So, I really wanted to be little Suzy Homemaker this year and make 2 pumpkin pies for our theatre's Halloween Party. I set out for the ingredients at the Safeway, got it all, ooh-even a graham cracker crust! Who knew! It all seemed so simple. I thought to myself, I'll just whip these up Monday afternoon.
Hmmm.
I mixed it all up as directed, even added a pinch of Paprika ( a tip from Martha ). As I was mixing the pumpkin ingredients, I was simultaneously cooking my dinner, steaks with marinade and spices. I felt like a domestic god. Not only that, but I had done several loads of laundry, straightened up the trailer a bit, AND managed to add my last Halloween ghoul of the year to my yard. (More on that later.)
I was on top of it all. I felt amazing.
Then came the smoke.
Slowly, at first, then in torrents. I didn't understand...it had only been 20 minutes? The crust was blacker than pitch. I quickly realized that the crust was not mean to be cooked longer than 5 minutes. Ugh. I emptied out the perfectly good pumpkin, which I rationalized would still be fine...Matt advised me against it.
*sigh*
Back to Safeway. More pumpkin, ect. Crusts that were meant to be cooked. Mixed it up, but waited to pour and cook...(we went to the movies tonight...more an that later as well). Got back from the movies, poured and stuck in the oven.
35 minutes later, the smoke came again.
I don't know what happened.
Mom never seemed to have these problems..Dad either... Now, it is after midnight on All Hallows Eve, and 4 burnt pies later, I am 2 pies short of the 2 pies I promised. I suppose that I will venture back to Safeway again tomorrow, but not for ingredients...for the pumpkin pies sold in their bakery.
While I aspire to be the domestic wonder that my mother is, I sometimes have to try to remember that she had a bit more time to practice than I have.
I only wish that I could get rid of the burnt pumpkin smell that is pervading the premises...
Mom and Dad, you made it look so easy...
Luv,
SGS
4 comments:
Don't beat yourself up, Stephen. The fault may be in your oven. If it's not regulating properly, the heat can build and burn your pies before you know it.
Get a cheap oven thermometer, put it in the oven and turn the oven on to whatever heat you were using for the pies (about 350 degrees, right?). Leave it in there for about twenty minutes and then check it. If the thermometer still reads 350 degrees, then your oven is okay. If not, you've got a problem and need a repairman.
My oven does just fine except when I'm cooking something at around 450. It'll creep up by about 25 degrees, so I have to keep a close eye on it then.
You can also make a little foil sheild for the edges of the crust. Or they sell them for silly amounts of money. Basically, it's just a ring of foil for the edges so the pie cooks, but the crust doesn't burn.
you are still a domestic godess in my eyes
steve
If you wanna wow them sneak into town and pick up to pumpkin pies from a Firehook bakery. We had a guy who worked for them in JCS and used to bring all kinds of tasty confections our way.
And Mrs. M is totally right about the regulating/thermometer thing in the oven. My oven in Astoria used to run about 25-50 degrees too low and sometimes wouldn't realize it until something had been in the oven for well over an hour and half that was supposed to cook in 45.
Happy Haunting!
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