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My Mom's Pumpkin Pie or Tart Filling

My Mom’s Pumpkin Pie or Tart Filling

This recipe came from the label of a tin of Libby’s Pumpkin Puree in 1947. It is still my favourite pumpkin pie recipe.

Ingredients:

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 ¾ cups pumpkin puree

¾ cup sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon ginger

¼ teaspoon cloves

1 ¾ cups evaporated milk, top milk, or light cream

1 nine-inch pastry shell or several unbaked tart shells.

Mix ingredients in the order given. I use my Viking stand mixer to ensure spices are blended well. Pour this liquid mixture into a raw pastry shell. I use my largest pie plate because this is a big recipe. 

Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F and bake another 45 minutes or until a knife inserted into filling comes out clean. Decorate the pie with seasonal pastry shapes.

Serve with real whipped cream!! Yummy! 

To make tarts using the same filling:

Pour pumpkin filling into raw, chilled, pastry lined muffin cups until about ⅔ full. I like pumpkin tarts to be fairly deep.  

Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes. Test for doneness using a thin knife blade. 

Chill tarts. Serve topped with whipped cream. 

Mom's Vintage Rhubarb Pie Filling

Preheat the oven to 450°F

This small recipe works best using a basic 8-inch pie plate. My mother usually baked this pie in a shallow enamelled 9-inch pie plate that she received as a wedding gift in 1947. I cherish that pan and used it recently. I enjoyed the memories that flooded over me that day. 

Ingredients:

Pastry for a double crust pie

2 cups thinly sliced rhubarb, fresh or frozen

1 egg

1 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons flour

Method:

Whisk the egg and add the sugar and flour, mixing until smooth. Add the rhubarb to this mixture and mix well. Set aside. 

Line a pie plate with pastry, add the rhubarb mixture, and top with pastry. Pinch pastry edges, cut off excess and prick the pie top. 

Place pie in a preheated 450°F oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F and bake for another 40 to 50 minutes. 

NOTE:

My mother made this pie using her Vintage Hot Water Pastry. The pastry and filling seemed to become one, resulting in a soft, delicious dessert. I often bake Mom’s rhubarb pie filling using my Easy, Delicious, Buttermilk Pastry. This recipe creates a crispy crust sweetened with a layer of rhubarb goodness. Try a few different pastry recipes and see what you prefer with rhubarb.  

Pastry-Topped, Deep-Dish Apple Rhubarb Bake

Preheat the oven to 400°F

Prepare pastry to cover a 9” by 13” cake pan. Use homemade or purchase puff pastry from a grocery store. Roll pastry into a 10” by 14” rectangle. Refrigerate the prepared pastry topper on a baking sheet or tray until the fruit mixture is ready.  

Filling Ingredients:

9 cups apples, cored, peeled, and sliced (9 to 14 apples)

4 cups sliced rhubarb, fresh or frozen

1 cup granulated sugar

⅓ cup all-purpose flour or a thickener of your choice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

⅓ cup orange or apple juice

Method:

Combine apples and rhubarb in a large bowl. Combine sugar, spices, and flour in a separate bowl. Add sugar mixture to the fruit and toss lightly to coat. 

Pour filling into a 9” by 13” baking pan—drizzle juice over the filling.  

Top the fruit mixture with the chilled pastry—pinch the edges to flute. Cut slits to allow steam to escape. I often use cookie cutters to create a unique look. Brush pastry with a wash of milk and sprinkle with sugar. 

Bake the deep-dish pie at 400°F for 50 minutes or until the fruit is tender and the crust is golden brown. 

Try this recipe. You will love it!

Egg-Free Pastry-Flour Pie Crust

This pastry recipe is as delicious on a turkey pot pie as it is with pumpkin pie. 

Ingredients:

3 cups of cake and pastry flour

½ teaspoon of salt

½ cup of cold shortening

½ cup of cold butter

½ cup of ice-cold water

1 tablespoon of white vinegar

Instructions:

Cut the shortening and butter into small pieces and refrigerate.

Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. 

Mix the cold water and vinegar in a cup.

Cut the shortening and butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the cold water and vinegar mixture to the crumbs. Mix lightly using a fork, just until the dough is combined and handles well. 

Divide the dough in half. Sprinkle flour on the counter before rolling out the dough. Roll one piece into a circle, an inch or so larger than the pie plate. Lay the crust in the pie pan and press it lightly onto the bottom and sides of the pan. If you are making just a bottom crust, turn the edge under and pinch, at intervals, creating a fluted edge. Refrigerate or freeze the crust until you are ready to bake. Chill the scraps for later use. 

If you are making a double-crusted pie, add filling to the pastry-lined pie plate, roll out the other half of the dough, and lay it over the filling. Fold the top dough under the bottom dough and pinch at intervals creating a sealed edge.  

This recipe makes enough for one double-crusted pie plus a single crust. Press the scraps from the double-crusted pie into a ball and roll out a single crust. Alternately, roll pastry and cut shapes to decorate the pie or to bake and freeze to float on soup at a later date.  

Easy, Delicious Buttermilk Pastry

I have several buttermilk pastry recipes, but I find myself returning to this one quite often. This recipe makes one double-crust pie. I use the scraps to cut shapes that I can bake and freeze to float on soup or garnish a bowl of pudding. Cutouts are also perfect for embellishing the top of a pie.

Easy, Delicious Buttermilk Pastry

Dry Ingredients: 

2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour, spooned and levelled

1 tablespoon of granulated sugar

¼ teaspoon of salt

In a bowl, whisk dry ingredients together and set aside. 

Moist Ingredients:

⅓ cup of vegetable shortening, chilled and cubed

¼ cup of butter, chilled and cubed

¾ of a cup of buttermilk

Cut butter and shortening into dry ingredients using a pastry blender or two forks. Work until the crumbs are pea-sized. 

Pour the buttermilk over the flour mixture and toss lightly with a fork until the dough starts to hold together. If the dough seems crumbly, add a drop more buttermilk. Sometimes, in dry climates, more moisture is necessary.

Gather the dough together, then divide it in half. Flatten each half into a disk and plastic wrap individually. Refrigerate the pastry for at least 30 minutes. I often chill it overnight. 

Flour the counter and roll out the pastry until it fits your pie plate or can be cut into tart shells. This pastry is easy to handle.  

Oh My - Pecan Pie

Let me share a secret! Pecan Pie is probably the simplest of all recipes to make, yet it is one of the most impressive. You need an uncooked pastry shell, which you can make or buy frozen from the grocery store.

I make this recipe in an old enamel pie pan that my parents received in 1947 for a wedding gift. This pie pan is 8 inches across the bottom and 9 inches across the top. The issue is that it is only 1 inch deep, and, therefore, I must use a drip catcher beneath it. Inevitably, some spattering occurs. It may be wiser to use a pan that is 1.5 inches deep or 10 inches at the inner rim.

This pecan pie is even tastier the next day. Keep it on the counter overnight, under a screen dome. I like to freeze leftovers in serving-size pieces. Cut the pie into eight wedges; it is rich.

                                    Oh My - Pecan Pie

Preheat oven to 350°F

Ingredients:

½ cup of butter or margarine

½ cup of granulated sugar

3 eggs

1 cup of corn syrup or Rogers Golden Syrup

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1 cup of pecans, halved or in pieces

1 unbaked 10-inch pie shell 

Preparation:

Cream the butter and granulated sugar.  Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in the syrup and vanilla. Fold the nuts into the sweet mixture. 

Pour the filling into the prepared pastry shell. Place the pie on a drip catcher, in the bottom third of a preheated oven. 

Bake at 350°F for 45 to 60 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Enjoy a piece once the pie has cooled. After a day in the pantry, this pie can be sliced and frozen. This pie is one of the boy’s favourites.

