darlings, best serve when cool, with a dollop of whipped cream.

The post Fannie Farmer’s Old-Fashioned American Pumpkin Pie! appeared first on Miss Windsor's Delectables.

Hello, darlings!

Okey dokey – let’s crack on and make some pumpkin puree from scratch! Perfect for pumpkin pie or as a tasty, seasonal, healthful alternative to our beloved starch ladened mashed potato.

​I say, if you’re keen on recreating the latter, then Miss Windsor recommends to “jazz” it up a smitch with a dollop of butter, followed by a sprinkling of sea salt and cracked black pepper – How spiffing! 

Be warned: I’m a lady of very little patience, and will not tolerate cheating or bone idleness! Therefore, what a sheer disappointment it would turn out to be if you’d succumbed to the convenience of “readymade” pumpkin puree from a can – darlings, take heed! ​

​But as you’re here, you’re permitted to breathe a sigh of relief, as presumably, you wish to make pumpkin puree the old-fashioned way – especially if you plan on whipping up one of those good old American classics of pumpkin pie.

Darlings, I must say, before you toddle off to your kitchen, according to Fannie Merritt Farmer’s recipe for pumpkin pie which I discovered in my 1909 edition of The Boston-School Cook Book, our dearest Fannie recommends using steamed and strained pumpkin. However, and for no particular reason at all, I prefer to use baked pumpkin instead.

Please click here for:

FANNIE MERRITT FARMER’S OLD-FASHIONED AMERICAN PUMPKIN PIE!

Enjoy!

Miss Windsor x

Print

Miss Windsor’s Pumpkin Puree ​(for Pumpkin Pie & Savoury Dishes)

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Equipment

• Large baking tray / pan

Ingredients

• one medium pumpkin (of the edible kind!)
• olive oil

Instructions

• First off, please thoroughly wash your grubby little ‘paws’ – much obliged!
• Preheat your oven to 190*C / 170*C Fan / 375*F / gas mark 5.
• With a sharp knife carefully cut the pumpkin in half and remove the stem.
• Then with a large spoon and a firm grip, scrape out the insides and seeds. Make sure you do a good job now and remove every last seed!
• Line your baking tray with foil, and gently lay down the pumpkin halves. Then merrily rub olive oil over both halves.
• Place on the middle shelf of your oven and bake for 1 hour – until fork tender.
• When your pumpkin halves are ready, carefully remove the tray from the oven.
• Now, carefully scrape out the succulent flesh from the skins. Darlings, if you find the flesh a tad bit watery, just drain off the excess.
• Using a potato masher and some ‘elbow grease’ commence mashing! Mash until it resembles a puree like consistency. Use a sieve to drain off any excess water.
• Congratulations you’ve successfully made Miss Windsor's Pumpkin Puree from scratch!

The post Miss Windsor’s Pumpkin Puree (for Pumpkin Pie) appeared first on Miss Windsor's Delectables.