Thanksgiving is tomorrow!!! I cannot believe how quickly this year has gone by. The hubby and I are off to my grandparents' house for our yearly Thanksgiving feast. In all of my 27 years, I have always gone over to my grandparents' house to enjoy great food and even better company.
This year is going to be different!
Not too different, just slightly. See, this will be the first year EVER that I am contributing to the holiday dinner. I am brining my
as well as
Some secret fudge is going to be making an appearance as well as some fresh made mashed potatoes and another secret recipe that I will share with you later! But the biggest thing I am bringing, and possibly the most important is a pie!
This isn't just any pie though. Nope!!!! This is a special pie. Why is it special you ask? It is a special pie because this is my first pie I have ever made (well, besides some mini pumpkin pies that I made last year...but those don't count).
This is the first pie I have made from scratch.....including the crust.
I was nervous, scared, and to be just plain honest, I was procrastinating so badly with making this pie. I was afraid that the crust wouldn't turn out right. Finally, though, I bit the bullet and started to make the dough.
Now, whomever said that making a pie crust is easy is full of it!!!! Yes, they are. There was NOTHING easy about this (well, making the dough was easy, but that was it)! Maybe it was because I had never made one before and didn't know what I was doing.....or maybe they just really are that hard to make, but dammit, Cat Cora makes it look so easy. :/
I made my pie crust from a recipe my grandma gave me. It's a shortening crust and her pies are always very delicious.
After making the dough and letting it chill, I started rolling it out.........this was the scariest part for me.
I rolled, then rolled some more. Gave it a few more good rolls until I wound up with this
Not too shabby, but it stuck......it stuck like gum in a girl's hair on my counter. I managed to get it off the counter and in to the pie dish.
Had to make a few touch ups, but hey, I got it in the dish! LOL!
The scary part was over! *Phew*
Now time to fill this beauty creation.
I found a recipe for an eggnog pumpkin pie. I didn't want to just make a basic pumpkin pie, but Davey begged me to please make something simple that he would enjoy. Me.....simple??? Hahahaha! I think not! So, to give in to both of us, I figured adding some eggnog to a pumpkin pie would be a GREAT idea!
Eggnog Pumpkin Pie
(as adapted from Taste of Home)
INGREDIENTS:
1 15oz can pumpkin puree
1 1/4 cups eggnog
2/3 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (I used my own homemade PPS)
1/4 tsp salt
1 9-inch pie crust (recipe to follow....or you can use a store bought crust)
DIRECTIONS:
-Preheat oven to 375 degrees
-In a large mixing bowl (or stand mixer) combine all ingredients (besides pie crust....of course)
-Mix until all is incorporated
-Pour into prepared pie crust
-Bake for 60 minutes or until knife inserted in center of pie comes out clean
I decided to make my pie a little fancy with an egg and butter wash, as well as adding some really cute little turkey cut-outs around the edge of the crust.
I also cut out some pumpkins and baked them separately with a little cinnamon-sugar sprinkle on them to add to the center of the pie after baking.
Little mini turkeys!
My beautiful pie was placed in the oven and I checked in on it after about 25 minutes. To my horror, I saw that some of the crust had sunk down into the pie!!!!! :( The biggest frowny face showed up on my face at that moment.
I almost cried!!!!! All this hard work and this vision in my head of what I wanted my pie to look like, and it was ruined! :(
After being sad for a few minutes, I realized that it wasn't all that bad and it was still salvageable!
Not too bad, right???? As long as it tastes good, that's all that matters! :) In my world, that is all that matters.......ok, that is a lie........but it's making me feel better at this present moment!
What does every pumpkin pie need now??? Whipped cream, of course! And you know me! I can't just have any old whipped cream.....NOPE! I wanted an eggnog whipped cream! So, an eggnog whipped cream I made!
Eggnog Whipped Cream
(as adapted from Bake Space)
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup eggnog
1 TBSP sugar
Nutmeg to taste
DIRECTIONS:
-Combine whipping cream and eggnog in stand mixer with whisk attachment
-While mixer is mixing, slowly add in the sugar
-When mixture has reached soft peaks, grate in fresh nutmeg (or add in the nutmeg), mixting to incorporate
I put mine into a separate container and stuck it in the freezer where it will stay until tomorrow!
If I didn't scare you off too much with making your own pie crust, here is my grandma's recipe that she has had and used for decades! Love my grandma!!!! <3
All-Shortening Pie Crust
(as adapted from my grandma!)
INGREDIENTS:
4 cups flour, lightly spooned into cup
1 TBSP sugar
2 tsp salt
1 3/4 cups vegetable shortening (like Crisco)
1/2 cup water
1 TBSP white or cider vinegar (I used cider vinegar)
1 large egg
DIRECTIONS:
-Put first 4 ingredients in large bowl and mix well with table fork until crumbly
-In small bowl, beat together the water, vinegar and egg with a fork
-Combine the 2 mixtures, stirring with a fork until all ingredients are moistened
-Divide dough in 5 portions and, with hands, shape each portion in a flat, round, patty, ready for rolling
-Wrap each in plastic or wax paper and chill at least 1/2 hour
-When ready to roll pie crust, lightly flour both sides of patty
-Put on lightly floured board or pastry cloth
-Cover rolling pin with stocking and rub in a little flour
-Keeping pastry round, roll from center to 1/8” thick and 2” larger than inverted pie pan
-Fold in halves or quarters
-Transfer to pie pan, unfold and fit loosely in pie pan
-Press with fingers to remove air pockets
-Trim overhanging edge of pastry about 3/4” from rim of pan, fold under, and flute pastry with fingers or press firmly around edge of pan with tines of fork, dipping in flour occasionally to prevent sticking
-Fill and bake as desired in individual recipe
**For baked pie shell, prick bottom and sides of pastry with tines of fork. Put on rack in center of preheated 450 degree oven and bake 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on cake rack; fill as desired!
Well, we won't know until tomorrow evening how my pie turned out, but I am pretty sure it will be good.....just look at it! LOL!!!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone!!!
As always, much love!
<3 Amy
Oh one more thing.....proof that So Cal DOES have seasons and pretty trees! ;)
Ok, so not the greatest pictures to depict that previous statement, but you get the idea!!!! ;)
Have a great one! <3
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