Recipes for Shabbat

Pumpkins

It's fall and the BIG question becomes, which kind of pumpkin should you use when you cook? The answer is the sugar or pie pumpkin. Look for the small and sweet ones, with the dark orange colored flesh. These are the ones that are perfect for pies,  soups, side dishes, cookies, and, breads. Nothing makes pumpkin pie or bread taste better than using fresh pumpkin. There are three ways to transform an uncooked pumpkin into the puree used in baking. A medium-sized (4 pounds) sugar pumpkin should yield around 1 1/2 cups of mashed pumpkin. This puree can be used in all your recipes calling for canned pumpkin. Following are some step-by-step suggestions for cooking your pumpkin.

Baking Method: Cut the pumpkin in half and discard the stem section and stringy insides. Save the seeds to dry and roast them for a great snack. In a shallow baking dish place the two halves face down and cover with foil.

Bake in a preheated 375 oven for about 1 1/2 hours for a medium-sized sugar pumpkin. Once the baked pumpkin has cooled, scoop out the flesh and puree in a food processor or mash with a potato masher or potato ricer.

Boiling Method: Cut the pumpkin in half, discarding the stringy insides. Then peel and cut the pumpkin into chunks. Place in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until the pumpkin chunks are tender. Let the chunks cool, and then puree the flesh in a food processor or mash.

Microwave Method: Cut the pumpkin in half, discarding the stringy insides. Microwave on high for seven minutes per pound. Once you've got a rich, smooth batch of pumpkin puree ready, you may notice that it's much runnier than the kind you get out of a can. It's best to allow your homemade puree to drain overnight before baking with it, especially if you're using a recipe that originally called for canned puree. The more water you can get out of the puree, the better. To drain the puree, line a large strainer with a few flattened-out coffee filters, or thin, clean dishtowel you don't mind getting it stained.

Place the strainer in a bowl, and then pour the puree into the lined strainer. Lay a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the puree and place the whole setup in the refrigerator overnight. You can use this puree in any recipe that calls for pumpkin puree. If you're not going to use the puree right away, there's no need to let it go to waste. You can refrigerate your fresh pumpkin puree for up to three days and store it in the freezer up to six months. Measure it into recipe-sized quantities (2 cups is standard) and store it into resealable freezer bags

Some Pumpkin Pie Baking Tips:

For the crust, if it is a frozen type, remember to take it out of the freezer only when the pie filling is ready to be poured into it. Frozen pie crusts are best when they are cooked with the filling while still in their frozen state. Otherwise they're soggy. This type of pie cracks on top when it's overcooked. Don't turn the oven up too high, and take it out before it's browned on top. If it's not completely firm yet, don't worry too much. It will firm up as it cools in the refrigerator.

Always store pumpkin pie in the refrigerator. If left at room temperature, the pie's eggs and milk may spoil and become hazardous to your health.

The following 2 recipes are blends of spices that I use for my pumpkin pies.
You can also purchase ready made pumpkin pie spice. Simply substitute a
similar amount of these blends (all spices in ground form) in any recipe that
calls for the ready made mixture.

Or

Makes about 3 tablespoons

ONE LAST NOTE: If you are purchasing canned pumpkin for any of these recipes make you get canned pumpkin and NOT pumpkin pie mix. There is a difference.

PAREVE PUMPKIN PIE

Preheat oven to 450 for about 10 minutes. Prick the bottom of the pie crust  in several places to allow the steam to escape. Line the crust with a double thickness of aluminum foil. Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes. Reduce the oven to 375, remove the foil, and continue to bake crust for about 10 minutes, till lightly browned. Remove the shell from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 350. In a large bowl or in the bowl of an electric mixer combine the margarine, puree, eggs, pareve milk sugar cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, all spice, cloves and salt and mix well. Pour the mixture into pie crust. Place the filled pie shell on a cookie sheet (to catch any dripping). Bake for about 50 minutes, until knife inserted into center comes. Makes 1 pie. Serves 6.

MAPLE PUMPKIN PIE (dairy)
This pie takes a little more time to prepare but the taste is worth it.

