Fresh Pie made with Real Pumpkins

Halloween pranksters smashed the pumpkins our 6-year-old daughter Ava planned to use in a Fresh Pumpkin Pie. (Our pumpkin saga unfolds here.) There is a silver lining to the story. We chose a fibrous jack-o-lantern pumpkin instead of a sweet pie pumpkin. Who knew there was a difference?

We cleaned up the mess. Went to the shop, picked the correct pumpkin and got to work with a recipe from Pickyourown.org.

Baking Fresh Pumpkin Pie is so easy your kids can do it.  Trust me they can.

Grace is 2 1/2 years old. She had a great time scooping out the pumpkin seeds. All that is required is an ice cream scoop and a little patience.

Seed removal is important toddler work.

Bake Sea Salt and Rosemary Pumpkin Seeds while you prepare your purée.

Ava took charge of preparing the pumpkin. She placed the pieces into a microwaveable dish like a puzzle, added water, covered and steamed the pumpkin herself.  I let her purée the cooked pumpkin too. I was next to her the entire time. She needed two hands to hold the button down. It was a safe bet she would not get her fingers caught.  Again, allow this only under extreme supervision.

Raise the bar, let your kids bake in the kitchen.

Our only variation from the Pick Your Own recipe is a ready-made crust. The reason is simple. Little hands succeed with a pre-made crust. Let’s be honest, baking with kids is time-consuming. Short cuts are forgivable.

Empower your kids with “difficult” tasks

The result? A light, fluffy, slightly eggy pie with an incredibly smooth texture and a soft pumpkin flavor. Truly the best, I have ever tasted.

Ava declared this pie better than store bought.Which means; better than homemade pie from a can.

Sophie valiantly tried to like the pie. After her third bite, we all had to admit: Pumpkin isn’t her thing.

I physically removed Grace from the table. If left alone she would have finished the entire pie in one sitting. There were tears.

Turns out, The Spice does not eat pumpkin pie. You learn something about your spouse every day.

We had a good time making the Fresh Pumpkin Pie but more importantly we didn’t let the pranksters ruin our desert. In fact, The Great Pumpkin Smashing of 2013 probably saved our pie.

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jessica hehir