Author Holiday Extravaganza: Mindi Scott

Today's guest is Freefall author Mindi Scott, the woman who brought us the wonderful Set
h that we can all swoon for. I have to admit, I wouldn't mind him as a Christmas gift....

But, she isn't here with Seth today, but rather, pumpkin pie. But not just any pie. Nope. Fresh pumpkin pie. Intrigued? Thought so.

Oh, pumpkin pie! Some people love it. Some loathe it. Some are honestly and truly indifferent. But regardless of where you sit on the pumpkin pie train, you can pretty much expect that you will encounter this dessert at some point between November and December. Maybe you’ll even bake it yourself.

So let me tell you a secret: Pumpkin pie made from fresh pumpkin (versus canned) will change your life.

THIS IS NOT HYPERBOLE, PEOPLE.

When my sister suggested a few years ago that we try making pie from sugar pumpkins (also called pie pumpkins), I was skeptical. Annoyed, even. I didn’t think it could possibly be worth the extra work.

Oh, how wrong I was! Those pies were The Delicious. I became . . . kind of obsessed.

Now, I haven’t been doing this for long enough to have a tried-and-true method for fresh pumpkin preparation (my sister likes using a pressure cooker; I think I like using the oven), but if you do an internet search for “using fresh pumpkin for pie” or something to that effect, you’ll find lots of links that tell you how to get that sucker ready!

I do happen to have found this recipe that makes a lovely filling. The only changes I make are that I use fresh pumpkin instead of canned and I use two teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice instead of measuring the cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg as specified. There is no added sugar in this recipe, but the sweetened condensed milk along with the fresh pumpkin are sweet and yummy enough; I promise! Throw on some whipped cream and you’re good to go.

Try it! Please! I beg of you! It might be too late to get sugar pumpkins in December, but do pick some up next autumn to freeze and have ready for the holidays. Swearsies, you won’t regret it.