Friday, October 29, 2021

Pumpkins, pumpkins, pumpkins! Recipe and Book Giveaway from Barbara Fradkin #Halloween

Vicki here, and I’m delighted that my good friend the prominent Canadian author Barbara Fradkin is joining us today with the ultimate fall recipe!  Doesn't this pie looks scrumptious? Leave a comment below for chance to win her fabulous new book. 

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Thanks, Vicki Delany. I’m delighted to be a guest on Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen. I have three different series, one with a police inspector and two with civilian sleuths, and I confess all of them are hopeless in the kitchen. They are more likely to be grabbing food to eat on the fly as they try to save the world, so food ideas are few and far between in my books.

But Hallowe’en is fast approaching, and there are pumpkins everywhere. On supermarket shelves, in market stalls, and on people’s front porches. The quintessential pumpkin food is pie. Its spicy/ sweet flavour and velvety texture are perfect for a chilly autumn day. So I delved into the realm of pumpkin pie recipes to find the best pie that pumpkin has to offer.

The first thing to note is that every recipe claims to be THE BEST. Secondly, there are many variations on spices and preparation, and many shortcuts if you hate rolling out pie dough or roasting pumpkins. Here’s my personal judgment on what is truly the best, but feel free to mix it up or simplify it by using pumpkin pie spice, canned pumpkin or ready-made pie shells.

Pumpkin Pie

Pie crust: makes a 9-inch pie

1 ¼ cups white flour

½ tsp salt

1 tbsp white sugar

¼ cup shortening and ¼ cup butter, both very chilled.

¼ cup ice water

 

Pumpkin filling

2 cups pumpkin

3 large eggs

1 cup heavy cream

¼ cup milk

¾ cup golden brown sugar, or slightly more to taste

½ tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp cloves

 

Preparing pie crust:

You can do this by hand with pastry cutter or two knives, but the food processor is way easier! Of course, ready-made is even easier.

 Mix flour, sugar, and salt in food processor.

Chill butter and shortening thoroughly and cut into pieces.

Add butter, shortening, and ice-cold water to flour, and pulse until mixture resembles a coarse meal and just begins to stick together. Do not over-mix.

Turn it out on a flat surface, fold it in on itself a couple of times to bond, and form a thick disc like a hockey puck. Wrap in plastic and chill at least ½ an hour.

Roll out on a flat, floured surface to form a 12-inch round, and transfer to 9-inch pie plate. Press down into the bottom and pinch the edges.

 

Preparing the pumpkin filling:

Start by roasting a fresh sugar pumpkin (small, not the jack-o-lantern variety). Cut it in half, scoop out the seeds (you can roast these, but I feed them to the squirrels), invert halves on a cookie sheet and roast at 350 degrees F for one hour. The skin should peel off easily if it’s cooked. Cool, remove pulp, and puree 2 cups in food processor.

Mix salt and spices together with sugar. Add eggs, sugar mixture, milk, and whipping cream, blend until very smooth.

Pour into slightly greased pie plate (see note below). In oven preheated to 425 degrees, bake for 10-15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350. Continue baking for 45 - 55 minutes. Cover the edges of the crust with foil near the end if they become too brown. Pie should be firm at edges but slightly jiggly in the centre. A toothpick inserted in centre should be wet but relatively clean.

Note: there will be too much filling, don’t ask me why. The amount would be perfect for a 10-inch pie dish, which I don’t have, and which would require re-calculating the dough recipe. I just poured the rest into a baking dish. Baker’s reward!

Cool on wire rack for at least 2 hours before chilling. Can be decorated with whipped cream or eaten by itself.

 




 












I hope you enjoy this recipe, which would be far too difficult for either Amanda Doucette or Inspector Green to manage. 

Barbara Fradkin is a retired psychologist and multiple award-winning mystery author whose work with children and families provides much of the insight and inspiration for her stories. She has an affinity for the dark side and is best known for her gritty, psychological Inspector Green novels, which have been nominated four times for the Crime Writers of Canada Award of Excellence in the Best Novel category. She has won this award twice.

 More recently, she embarked on a mystery-thriller series featuring Amanda Doucette, an adventurous, passionate but struggling international aid worker who is looking for healing and new direction. There are currently four books in that series, set in different, iconic locations across Canada, with The Ancient Dead set in the starkly beautiful badlands of Alberta.

I will be doing a random draw for a copy of my brand-new Inspector Green mystery, THE DEVIL TO PAY. To enter, please answer this skill testing question in the comments.

