A Different Spin On Pumpkin Pie

My maternal grandma made the best pumpkin pie this side of heaven. With the perfect amount of sweetness and very subtle spices, her pumpkin pie was the only one I ever really loved. She has been gone for 6 years now but I still miss her and still crave her pumpkin pie, especially around the holidays. It was the one recipe I managed to inherit from her before she died. Once I had a family of my own, I was so excited about making this recipe for them. Only problem is, they do not like pumpkin, much less pumpkin pie. "Oh but this pie is different," I assured them. "It is grandma's special recipe." Still their response once they tasted it was lukewarm at best. The members of my tribe are devout sweet potato pie lovers, and pumpkin pie to them just doesn't cut it. Oh I love sweet potato pie also, but I've just got to get my pumpkin pie fix from time to time.

Then I had what I thought was a brilliant idea. A close second to sweet potato pie among family favorites was cheesecake. So what would happen if I were to combine the two recipes to make a pumpkin cheesecake? Okay, so I admit, I am a little slow and did not know that there was already such a thing as pumpkin cheesecake at that time. In fact, I never started seeing recipes for pumpkin cheesecake until shortly after I had made my first one. And what if I made my crust just a little different? Some of our holiday guests were gluten intolerant so I came up with a way to make the crust gluten-free using dark chocolate and pecans. The guests absolutely loved it. My family was a little leery at first and saw it as yet one more of my attempts to cram pumpkin down their throats. I am sure they probably took that first "courtesy bite" just to avoid the "wrath of Mama." Once they tasted it however, they were hooked. My husband declared that it was almost as good as.... well never mind. It was that good and he ended up eating 3 slices and would have eaten more had I not reminded him that this pie was neither low-fat nor low-calorie. From that day on my pumpkin cheesecake has become a regular fall tradition in our house even before the holiday season officially begins. This year my husband even requested it for his birthday which falls in October. He says that it is a recipe even pumpkin haters can love.

Ingredients
Filling:
1 16 ounce can of pumpkin puree or one cooked pie pumpkin puree
2 8 ounce blocks of cream cheese softened
1 cup of sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon


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Yummy Old Fashion Recipes For the Holidays and More - Pumpkin Pudding, Christmas Pickles, Wassail

While some of these recipes are certainly considered 'holiday recipes,' there is no reason you can't enjoy them year-round. For instance, pumpkin is a very healthy food yet it is often set aside for just Thanksgiving and Christmas. This Pumpkin Chiffon Pudding with Coconut should be enjoyed as a healthy dessert year-round. The pickles are just as good at your Fourth of July picnic as they are at Christmas. The Pineapple Wassail should be enjoyed more than once or twice a year.

PUMPKIN CHIFFON PUDDING WITH COCONUT
This is a little different way to enjoy that healthy pumpkin. Now that I am diabetic I have updated my use of this recipe by replacing the sugar with Splenda granulated. No need to hunt for unsweetened coconut since you use fresh grated! But here is the original recipe for those of you who can still enjoy sugar.

1 cup sugar
2 tbsp butter
2 large eggs, separated
2 tbsp flour
3 cups cooked, mashed pumpkin
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup grated fresh coconut

In a large bowl cream the sugar, butter, an egg yolks. Add the flour, pumpkin, vanilla and mix together well. Beat the egg whites until stiff and gently fold into the pumpkin mixture. Pour into a lightly greased 9-inch square baking dish or pan. Sprinkle the coconut over the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Serves 6

CHRISTMAS PICKLES
1-gallon of dill pickles
2-oz Tabasco sauce
3 garlic cloves. chopped
5 lb granulated sugar

Drain pickle juice and discard.

Slice the pickles lengthwise and place back in the jar. Add the Tabasco sauce and the garlic. Add approximately 1 1/2 pounds of the sugar. Screw lid tightly back on the jar. Gently tip the jar back and forth several times to allow the sugar, garlic, and Tabasco to blend. Leave sitting out a room temperature for a week. As the sugar dissolves, add more until all the sugar has been used. Tip jar each time you add sugar so it can mix in. By the time all the sugar has dissolved, the pickles will be bright green and crisp.

PINEAPPLE FLAVORED WASSAIL
6 cups apple cider or apple juice
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup honey
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon peel
1 (18-oz) can unsweetened pineapple juice
1 small can frozen orange juice, diluted according to container directions
1 orange sliced into thin rings

In a large saucepan heat the cider and cinnamon stick to boiling. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes are up, remove the lid and add the nutmeg, honey, lemon juice and peel, pineapple juice, and the orange juice. Simmer another 5 minutes.

To serve, arrange the orange slices on the top and serve in a heat-proof punch bowl.

Yield: 16 servings of 1/2 cup or 8 servings of 1 cup.

Note: A crockpot or slow cooker is a great way to keep the Wassail warm, if desired. Just pour the hot wassail into the cooker and set on the Keep Warm setting. This also makes a good chilled beverage during the warmer weather.

Enjoy!

For more of Linda's old-fashion recipe collection visit her blog at http://grandmasvintagerecipes.blogspot.com
For more of her recipes and diabetic information visit http://diabeticenjoyingfood.blogspot.com

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How to Harvest Pumpkin Leaves

Pumpkin leaves can be used similarly to other edible greens like collard and kale.

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Most plants that are found in a garden or farm are grown for the fruit and vegetables that they will eventually bear. The rest of the plant is then discarded or turned to mulch for the next year's crop. However, a number of plants can yield an additional flavorful food as well: the leaves. A number of plants, such as celery, sweet potato and pumpkins, have leaves that can be made into nutritious side dishes and salads. Pumpkin leaves should be harvested at the peak of freshness while they are still young and tender.

Related Searches:Difficulty:EasyInstructions Things You'll NeedScissors or serrated knifeSuggest Edits1

Wait until the pumpkin leaves have reached a mature size -- measuring at least 2 inches across -- before harvesting; smaller leaves will be less bitter than larger leaves.

2

Select pumpkin leaves that are closer to the ground and the root system. These will be the freshest, most flavorful and most nutritious leaves.

3

Trim the pumpkin leaves at the base of the stem -- which is edible as well -- using scissors or a serrated knife.

4

Cook or use the pumpkin leaves right away or process them for freezing and canning.

Tips & Warnings

Remember that leaves are beneficial to plants, performing functions such as providing cover from the sun. Harvest only what you need, as more leaves will grow back to replace the one you harvest.

Do not harvest pumpkin leaves that have been eaten by pests, become mottled or started to turn yellow, as they will be extremely bitter to the taste.

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ReferencesSelf Nutrition Data: Pumpkin Leaves, Cooked, Boiled, Drained, Without SaltFood and Agriculture Organization of the United States: Leaflet No. 12 - 1986 - PumpkinNational Gardening Association: Harvesting GreensPhoto Credit Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty ImagesRead Next:

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