My Favourite Raisin Streusel Pie

Line a pie plate with pastry and refrigerate until you are ready to fill it. I often use a transparent Pyrex pie plate measuring 7 inches at the bottom and 8.5 inches at the rim. Mine measures 1.5 inches deep. I love to be able to check for a nice brown crust.   

Filling:

In a one-quart saucepan, mix the following ingredients.

1 ½ cups of raisins

1 cup of hot water

1 teaspoon of vinegar

½ teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of butter

In a little bowl, mix, before adding to the pot

½ cup of brown sugar with

2 tablespoons of cornstarch 

Mixing prevents the cornstarch from clumping when added to the other ingredients.

On medium heat, bring the above ingredients to a boil, cooking and stirring until the raisin filling thickens.

Pour the raisin filling into an unbaked pie shell and cover with the streusel topping. 

Bake the pie in the lower third of the oven at 425°F for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 375°F and bake for another 30 to 40 minutes.

There are many recipes for streusel toppings, but for this pie, I prefer the following mixture. Don’t feel you must use all of your prepared crumbs; keep the remainder in a glass jar in the fridge.  Sprinkle leftover streusel over baked apples or crisp toast. Decades ago, it was customary to make large jars of streusel to have on hand for sprinkling on top of muffins, cakes, or pies before baking.

Streusel Topping:

2/3 of a cup of flour

6 tablespoons of brown sugar

6 tablespoons of butter

½ teaspoon of cinnamon

¼ teaspoon of allspice

Using a pastry cutter or two forks, blend this mixture into crumbs. Sprinkle a layer of crumbs over the top of the raisin filling and bake.  

Versatile Lemon Pudding and Pie Filling

(From scratch, using flour, cooked in the microwave oven)

This filling is delicious chilled in a bowl, or served on a hot summer day from the freezer. Make it with or without meringue. It is also the perfect filling for pre-baked tarts or pie shells. 

Ensure you have granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, salt, 3 eggs, a juicy lemon, and butter. 

Instructions:

Place the following ingredients in an eight-cup glass measuring bowl and stir.

1 cup of sugar

4 tablespoons of flour

½ teaspoon of salt

½ cup of water

Add the following ingredients to the above mixture and stir. 

3 well-beaten egg yolks (set aside the whites for meringue) 

1 cup of water

Cook this mixture on high in the microwave for 2 minutes. Then stir well.

Return the filling to the microwave oven and cook on high for three minutes or until thickened.

Add the following ingredients to the mixture. 

2 tablespoons of butter

¼ cup of fresh lemon juice

1½ teaspoons of grated lemon rind

Set the lemon pudding aside to cool. 

Meringue: To make the meringue, whip the three egg whites until frothy and slowly add ¼ cup of sugar while still beating. Once peaks form, pile the meringue on the pie, tarts, or puddings, then bake in a 400°F oven for 5 minutes. Watch this process closely. Meringue browns very quickly. Once cooked, cool the treats and refrigerate.  

Tips for Making Perfect Pre-baked Tart Shells:

Start by making your favourite pastry recipe. This time, I made my Vintage Hot Water Pastry. Roll the pastry, cut it into circles, fill a tart pan with pastry circles, and bake the shells or freeze them, uncooked, for another day.

When ready to bake the tart shells, place a paper cupcake liner inside each raw pastry shell and cover the liner with pie weights. I own clay pie weights, but some people use dried beans. When I bake pastry shells without filling, I bake them in a preheated 425° F oven for 10 minutes. Then, I carefully remove the liners with the weights and return the shells to the oven for 5 minutes. Set the shells aside to cool before filling. 

Generously fill each shell with lemon pie filling. Top with meringue. Place the tarts in a 425° F oven for 5 minutes. Check the tarts after 4 minutes to avoid over-browning. 

