Pie of the Month: Pumpkin Chiffon and Pumpkin Peanutbutter Bread

My sister-in-law called and invited us for Thanksgiving. In reply to my query about what to bring, she said, “Oh, bring the pumpkin pies!” If you read last week’s column, you may remember that I bought some pumpkins (and squashes) at a farmer’s market and have been up to my elbows in steamed pumpkin—so I decided to make the pies for Thanksgiving now and freeze them (they do freeze well) and feature pumpkin pie as our “pie of the month.”


Well, I really got into this pumpkin thing, so I still have pumpkin puree in quantities. I set out to see what wonderful recipes I could find to make with my great stash of both pumpkin and squash puree. They are truly almost interchangeable. If you buy more than one variety of pumpkin, you will find they vary in moisture content, color and texture. The larger jack-o-lantern pumpkins are usually very moist and require draining the pumpkin after steaming. I steam the pumpkin in pieces with the skin on, strip the flesh off the skin after it is cooked and cooled, and then puree it in a food processor. Next, put the puree in a fine strainer set over a bowl to catch the liquid. Leave it for about an hour and pour the liquid, (along with the liquid from steaming) in a container and freeze for a soup base (it’s chock-full of vitamins).

Back to the pumpkin pies. Although tradition demands that I bring an old-fashioned pumpkin pie, I have so much pumpkin I decided to experiment with a new recipe for a change to bring along, too. I have actually never made a pumpkin chiffon pie, though I have seen quite a few recipes for them, so that seemed the natural way to go. It is a winner! This recipe was taken from the Farm Journal’s Complete Pie Cookbook—a really good book of wonderful pies.

Sour Cream Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

Baked 9” pie shell
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
¼ c. cold water
3 eggs, separated
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 ¼ cup pumpkin puree
½ cup dairy sour cream
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. cloves
¼ tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. ginger
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 cup heavy cream, whipped
1 cup sifted confectioner’s sugar
½ tsp. vanilla
½ tsp. rum extract
½ cup chopped toasted pecans

Soften gelatin in water. Beat egg yolks with 1/3 cup sugar until thick and lemon-colored. Add pumpkin, sour cream, salt and spices. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in softened gelatin. Stir until gelatin is dissolved. Cool. Beat egg whites until frothy; add ¼ cup sugar gradually, beating until stiff peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Fold into pumpkin mixture. To whipped cream, add confectioner’s sugar and vanilla, mixing well. Spoon half of pumpkin mixture into cool pie shell; then spread half of whipped cream mixture on top. Repeat. Sprinkle with pecans. Chill at least 2 hours before serving. Makes 8 servings.

Still, I have more pumpkin. Of course, I could freeze it but I am on a roll. I remembered that I have a great banana bread recipe that uses peanut butter, but Zig doesn’t like banana bread. What about pumpkin and peanut butter? Well it turned out to be absolutely delicious.

Pumpkin-Peanut Butter Bread

1 ½ cups pumpkin puree
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter (do not use natural peanut butter)
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 large eggs
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 ½ cups flour
¼ cup ground flaxseed
¾ tsp. baking soda
2/3 tsp. salt
2/3 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground allspice
2 Tbsp. chopped peanuts

Glaze:

1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp 2% milk
1 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350. Combine first 5 ingredients in large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed. Add both sugars; beat until blended. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through allspice) in a small bowl. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture; beat just until blended. Stir in nuts. Pour batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Remove bread from pan; cool. To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar, milk and 1 Tbsp. peanut butter in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Pour or spread glaze over warm bread.