You gotta have pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving – at least I do

I love pumpkin pie. Turkey is nice, homemade stuffing can be delicious, and good gravy is an art. I like the variety of flavours on a Thanksgiving plate with all the side dishes, but my true passion has always been pumpkin pie. It is one of the foods that got me cooking.

You see, my Mom hated making pastry. As a result, she avoided it whenever possible. She is also not a real fan of pumpkin pie in particular, so when one year she mentioned not making it for Thanksgiving I stepped in to avoid a serious break in tradition. (I think I was 12.) I offered to make the pie. I figured, how hard can it be? Well, pastry is something that I don’t mind. My Mom says the talent of achieving tender flaky pastry is one that skips a generation. I think she was just buttering me up, although that never occurred to me at the time. The pastry was easy enough; it was the scalding of the milk was what scared me. But I pulled through, and followed the recipe. Then, after tasting the filling, I took my first leap as a gourmand and kicked up the spices a notch. The rest, as they say, is history.

When we served up the pie that night after dinner, it sliced up beautifully. I was amazed at how the custard held its shape and yet tasted fluffy. The spice and sweetness were well balanced, and the pastry was rich and flaky. I was pleased, and when my Mom said it was the Best Pumpkin Pie, Ever I was over the moon. And I never looked back, baking up a storm from that autumn onward. When I had to make traditional Thanksgiving dessert for the film crews during my movie catering days, I confidently pulled out my old favourite, and it was always a hit.

I don’t know if this recipe will cause an epiphany at your house this Thanksgiving, but it’s easy enough to do and it has character. I hope you can enjoy it half as much as I do :)  I am truly grateful I am able to share it with you.

Oh, and for those who might like a gluten-free version or who don’t like pastry, you can make the filling in ramekins or other ceramic or glass dishes, it makes a lovely dessert. Just watch the time as smaller containers will cook faster.