Confession: These tarts freeze beautifully and are delicious served right from the freezer. As shown above, I ate this frozen tart!

Ideas:

Put filling in an oven-proof custard cup, top with meringue, and bake as you would for meringue-topped tarts. This pudding is delicious without a pastry base. 

Serve the filling in small glass bowls for a taste change after a heavy meal. It is particularly refreshing on a hot day or when recuperating from a cold or other illness. 

As some of you know, my husband has Crohn's, and he enjoys eating this treat right from the freezer when he is recuperating from a difficult time. I freeze the pudding in small containers. He eats it slowly, scraping pudding curls from the top. He lets the refreshing frozen pudding melt on his tongue. 

Vintage Hot Water Pastry

Vintage Hot Water Pastry

My mother made this pastry recipe from farm-fresh pork lard, likely rendered by her mom. Later, she purchased a similar product from the butcher shop. I have occasionally used brand name lard from grocery stores, but it doesn’t taste quite the same. You will find extra ingredients in boxed lard designed to increase shelf life.

I like to buy lard from a farm like Saskatchewan’s Pineview Farms where it is rendered in their butcher shop and kept in a refrigerator. I store it accordingly when I arrive home. When I make my family’s traditional homemade mincemeat, as featured in Prairies North Magazine, winter issue, 2019, I use this pastry recipe and farm rendered lard to make my memories complete. 

Mixing hot water with flour and lard defies the pastry science we learned in Home Economics. However, this recipe is easy, fast, keeps for a week in the fridge, and rolls like a dream. I have found versions of this recipe in cookbooks dating back to the 1920s. It has stood the taste of time.

Vintage Hot Water Pastry

Ingredients:

½ a pound of lard (I use farm rendered lard and remove it from the refrigerator to soften, a few hours ahead of mixing.)

½ cup of boiling water

2 cups all-purpose flour (spoon flour into cup and level with a knife)

½ teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of baking powder 

Method:

Cream lard with a beater or whisk

Add the boiling water and whisk until smooth

Add the dry ingredients all at once and mix with a spoon.

When mixed, put the pastry into a bowl, cover with a lid, and chill until ready to use. 

This pastry keeps in the fridge for a week and is ready to top a turkey pot pie or quickly make tarts for dessert. It is easily doubled. 

Six Minute Lemon Pie Filling

Altitude affects the consistency of this recipe. I live on the prairies and add more cornstarch to less water when making this at home. When visiting the mountains, I make it with no changes. This filling can be served in stemware as a refreshing change of taste after a heavy meal. Add a dollop of whipped cream and a shortbread biscuit to dress it up. It can also be added to a baked pie crust and topped with meringue. Read The Trouble With Getting High for more about my adventures with this recipe.

Ingredients:

1½ cups of sugar

⅓ cup of cornstarch (add a bit more on the prairies)

1½ cups of boiling water (use a bit less on the prairies)

3 egg yolks beaten; save the whites for meringue

3 tablespoons of butter

¼ cup of lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1 baked nine-inch pie crust

Always prepare your ingredients ahead, when using the microwave. There is no time between cooking stages to squeeze lemons. 

Method:

Mix sugar and cornstarch thoroughly in an eight-cup, glass, measuring bowl. Stir in the boiling water. Microwave on high power for 2½ minutes. Stir.

Continue cooking for 1 minute, stirring and checking for consistency after 30 seconds. 

Beat a small amount of the hot mixture into the egg yolks. Add the warmed yolks back into the cornstarch mixture. Cook another 30 seconds on high. 

Blend butter, lemon juice, and lemon peel into the sugar mixture. Cool.

Pour into a cooled, baked pie crust. Cover with meringue and brown in the oven. 

Meringue:

Whip the three egg whites until frothy and add ¼ cup of sugar slowly while still beating. 

When peaks form, pile meringue on the pie and bake in a 400°F oven for 5 minutes. Once cooled, keep this treat in the refrigerator.