Martha Stewart's Pumpkin Pie / Bučna pita

When life gives you pumpkins, bake a pumpkin pie. This pumpkin grew in my mom’s garden and when I started wondering what to do with it,  my intellectual light bulb turned on! Many times I name people around me a Pumpkin pie ( ... and apple pie, vanilla muffin, truffle .... I can’t resist to give people I love, nicknames related to food) and because I never ate a pumpkin pie in my entire life, let alone bake one myself, I immediately decided that I have to bake a pumpkin pie. Pumpkin soup is too boring at this point =) .

People in America will celebrate Thanksgiving any day now, which can’t happen without sweet, homemade pumpkin pie, so the timing is perfect. When I filled the baking pan with pumpkin filling, of course I could not resist tasting  the filling. The combination of Hokkaido pumpkin and nutmeg is really special. I was so taken by the sweetness and slight spiciness that I was like a five-year old child who grabs moms apron, because she wants to lick the spoon covered in chocolate, after mom finishes filling the cake pan. Well in this case I was in a better position, because I was able to steal as much stuffing  I wanted.

With love, Neja

Jay & The Techniques - Apples Peaches Pumpkin Pie 

Recipe adapted from: Martha Stewart

The recipe

Ingredients The crust 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon sugar ½ teaspoon salt 2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water The filling 3 large eggs pumpkin puree (of one Hokkaido pumpkin) 4 tablespoon sugar 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger ½ teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg The meringue 2 cups granulated sugar 8 large egg whites, room temperature The process Pumpkin puree Cut the pumpkin in two halves. With a spoon or a scoop, scrape out the seeds and pulp from the center. Place pumpkin halves on a baking sheet (face up or face down) and roast in a 350-degree oven for 45 minutes, or until pumpkin is fork-tender. Then scoop the ‘’meat’’ with a spoon and place it in food processor, pulse the pumpkin until it’s totally smooth. The crust Pulse flour, sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt in a food processor until combined. Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. Drizzle 1/4 cup ice water evenly over mixture. Pulse until mixture holds together when pressed between 2 fingers (dough should not be wet or sticky). If dough is too dry, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse. Shape dough into 1 large disk, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.

The pie Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Make the crust: Roll out disk to a 1/8-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Fit dough into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Trim edges, leaving a 1-inch overhang; fold edges under and crimp as desired. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Line crust with parchment, and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until edges just start to turn golden, about 15 minutes. Remove pie weights and parchment. Bake until crust is golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes more. Let cool on a wire rack. Meanwhile, make the filling: Whisk together eggs, pumpkin puree, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and the nutmeg in a large bowl. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Pour filling into cooled crust. Bake until center is set but still slightly wobbly, 50 to 55 minutes. Let cool in pie plate set on a wire rack. Refrigerate until well chilled, for 2 hours. Just before serving, make the meringue: Combine granulated sugar and egg whites in the heatproof bowl of a mixer set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk until sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes. Transfer bowl to mixer, and whisk on medium speed for 3 minutes. Raise speed to high, and whisk until stiff glossy peaks form, about 6 minutes more. Dollop meringue onto pie, and spread using a swirling motion. Hold a small handheld kitchen torch at a 90-degree angle 3 to 4 inches from surface of meringue. Move flame back and forth until meringue starts to brown or put it in oven for a few seconds, watch it carefully and put it out immediately when meringue starts to brown.

Ko ti življenje da buče, speci bučno pito. Tale buča je zrastla na mamičinem vrtu in ko sem razmišljala, kako bi jo izkoristila, mi je kliknilo! Velikokrat komu rečem, da je Pumpkin pie (…in apple pie, vanilla muffin, tartuf…. Ne morem drugače, da ne bi ljudem, ki jih imam rada nadela prehranski vzdevek) in glede na to, da bučne pite še nikoli v življenju nisem jedla, kaj šele sama spekla, sem se takoj zapičila v idejo, da moram speči bučno pito. Bučna juha je že preveč znucana =). 

V Ameriki bo vsak čas Zahvalni dan, ki ne sme miniti brez sladke, domače bučne pite, zato je timing idealen. Ko sem pekač napolnila z bučnim nadevom se seveda nisem mogla upreti, da ne bi poizkusila nadeva. Kombinacija hokaido buče in muškatnega oreščka je odlična. Sladkoba in rahla pikantnost me je tako prevzela, da sem bila kot petletni otrok, ki cuka mami za predpasnik, ker hoče oblizniti žlico prekrito s čokolado potem, ko ona zaključi s polnjenjem tortnega pekača. No v tem primeru sem bila na boljšem, ukradla sem lahko toliko nadeva, kot sem ga hotela.

Z ljubeznijo, Neja

Jay & The Techniques - Apples Peaches Pumpkin Pie 

Prilagojeno po: Martha Stewart

Recept

Sestavine Testo 312g večnamenske moke 1 žlica sladkorja ½ žličke soli 225g hladnega nesoljenega masla, narežemo na majhne koščke 60ml do 120ml hladne vode Fila 3 velika jajca bučni pire ( ene Hokkaido buče) 52g sladkorja 1 žlica koruznega škroba 1 žlička vanilijevega ekstrakta 3/4 čajne žličke mletega cimeta 3/4 čajna žlička naribanega ingverja ½ žličke soli 1/4 žličke sveže naribanega muškatnega oreščka Meringue 450g kristalnega sladkorja 8 velikih beljakov, sobne temperature Postopek Bučni pire Razrežite bučo v dve polovici. Z žlico postrgajte semena iz buče . Postavite bučni polovici na pekač-peki papir položite nanj (obrnjeni navzgor ali navzdol) in pecite na 180°C 45 minut. Potem z žlico postrgajte ''meso'' in ga postavite v multipraktik, miksajte, dokler ni masa popolnoma gladka. Testo V mikserju zmešajte moko, sladkor in sol. Dodajte maslo in miksajte. Počasi dodajajte vodo. Če je testo presuho, dodamo več vode, 1 žlico naenkrat. Oblikujte testo v disk in zavijte v prozorno folijo. Za eno uro postavite v hladilnik.

Pita Pečico segrejte na 190°C. Naredite pitino skorjo: Razvaljamo disk na rahlo pomokani površini. Testo postavite v pekač za pite. Postavite v hladilnik za 30 minut. Na testo položite peki papir in nanj stresite suh fižol ali grah za obtežitev, da med peko testo ne naraste. Pecite približno 15 minut. Odstranite papir in fižol/grah. Postavite nazaj v pečico in pecite do zlato rjave barve, 15 do 20 minut. Nato naj se zunaj ohlaja. Medtem pripravimo nadev: razžvrkljamo skupaj jajca, bučni pire, sladkor, koruzni škrob, vanilijin ekstrakt, cimet, ingver, 1/2 žličke soli in muškatni orešček v veliko posodo. Zmanjšajte temperaturo v pečici na 160°C. Ohlajeno skorjo napolnite s filo. Pecite 50 do 55 minut. Nato naj se 2 uri ohlaja v hladilniku. Tik pred serviranjem naredite meringue: Združite kristalni sladkor in beljake v posodi in jo postavite nad vrelo vodo. Mešajte, dokler se sladkor ne stopi. Beljake prelijte v mikser in miksajte, dokler ne nastane meringue.Pito bogato obložite z meringue in popecite z ročnim gorilnikom, če ga imate.