We all know and love pumpkin pie, but what about pumpkin pudding? Pumpkin pudding was baked in a whole pumpkin and was thought to be the original pumpkin pie! Although this pudding, does not resemble a typical pie, it is similar in flavor and has a great history lesson along with a unique way of cooking it!
The history of pumpkin pie is an interesting one! Pumpkins were first cultivated in Central America around 5500 BC, and were one of the earliest foods the first European explorers brought back from the New World.
Pumpkins were first mentioned in Europe in 1536, and within a few decades, they were grown regularly in England where they were called “pumpions” after the French “pompon” which was a reference to their round form. The First Nations peoples were familiar with various squashes and always grew the “three-sisters” together which consisted of squash, beans and corn. Though the new settlers may have brought pumpkins with them, the First Nations peoples showed the many preparations of pumpkin and other vegetables to the new settlers and taught them how to live in Canada’s harsh climate among other interesting things. As useful as the pumpkin was, especially as a way to make bread without much flour, they were not always popular, until later.
The pumpkin pie originally may not have been an actual pumpkin pie but rather a custard baked in the pumpkin itself. A 1621 New England recipe involved filling a hollowed-out pumpkin with spices, honey, sweetened milk and then cooking it in hot ashes. An English version of the same preparation had the pumpkin stuffed with sliced apples and then cooked in hot ashes.
Later, the way pumpkin pie appeared in cookbooks, began to change. A 1653 French cookbook, Le Vrai Cuisinier Francois (The French Cook) mentioned to boil pumpkin in milk, strain it and then pour it into a crust. The recipe as it appears in the translated version is as follows:
Tourte of Pumpkin – Boile it with good milk, pass it through a straining pan very thick and mix it with sugar, butter, a little salt and if you will, a few stamped almonds; let it all be very thin. Put it in your sheets of paste; bake it. After it is baked, besprinkle it with sugar and serve.
1653 English translation of Pumpkin Pie from Le Vrai Cuisiner Francois by Francois Pierre de la Varenne
In a 1670 cookbook, Gentlewoman’s Companion by Hannah Woolley, wrote about a pie filled with alternating layers of pumpkin and apple, spiced rosemary, sweet marjoram and a handful of thyme in a handmade pie crust.
Amelia Simmons 1796 cookbook, American Cookery contained a pair of pumpkin pie recipes, one of which is similar to today’s version, although measurements have since changed. Her recipe, as it appears in her cookbook is below:
Pumpkin Pie was also mentioned by various authors in their novels and poems throughout the 1800’s and pies made with crusts became much more widely used in the mid-1800’s. In 1929 pumpkin pie recipes began appearing on cans of pumpkin, using pie crusts and the recipe was updated in the 1950’s and again in the 1980’s.
Now that we know the original pumpkin pie may have actually been a custard baked in a whole pumpkin, I think we should give it a try!!
Let’s get started!
First, cut the top off the pumpkin and remove seeds, rinse. I am using the sugar pie pumpkin because it is small and the perfect size to cook this way.
Next prepare the filling. Whisk it well. Pour into the pumpkin. Bake until pumpkin is tender when poked with a fork and custard is set.
The delicious spices have risen to the top of the pumpkin pudding during cooking – we perhaps should have whisked it better (or maybe longer!!)
You can see the layers in the custard.
Enjoy with whipped cream. We always whip our own from heavy cream. Whip 2 cups heavy whipping cream with 1 tsp vanilla and 3/4 cup icing sugar. Whip until peaks form. Do not over whip.
Cut pumpkin into pieces and serve with whipped cream.
When eating, lightly scrape your fork along the pumpkin so you are sure to eat the pumpkin along with the custard! You can also cut the pumpkin away from the skin and discard the skin before serving up this unique pudding-like-pie. The custard is very rich and the pumpkin tastes just like pumpkin is expected to. It tastes much better eaten together along with whipped cream, though it definitely has a flavor of its own!
A review: To be honest, next October when I try this again, I would sprinkle the pumpkin with cinnamon-sugar and let sit 30 minutes, before adding the custard in to bake. This would add sweetness to the pumpkin itself which would taste so yummy with the custard! I would also enjoy it with a cinnamon-spiced whipped cream!
Here’s the updated version of the custard filled pumpkin recipe:
The Original Pumpkin Pie – 1600’s Pumpkin Pudding
1 small pumpkin – 4 to 5″ in height – sugar pumpkins work great for this
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk of choice
3 eggs plus 4 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1/2 tbsp vanilla
1 tsp cornstarch
pinch salt
1/2 tsp ground mace
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Prepare pumpkin by scooping out the seeds and pulp, rinse and place it on a baking sheet or stone.
In a mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients together and whisk well until all ingredients are well combined.
Pour mixture into your prepared pumpkin, allowing about 3/4 of an inch space between filling and top of pumpkin. Bake at 400F for 15 minutes. Cover the top loosely with foil, reduce heat to 375F and bake 30 minutes. Remove foil, and bake an additional 30 minutes or until pumpkin is tender and a knife inserted into centre comes out mostly clean.
Turn off oven and allow pumpkin to cool for 1 hour. Place in fridge, loosely covered and allow custard to set 6 hours or overnight.
Either scoop out custard with pumpkin, or slice and remove pumpkin skin before serving. Serve with whipped cream.
