Easy and Elegant Pumpkin Pies
On the heels of fall comes the holiday season, with two of the biggest pie-eating days of the year - Thanksgiving and Christmas. The hectic holidays can leave little time to plan, shop or prepare traditional holiday menus for entertaining family and friends.
Here are some easy tips to create beautiful-to-look-at, wonderful-to-eat "gourmet" pumpkin pies. Start with one of Mrs. Smith's three varieties of flavorful pumpkin pies, each with wonderful homemade taste. Premium pumpkin blended with whole milk and eggs give the Special Recipe Homemade Pumpkin Pie a smooth, rich, creamy taste. Seasoned with the perfect touch of cinnamon and nutmeg, this blue-ribbon recipe comes in a 10-inch holiday size that is perfect for those special-entertaining occasions.
Another flavorful choice is Mrs. Smith's Pumpkin Custard Pie. With just a hint of spice, the custard filling has a light, fresh taste that complements the flavor of the specially grown premium pumpkins.
For traditional pumpkin pie lovers, Mrs. Smith's Hearty Pumpkin Pie has the classic, richly spiced taste you remember. The top-notch pumpkin flavor in all of these treats is surrounded by a flaky, golden brown crust, just like grandma used to bake.
Give your pie gourmet garb with any one of these toppings or recipes to create a special scrumptious look and taste for fall and holiday get-togethers.
Mrs. Smith's Pumpkin Pie Topped with Pastry Leaves
1 package frozen Mrs. Smith's Pumpkin Pie (Hearty, Special Recipe or Custard)
1 Mrs. Smith's frozen pie crust, thawed
1 whole egg
Dash of salt
Whipped cream
Bake pie according to package directions and cool. Remove thawed pie crust from tin and roll out flat on a floured surface. With a sharp knife, cut out leaf shapes using a silk leaf as your template. Using the back of the knife, mark veins on the pastry leaves. Carefully set pastry leaves on nonstick cookie sheet. Brush with egg and salt mixture.
Bake until nicely browned. Arrange in a decorative pattern on top of pie and adorn with whipped cream.
Mrs. Smith's Pumpkin Pie with Orange-Pecan Topping
1 package frozen Mrs. Smith's Pumpkin Pie (Hearty, Special Recipe or Custard)
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/2 tablespoons orange zest
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup pecan halves
Bake pie according to package directions. While the pie is baking, combine butter, orange zest and brown sugar until well blended. Add pecans. Sprinkle mixture over pie the last 10 minutes of baking time.
Mrs. Smith's Pumpkin Pie Trifle
(Reprinted with permission of the Southern Living Cooking School)
1 package frozen Mrs. Smith's Pumpkin Pie (Hearty, Special Recipe or Custard)
3 cups whipping cream
3/4 cup maple syrup, divided
1 teaspoon maple extract
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted (optional)
Bake pie according to package directions. Cool on a wire rack at least 2 hours. Cut pie into cubes. Beat whipping cream, 3 tablespoons maple syrup and maple extract at medium speed with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
Layer half of pie cubes in a 3-quart trifle dish or bowl, or place evenly into individual brandy glasses; drizzle with half of remaining maple syrup, and top with half of whipped cream mixture. Repeat procedure. Sprinkle with pecans if desired.
Mrs. Smith's Walnut Streusel Pumpkin Pie
1 package frozen Mrs. Smith's Pumpkin Pie (Hearty, Special Recipe or Custard)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, chilled
1 cup chopped walnuts
Bake pie according to package directions for 45 minutes. Combine flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. With two knives or a pastry blender, cut in cold butter until the mixture is crumbly. Fold in chopped walnuts. Remove pie from oven and sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the pie. Continue baking for 25 to 30 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean.
EDITOR'S NOTE:
Mrs. Smith's Bakeries, Inc. is a business unit of Flowers Industries, Inc. Based in Suwanee, Ga., Mrs. Smith's Bakeries markets a full line of fresh and frozen branded baked foods to retail, in-store bakery, foodservice and vending customers nationwide. The company's products are sold under brand names such as Mrs. Smith's, European Bakers, Our Special Touch, Danish Kitchen, Stilwell, Mrs. Freshley's, Pet-Ritz, Oronoque Orchards and Pour-A-Quiche. Annual sales in 1998 were $600 million. Flowers Industries, Inc. (NYSE: FLO), headquartered in Thomasville, Ga., produces and markets a full line of fresh and frozen packaged baked foods for national and regional markets. These products are sold under such well-known brand names as Keebler, Cheez-It, Mrs. Smith's, Famous Amos, Nature's Own and Cobblestone Mill.
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