What police service does Inspector Green work for?


 


Enjoy and Happy Hallowe’en!

37 comments:

  1. Homicide Inspector Green works Ottawa Police Department in a job he loves.

    Can't wait for the opportunity to read "THE DEVIL TO PAY". Shared and hoping to be the very fortunate one selected. Thanks for the chance!
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for commenting, Kay. You're in the draw! Fingers crossed.

      Delete
  2. Thank you for visiting MLK and sharing your pie recipe, Barbara. Congratulations on your newest book about Inspector Green of the Ottawa police. ~Maya

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    1. I always love visiting MLK. Thanks for the congrats and the comment. You're in the draw too, so stay tuned.

      Delete
  3. Ottawa Police Department

    jtcgc at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks for commenting, Taurus! Stay tuned.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks for commenting, Taurus! Stay tuned.

    ReplyDelete
  6. THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR WRITING TALNTS WITH US!!! It is wonderful to be transported to the worlds you have written, and bond with your characters. Inspector Green works for the Ottawa Police Department. Again thanks for your generosity!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much for your comments. I wish everyone could get a book, but it's not to be. Stay tuned for the draw!

      Delete
  7. The Ottawa Police Department
    wskwared(at)yahoo(dot)com

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    1. Thanks so much for visiting! The draw is tomorrow morning. good luck and stay tuned!

      Delete
  8. Thanks for showing how simple it is to use an actual pumpkin. (Assuming you can find the right kind of pumpkin.)
    I'm new to your books, so I can't answer your question.
    libbydodd at comcast dot net

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    Replies
    1. No worries, Libby. Real pumpkin is very easy and can be used in soups, muffins, cookies, etc. PS Check the other comments.

      Delete
  9. The Ottawa Police Department. Thanks for your captivating novels. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Traveler! I appreciate it. And stay tuned for the draw.

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  10. Inspector Green works for the Ottawa Police Department. Your books are enthralling and intriguing. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  11. Thanks for the encouraging comments. Those mean so much. Good luck on the draw!

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  12. Thanks for sharing your books and the pie recipe! You may have inspired me to try roasting my own pumpkin. Inspector Green works for the Ottawa Police Department. bunkielisa at gmail dot com

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    Replies
    1. Good luck with the pumpkin. The roasting adds a richer taste. And good luck with the draw tomorrow. Thanks for entering.

      Delete
  13. Works for the ottawa police department. Not a fan of pumpkin anything. cheetahthecat1986ATgmailDOTcom

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    Replies
    1. That's fair. It's an unusual spicing. Thanks for visiting and entering the draw. Good luck!

      Delete
  14. Thanks for entering, Sandy! Good luck.

    ReplyDelete
  15. The Ottawa Police Department. Thanks for the chance.
    diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for visiting, Diane. Good luck with the draw!

      Delete
  16. The Ottawa Police Department. Thanks for the giveaway,Barbara!
    lola777_22 at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My pleasure. I wish I could give it to everyone. Best of luck in the draw,

      Delete
  17. Thank you for this very kind opportunity
    Ottawa Police department
    lindalou64(@)live(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  18. The Ottawa Police Department lindaherold999(at)gmail(dot)com

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  19. Inspector Green works for The Ottawa Police Department. Thank you for the chance! Your recipe looks so good! I love pumpkin pie!!

    jarjm1980(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  20. The fascinating Inspector Green is an inspector at the Ottawa Police Department but I love the fact that his cases take him all over Canada, one of my favorite countries! Ancient Dead with Amanda Doucette will be the first of that series that I read. Your recipe for pumpkin pie is tempting me to make pumpkin pie using actual pumpkins instead of canned pumpkin pie filling so thank you! We are putting our pumpkins in our bramble in the front yard for the birds & squirrels who absolutely love them. lnchudej@yahoo.com

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  21. Thanks for joining us Barbara. I’m rather fond of pumpkin pie myself

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  22. Welcome to the blog, Barbara (sorry, catching this a day late). My sister lives in Ottawa, and I gave her one of your books last year - on Grace Koshida's recommendation!

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  23. I don't have a dog but the recipe for the dog treats sounds good. I haven't read any of your books but would like to, So here's hoping I win the drawing. conney.parkhurst@gmail.com

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  24. Ottawa police department. Thanks for sharing the recipe! tWarner419(at)aol(dot)com

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  25. Thanks for sharing the yummy recipe. Inspector Green works for the Ottawa Police Department. cherierj(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete