This weekend I found myself wondering where fall went, and how I had suddenly stepped right into winter. We had our first snow, which came a bit early this year, and nothing seemed more fitting than staying home and eating pumpkin pie.
I got the recipe for the pie at Martha Stewart, and made it into a bunch of tiny pies instead. One recipe of her Pate Brisee made 24 mini pies, and there was plenty of filling left over at the end, which I froze so that we could have pumpkin pie again in a few weeks. I basically followed the recipe, except for cooking time. I cooked the pies at 450 degrees F for 5 minutes instead of 10. Then I switched the oven to 350 degrees F and cooked them for about 15 minutes more. I kept a careful eye on them, though because they cooked much faster than their full-sized counterpart. If you don’t have a mini tart/pie pan, you could use a muffin tin instead.
For the whipped cream on top, I made up a recipe as I went along, and it turned out absolutely delicious. It is so incredibly quick and easy, and the difference in taste between this and the store bought whipped cream is huge.
Maple Whipped Cream
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Pour heavy cream into a clean glass bowl. Whip on high until it holds shape. Slowly drizzle in the maple syrup and vanilla with the mixer on low. Mix until fully incorporated.
Sweet mini pies to go with snow! What a lovely idea.
it looks delicious!
I think I’ll do something simular , but with chestnuts.
Those look so good! I like the idea of making a batch and freezing them for later, for those unexpected visitors. And your maple whipped cream must be wonderful on the pie – I’ll definitely be trying it! North Coast Muse @ http://sally1029.wordpress.com
I’ve made these only as pecan pies. Nom nom nom!!!
um… yum! i will be borrowing your borrowed recipe.
they look sooo tasty!!!! I love pumpkin pie :) and like danyelle I too will be borrowing the recipe you well…borrowed
These look awesome. It snowed early here too, sucks. But it makes for a perfect baking day. I’ll have to try these out.
Okay, bear with me here, because I’m English. I am a pumpkin pie virgin.
I am sorely tempted to make these, because they look beautiful…but what does pumpkin pie actually taste like?!?!
Come on, someone must be able to persuade me to have a go at these!
Anna
P.S. I know it sounds really dumb to have never eaten pumpkin pie before, but it’s just not an English thing! I am willing to swap a great recipe for something English like scones, kedgeree or madeira cake!
Anna- Pumpkin pie is sweet, and tastes a lot more like the spices you put in it, like cinnamon, than pumpkin. Pumpkin is pretty sweet to begin with, so it lends itself well to dessert cooking. I would definately give it a go!
Okay, Kate, I trust you…
Freaky really, in that I’ve spent months of my life in the States, but never ever in the Fall. I suppose that’s how I’ve managed to completely miss out on Pumpkin pie.
We eat squash a lot, but I’ve never allowed it to escape from the main course and become a pudding before!
Mind you, I know many Americans who wouldn’t be too chuffed at the thought of eating ‘mouldy’ cheese after dessert, but there you go, in England we do it all the time.
Anna
I was lucky enough to eat these pies yesterday and they were soooo good! :)
Thanks Angela, glad you liked them!
Oh, those look SO good. Mmmm! Those would be a very nice snack with hot tea or coffee!
delicious! i really love pumpkin desserts, I can’t wait to try this one!
OMG that looks SO DELICIOUS!!!! I am SUCH a sucker for pumpkin pie… :D
Oh god, they look really delicious!
Kate, any suggestions in the way of Acorn Squash? I made a dish this past month (only recipe I have for A/S), like sorta a Lasagna but with thin layers of A/S in stead if pasta. Any help would be great, thanks for your time. Great page you run here, I love all the wonderful photos as well.
Here is a recipe that I have been eyeing for a while: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/roasted-corn-pudding-in-acorn-squash-recipe.html
I have also had acorn squash stuffed with rice, or meat. For the rice, you have to cook it first. I also made this salad last night with roasted squash: 1 squash cut into 1/2 inch pieces and roasted, 1 bunch kale, 1 shallot, 1 garlic clove, balsamic vinegar, honey, olive oil, 1/2 lb bacon, 1 can beans drained and rinsed…after you roast the squash, brush some honey and balsamic vinegar over it and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the bacon into pieces and cook. Drain off all but 1 Tablespoon bacon fat, and saute the garlic and shallot in it until soft and fragrant. Add the kale, and some more balsamic and honey, and saute until the kale is slightly wilted. Throw that into a big bowl with the squash, beans and bacon. Add salt and pepper to taste.
I found the recipe in the October 2009 Martha Stewart catalogue, and altered it a bit to my taste. Hope that helps!! Enjoy!
I’m so glad you were featured on the homepage! I absolutely love your blog- we are so similar- I live to create (pretty much anything and everything) and I am constantly making something. I have so many projects sometimes that I’ve started writing them down as a way to keep track! HAHA! I’ll be following your blog- it’s a fantastic premise! :)
Jenny(colorhungry)
I am so glad you are enjoying my blog! Are you thinking of starting a blog and posting some of your projects?
I might have to buy a hat like in the last photograph simply because I don’t like pumpkin. The pies look great, but I’d have to give them a miss. Sorry.
http://doctorbeatnik.wordpress.com/
Looks wonderful! I’m going to try these soon :)
They look delicious! So cute!
Also, I can’t believe you got your first snow! Our first snow has been forecasted for tonight … I guess I’ll see in the morning :)
Aw, I love making single-serving pies instead of one big one. I recently made key lime pies in a mini muffin tin.
Okay, I’m a sucker for food and those look tasty :-P
Thanks, beautiful interesting content
Be successful
nommmmm, Kate – just saw you on WP and love your site. I’m a subscriber now….you’re fabulous! Cheers!
Your pumpkin pies look devine! Your photos are always so well taken that one almost feels you can reach out and touch, or in this case, take one and eat it! I hardly ever bake these days anymore. Time is so limited with work, carting the kids around, cooking something interesting and still have crafting time, I now (shamefully!) visit the local homebaked goods shop on the way home.
Snow! Oh my, it looks far too cold for me!
i do not like eating pumpkin! but pumpkin “heads” for Halloween look great! As far as i see, many people write posts about Halloween now. lol! well, it is like a tradition and waiting for the holiday. i think i will not be an axception here. my new blog will be about Halloween too but not about the holiday itself.
I ever heard about pumpkin pies, but I never eat it directly..may I know the history and the original country that was created this cake??
Cee_poet- I searched Wikipedia and found this short article on the pumpkin pie: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pumpkin_pie Hope that helps!