HOLI - DAZE Just my musings on what I think about the Daze ahead.
Here we have two holidays smacked right next together, only one month apart. And with that two really huge meals. Thanks Giving with the Turkey, mash potatoes, stuffing, pies, green beans, and a multitude of side dishes that are heavy as bricks on the stomach. Then Hey it's Christmas! Happy Holidays every one! "Hey Idiot! it's Merry Christmas!" ...........Ok "Merry Christmas Everyone"! Did I get it right this time? What ever! Season Somethings. Well what ever it is it's pretty messed up. Anyway then with Christmas we have Ham and cherries, another Turkey and another cluster of really heavy side dishes. WHY! Let us hope that some one does not come up with a holiday in between Thank Giving and Christmas.
I could understand it if the holi-daze were maybe 6 month apart, but their exactly one month apart.
So yeah the thing that is call Thanks Giving sucks us in every year, we have to appease the parents and yes my hubby and I will be eating turkey, stuffing and mash potatoes on the Thanks Giving day indoctrination, but Christmas, hell no. Uh uh.
Check list for the Holi-days
1. Black Friday......................................................................................................... Relaxing at home.
2. Going nuts trying to make every thing prefect.................................................. ..Relaxing at home.
3. Buying Christmas Presents...................................................................................................Nope.
4. Christmas tree or nativity.......................................................................................................Nope.
5. Spending time cuddling with my hubby while watching movies.................................Definitely!
If I had it my way Christmas would be every four years like the Olympics, why?
1. It really would be something to look forward.
2. You could really buy someone that extra special gift, that would have more meaning.
3. No one would get killed during Black Friday, because over the four years you could save up for the wanted item.
4. To see decorations after four year it would truly be magical wonderland.
5. It would make people happier, because they would now at the end of each year they would not be pulling their hair out with traffic, rude people, and crazy people.
With all this being said. I'm going to still my to make my caramelized pumpkin pie, not no actual caramel is added. My in-laws go nuts over this. So yes I'm still have to march step a little.
FOR KICKS & GIGGLES HERE IS THE NOT HEALTHY VERSION! BWHAAAAA!
PUMPKIN PIE
This is a yummy addition to the fall table. It's a little more work than the persimmon pie, but still so worth it. Persimmon and Pumpkin pies are basically identical to each other. Except for one differents. You have to steam the Pumpkin, but you don't have to steam the Persimmon.
NOTE: To really get the full flavor of this pie, use freshly grated or crushed spices.
PUMPKIN PIE INGREDIENTS:
DOUGH
2 Sticks of butter. Cut into cubes and chilled in the freezer
3 to 5 Tablespoons of Ice water.
4 cups of flour.
FILLING:
1 3/4 Cup of Pumpkin You will need 1 pie pumpkin for this.
3 Eggs
3/4 Cup Sugar
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Cup of Condensed Milk
5 Table spoons of flour
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 Teaspoon ground fresh cloves
1/2 Teaspoon nutmeg freshly grated.
1/2 or more of freshly grated Ginger.
METHOD OF PREPARATION:
Have either a glass pie dish ready or a foil one, either will do fine.
FIRST: MAKING THE DOUGH.
Put the four cups of flour into a large glass dish and add the 2 cups of diced chilled butter. Now with either a pastry knife or your fingers. Work the butter into the flour until it look like a course bread meal and no big clumps of butter remain. Next add 3 table spoons at a time of cold ice water and mix into the mixture until it starts to hold, if need be add 2 more tablespoons. Do not get discouraged at this point. Think of it as compacting a snow ball. Keep working the mixture into a dough ball and compacting it as you go. After you have your ball, you do not need to kneed it. Put it back into the glass dish and cover it with plastic wrap and rest it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
SECOND: STEAMING THE PUMPKIN.
Cut the pumpkin in half and scrap out the seeds really good. Now cut in half again. Place face down and over lap the halves in a steamer basket. Make sure the lid is flush with the top of the pot. If you have a small steamer, steam the pumpkin in batches. Steam until you can stick a knife thought it real easily. When done the flesh should be nice and soft and easily scrapped off the skin. Measure what you need, and put the rest in a freezer container for a later pie.
THIRD: MAKING THE PIE FILLING
Break your eggs into a bowl and beat with a egg beater for about 2 minutes then add the sugar, keep beating. Then pour in the condensed milk, beat in, add the brown sugar, add all the freshly grated or crushed spices, beat in. Now add the smashed pumpkin, beat in and last but not least add the 5 Table spoons of flour and beat in. Cover and put in the refrigerator.
Remove the Pie Dough from the refrigerator. Sprinkle flour on your cutting board and place the dough ball on the cutting board. Now start to roll the dough out, making sure that it does not stick to the cutting board. Keep on rolling it out until it is thin and look about the size of your pie dish. Now very carefully use your rolling pin to roll the dough on to and unroll it on to the pie dish to see if it fits. If not roll it back on to the pin and roll it out more. Note: Practice Makes Prefect, so don't give up on this part. Once your pie dough is the right size, gently push in into shape of the pie dish. When it come to this part I go for the rustic look, either way it's going to be yummy, but if you want to try some pretty shapes go for it. This is your pie and your creation. Next use a tooth pick to poke a lot of holes into the bottom of the pit dough, then put about a handful of dried beans on top of the dough. (Don't throw the beans out, keep them for the next time you make another pie). Turn the oven to 325 and put the pie dough into the oven for about 10 to 15 minutes. But keep and eye on it. It's ok if the pie dough turns light, light brown, but do not let it turn golden. After it is done take it out and let it cool.
Next take the filling out of the refrigerator and pour it into the cooled pie crust. Place into the oven and turn the oven to 400 and cook for 45 to 55 minutes. Again keep an eye on it. Your pie will be done when you can stick a tooth pick in the middle and it comes out clean. And another thing, it is ok if the very middle of the pie is a tad liquidity, that fine. As long as the whole pie has a nice Golden Brown Color to it. Let the Pie rest for 1 hour. Yeah I know that hard, but this allows the pie to settle and firm up. It like when you take a cookie out of the oven, it soft at first then as it cool it get hard.
Additional notes: Letting the pie rest, let it firm up and you can make these pies up ahead of time and freeze them, and all you have to do is let them thaw for a hour.
Get a big spoon full of whip Cream and dig in.
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