Preheat oven to 400. In medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. With pastry blender or two knives used scissor-fashion, cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle 3 to 4 tablespoons cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, into flour mixture, mixing lightly with a fork after each addition until dough is just moist enough to hold together. Shape dough into a ball. Reserve one-fourth of dough for leaf cutouts. On lightly floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll remaining dough into a round 1 1/2 inches larger all around than inverted 9-inch pie plate. Gently ease dough into pie plate; trim edge, leaving 1/2-inch overhang. Fold overhang under; press onto pie-plate rim. Roll reserved dough 1/8 inch thick. With sharp knife or small cookie cutter, cut out as many 2" by 1" leaf shapes as possible. Moisten piecrust edge with water. Press leaf cutouts onto piecrust edge, overlapping leaves slightly. With fork, prick bottom and side of pastry in many places to prevent puffing during baking. Line piecrust with foil and fill with pie weights, dry beans, or uncooked rice. Bake piecrust 15 minutes; remove foil with weights and bake 5 minutes longer or until golden. Cool piecrust on wire rack. Turn oven control to 350. In large bowl, with wire whisk, beat pumpkin, remaining ingredients, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until well mixed. Pour pumpkin mixture into crust. Cover edge of crust with foil to prevent over browning. Bake pie 1 hour and 10 minutes or until knife inserted in center of pie comes out clean. Cool pie on wire rack 1 1/2 hours, then cover and refrigerate until chilled. Makes 1 pie

PUMPKIN PIE WITH GINGERSNAP HONEY CRUST

Preheat oven to 375. Place the gingersnap crumbs, honey, butter, nuts and  cinnamon into a big bowl and mix well. Divide crust mixture between two 8-inch pie tins. Press the mixture firmly into tin and up sides and then set  them aside. In a large bowl, combine the pumpkin, condensed milk, eggs, salt, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and brown sugar. Beat the mixture until it is completely smooth. Pour mixture evenly between the two pie shells. Bake in the preheated oven for 50-55 minutes. Cook until a knife inserted into the middle of pie comes out clean. Cool. Serve with whipped cream if desired. Makes 2 8-inch pies

FROM: In a Pumpkin Shell - Jennifer Storey Gillis

DIABETIC PUMPKIN PIE (dairy)
My friend Cheryl makes this pie for her diabetic sister in law as well as the
rest of her family. She claims that they like it even better than the regular
kind of pumpkin pie.

Put all ingredients in a food processor blender, and pulse until well mixed,
and pour into prebaked pie crust, graham cracker crust, or gingersnap crust
(my favorite) You can alter the spices to suit your taste NOTE: If you wanted
this to be more like a chiffon pie, folded in a cup of No Fat whipped topping
before you pour the mixture into the crust. Refrigerate until it is setup.
Makes 1 pie

PUMPKIN ALMOND CRUNCH PIE (pareve)

1 unbaked 9 " pie crust (this can be the frozen variety if you like)
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted (in the oven until lightly golden) and
finely chopped

Preheat oven to 425. Sprinkle cooled almonds over the bottom of an unbaked crust. Press gently, without piercing the crust. For the crunchy almond layer combine corn syrup, eggs, sugar butter and almond extract in a medium bowl. Stir in the almonds and then set the mixture aside. In a bowl combine the egg, pumpkin, sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Spread the mixture over the bottom of the unbaked pie crust. Spread the almond mixture over the pumpkin layer (Work fast as the liquid from the pumpkin layer will make the crust soggy) and bake immediately bake the pie at 425 for 10-12 minutes. (This will thoroughly seal the pie...there will be no leaking and the crust will be flaky even in the centre). Reduce the oven to 350 and continue cooking for 35-40 min. longer. Remove the pie from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack. Serve when cooled. A dollop of freshly whipped cream or non dairy topping is the perfect decoration. Makes 1 pie.

PUMPKIN PIE DESSERT SQUARES (dairy)

l large yellow cake mix
l/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
l egg

Preheat oven to 350. Grease bottom only of 13-9 pan. Reserve one cup of the cake mix for topping. Combine remaining cake mix, butter and eggs in a bowl. Mix well and then press the mixture into the prepared pan. Prepare filling by combining the pumpkin pie mix, eggs and milk and beating until smooth. Pour the pumpkin mixture over the crust. For the topping, combine the reserved cake mix, sugar, cinnamon and butter or margarine in a bowl. Mix to make a crumb like mixture. Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the filling. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until knife inserted in center comes out clean. When cool and ready to serve cut into squares and serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Serves 8 to 10.

If you want to use fresh pumpkin with this recipe use a l lb. can solid-pack
pumpkin and add 2 l/2 teaspoons. pumpkin pie spice and l/2 cup brown sugar. Prepare as directed above.

Eileen Goltz, a professional chef and caterer, is the author of the new cookbook, Perfectly Pareve.