Auntie Alices Pumpkin Pie Recipes

JULIA CHILD'S AUNT HELEN'S FLUFFY PUMPKIN PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees and place rack in center of oven. Separate eggs and set aside.
• Using a mixer, blender or large bowl, blend pumpkin, the 2 cups of the sugars, 1 teaspoon salt, molasses, bourbon or rum (if using), cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, egg yolks, cream and milk until smooth. Add more milk, a tablespoon at a time, if the mixture is stiff: it should be a soft purée.
• In a clean bowl, whip egg whites until foaming. Whip in a pinch of salt, then gradually whip in remaining 2 tablespoons sugar until shiny white peaks form. Beat 1/4 of the whites thoroughly into pumpkin mixture; gently fold in the rest.
• Immediately ladle filling into the shells, filling to just below the rim of the pan. Place in oven and bake just until rim of crust begins to turn gold, 10 to 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 and bake another 25 to 30 minutes, until a tester inserted into the filling 2 inches from the rim comes out clean. (The center should still be a bit wet; it will cook more as it cools.) If the rim of the crust starts to get too brown, cover it with aluminum foil.
• Immediately turn oven off, leave door ajar (stick in a wooden spoon to hold it open if necessary) and let sit 20 to 30 minutes more as the oven cools; this will prevent the filling from turning watery. Serve warm, or let cool, wrap tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Let pie come to room temperature before serving.

AUNT BARBARA'S STRAWBERRY PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Combine graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar, and melted butter in a mixing bowl; mix until evenly moistened and press into the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the crust is lightly browned and smells toasted, about 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool.
• Soak gelatin in cold water for 3 minutes. Heat the water and gelatin in the top of a double boiler set over simmering water, stirring frequently, until gelatin is completely dissolved.
• Beat whipping cream in a chilled glass or metal bowl until soft peaks form.
• Stir strawberries and 1/3 cup sugar together in a bowl. Pour gelatin mixture over strawberries. Gently fold in whipped cream until incorporated. Pour filling into baked pie shell and chill in the refrigerator until set, at least 2 hours.

AUNT ALICES PUMPKIN BREAD

Steps:

• 1. In a large mixer bowl, cream the sugar, oil, until well blended.
• 2. In a another bowl mix the pumpkin, eggs, vanilla and water and blend well. Add to the sugar and oil mixture and mix well.
• 3. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and pumpkin pie spice until well blended.
• 4. Add this to the creamed mixture slowly blending well after each addition. Stir in the chopped walnuts.
• 5. Pour the batter into a greased and floured loaf pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Let the bread rest for 15 minutes before removing from the pan to a cooling rack.

AUNTIE ALICE'S PUMPKIN PIE

Steps:

• Soften gelatin in water for five minutes. Beat egg yolks and add 1/2 cup of sugar, pumpkin, salt, spices, and milk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture begins to thicken. Add gelatin to hot pumpkin and stir until dissolved. Let cool. When mixture begins to thicken, beat egg whites until almost stiff and beat in remaining 1/4 cup sugar, one tablespoon at a time. Fold into pumpkin misture, pour into pie shell, and chill until firm. Cover with whipped cream topping. Makes one nine inch pie.