Autumn has easily become my favorite time of the year, the changing colors of the leaves, the crackling of fireplaces and most importantly, the return of Pumpkin Pie. Pumpkin Pie is a staple in homes across the United States during the fall season. It has a long, complex history in the United States and is even said to have been served on the first Thanksgiving in 1621.

Pumpkin Pie is the perfect mixture of sweet with a bit of spice thanks to the added cinnamon and clove. Of course, nothing goes better with it then a big dollop of whipped cream on top! So, maybe you can try something new this Autumn and make your very own Pumpkin Pie. See below for my favorite pumpkin pie recipe, feel free to use your own favorite crust recipe or follow mine!

Pumpkin Pie Recipe

 Crust:

• 200g Flour (type 405)
• 1 Tsp. Baking Powder
• 75g Sugar
• 1 Pinch of Salt
• 1 Pinch of Cinnamon
• 100g Cold Butter
• 1 Egg yolk
• 2tsp. Lemon Juice

Pumpkin Pie Filling:

• 1 Hokkaido Pumpkin (pureed) or 1 Jar of Pumpkin Filling (700g)
• 180g Sugar
• 2 Tsp. Cinnamon Powder
• ½ Tsp. Ginger Powder
• 1 Pinch of Cloves
• 3 Eggs
• 1 Pinch of Salt
• 200g “Frischkäse” or Cream Cheese

Preheat your oven to 175 degrees Celsius.

To make the crust, mix flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the cold butter, egg yolks and lemon juice. Mix the dough with a dough hook or hands until the dough holds together in crumbs. Knead the dough on the counter until it forms a smooth dough. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

For the Pumpkin Pie Filling, mix your pureed Pumpkin or Pumpkin Filling, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, clove, eggs, salt and cream cheese.

Take the dough out of the refrigerator and knead it again on your floured work surface. Begin to roll the dough out and lay it in your buttered pie dish or spring form pan (26 cm). Pour the pumpkin filling into the crust.

Bake the pie for about 60 to 70 minutes. Use a toothpick to check for doneness. Let the pie cool and serve with your favorite whipped cream topping!

Bon Appétit!

Vocabulary:

autumn – fall (US)  one of the four seasons – spring, summer, autumn, winter

leaves – a tree has many leaves and looses its leaves in winter

return – comeback

fall – autumn (Brit.)

cinnamon – an aromatic spice made from the bark of a SE Asian tree (Zimt)

clove – the dried flower bud of a tropical tree, used as an aromatic spice (Nelke)

pumpkin – a large round orange-yellow fruit with a thick rind, the flesh can be used in sweet or savoury dishes.      

pumpkin pie – a kind of cake made of mashed pumpkin and other ingredients

dough – a mixture of flour and liquids used for baking bread or pastry

pinch – Messerspitze

tsp. – Teelöffel

Written exercise:

Do you also have a favorite recipe for the autumn season? Write it down in English and send it to ROSE College.

The best recipes will be published  in our next autumn ROSE Letter and the authors will receive a sweet surprise.

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