They weight 6-10 pounds each, have basically no strings, and a fruity delicious golden flesh. Jarrahdale are the pale blue-greenish grey pumpkins and my favorite for decorating.Ranging between 10-25 pounds with minimal strings inside and lovely sweet flesh for pie. Cinderella resemble the flatter carriage shaped pumpkin with bright colors.Baby Bear are smaller about 2 pounds that are classically shaped and soft orange.Here are a few of my favorite pumpkins to use for baking a pie. Pumpkins are basically a winter squash, so substituting between them can be tricky. When looking for the best baking pumpkins, choose those labeled labeled “sugar pumpkins” or “pie pumpkins” in the store. Whoa!! Yep, you have channeled your inner Martha Stewart. Scoop the soft baked flesh from the skins and puree.
Simply slice your pumpkins in half, scrape out all the seeds, and bake them for about 45 minutes. Another key factor in the amazing taste of this pumpkin pie. Next, take those extra pumpkins you aren’t using for decoration and make fresh pumpkin puree. Do not squeeze or press the water out, which will result in very dry pumpkin puree. Simply scrape the pumpkin flesh from the baked pumpkins, puree in a food processor, then let it sit on a sieve or colander for a few seconds for excess water to drain.
Now, there are a few important steps to achieve this fabulous Holiday Pie. If you prefer to use something else, swap the bourbon for maple syrup. The alcohol in the bourbon cooks away leaving a nice balance taste. To enhance the flavor of the pumpkin I’ve added bourbon, vanilla, and fall spices. I’ve made many pies over the years using just heavy cream and I found this to be my favorite combination. The texture of the pie is created with a mixture of heavy cream, sour cream, and mascarpone. Although the option of using can pumpkin still works, I just love the flavor of roasted squash. This pumpkin pie recipe is made with fresh pumpkin, that has been roasted in the oven. I prefer pumpkin pie with a little booze enhanced flavor, served cold, and always with a homemade crust. I’m a bit biased but this is the Best Homemade Pumpkin Pie Recipe from scratch and the ultimate Thanksgiving dessert in my opinion.