Thanksgiving at our house always means Pumpkin Pie…
…and pecan pie, but we’ll talk about that one later.
Growing up my mom always made both. Pumpkin was always my favorite. Pecan is my Dad’s favorite. As every parent knows, it is our sole job to make everyone happy, especially during the blessed holidays.
[Insert: Loud record scratch and huge eye roll!]
Amazing Little Personal-Sized Pumpkin Pies.
As a kid I hated pie – I hated pie crust. Hmmm, What?!
I know – I was probably dropped on my head or something. But this pumpkin pie was different, I loved it! It was all about the filling – and the maximum amount of whipped cream that I could manage to fit on slice of pie without looking like a complete glutton! I’d keep it cool by just adding…maybe, a mere cup and a half of whipped cream on top of my pie slice. Who says that is too much? Then, I’d eat the whipped cream and the filing, while carefully leaving the crust behind.
This pumpkin pie recipe is the most delicious pumpkin pie that I’ve ever put in my pie hole.
The filling has an amazing consistency, not to mention the spice and sweetness of the pumpkin filling is perfect! I’ve used different pie crust recipes over the years; but last year after much experimentation, I settled on a favorite. It is a super-easy buttermilk pie crust that is tender, flaky, and flavorful. I know if you make this pie crust it will be the one that you go back to year after year.
There is so much going on in our busy lives that sometimes it’s hard to be grateful!
It is very easy to get bogged down by the logistics of the holiday season: travel plans, family visits, and all the cooking, cleaning, and shopping that goes along with the holidays. I definitely have a tendency to feel overwhelmed and stressed; so much so that I can forget about the true meaning of the holidays. Thanksgiving should be a time to reflect on all of the things that we have to be grateful for. We shouldn’t let it it get overshadowed with getting a jump on shopping for a bunch of crap for our loved ones.
The way that I escape from all of the holiday stress is by getting in the kitchen and recreating the food I grew up with; especially nostalgic holiday treats. Being a military brat we couldn’t always spend the holidays with distant relatives, but we could put the same food on the table. Sharing these memories brought a sense of closeness and togetherness even when family was far away.
Check out our Vegan Pumpkin Pie Recipe too! This recipe is also gluten free.
Pumpkin Pie Tartlets
Little hand held pumpkin pie tartlets.
Ingredients
Pumpkin Pie Filling
- ⅓ cup of sugar
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¾ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 cups pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 2 eggs
Buttermilk Pie Crust
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 2 tbsp sugar
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 cup butter very cold and diced
- ½ cup buttermilk
Instructions
Pumpkin Pie Filling
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Preheat Oven to 450℉
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Combine sugar, salt and spices.
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Stir in pumpkin and honey.
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In a saucepan heat milk, add pumpkin to the mixture.
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Add beaten eggs to the mixture.
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Pour into a pie crust.
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Bake for 10 minutes.
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Reduce heat to 350℉ and bake for another 35 minutes.
Buttermilk Pie Crust
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Add flour, sugar, and salt to a food processor with the metal blade. Pulse a few times.
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Add cold, diced butter to bowl. Pulse until the mixture just starts to come together.
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Turn machine on and add the buttermilk while it is running. Process until the mixture comes together in a ball.
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Dump out and knead in any stray bits.
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Roll in plastic and then refrigerate overnight (or at least a few hours).
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Divide into 6 pieces and roll into balls.
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Roll out and line 6 tartlet pans.
Recipe Notes
This recipe can also be baked as a single large pie in one 9 inch pie crust.
You will have some extra dough left over after you trim the edges of your tartlets or pie. You can use this extra dough to make decorations for your tartlets, or to create a few pie crust cookies. I like cinnamon and sugar on mine!
