America’s Sweetheart, Pumpkin
Pumpkin has been an American obsession for a very long time. Like always, but probably not in the way you’ve been taught.
Take pumpkin pie. A thanksgiving tradition, right? All those cute drawings of the first thanksgiving where pumpkin pie was passed around? Yeah, no. It would have been just as likely to see a Pumpkin Spice Latte. For so many reasons.
You can’t even get past the crust without running into issues. Flour was impossibly luxurious for colonists, and they weren’t exactly running dairy farms, so butter was a rare treat. So, no, pumpkin pie, as we understand it today, was a distant dream, but that said, pumpkins were a vital part of the early American fall diet, and were very much appreciated by natives and colonists alike.
PUMPKIN PIE HISTORY
In the late 1670’s, the first pumpkin dish was recorded to paper. It was a boiled pumpkin mash with butter and spices added, and though far from how we treat pumpkin today, it was the first step toward America’s most treasured fall treat. So when did cooks start truly discovering pumpkin’s sweet spiced potential? Well, it took about a century, but eventually some genius created what would someday evolve into today’s pumpkin pie. But, boy did it look different than what you might expect.
See, most cooking was still done over an open fire, and something as difficult to construct and bake as a pie crust was still impractical, but eggs and milk were available, so a custard filling was now an option, especially if it was sweetened with honey or maple syrup since sugar, while technically available, would’ve been impractically expensive.
So, how did someone managed to bake a pumpkin pie with no crust on an open fire? Well, like every home cook in history, by cleverly using what they had on hand. See, some genius realized, if they took the seeds out of a pumpkin, they could pour a custard straight into it, and bake the whole thing right in the fire. How amazing is that?
The pumpkin baked through, and steamed the sweet custard at the same time, making for a luxurious treat without even using a baking dish.
I MADE AN ANCIENT PUMPKIN PIE!
There is no actual recorded recipe for the dish, but as someone who is obsessed with vintage cooking, I could not resist trying to make one myself, so I experimented a bit and came up with what I assume is somewhat close to what they created back then. Of course, I added a few modern tweaks like spices that wouldn’t have been practical then, and baked it in an oven instead of an open fire, but I found the whole experience fascinating, and was so impressed and humbled, as I always am when I cook old recipes, by how resourceful and clever these cooks were.
It really was the most unique and special dish I’ve ever baked, and I highly recommend trying it if you have any interest in historic cooking. If you would like to try making it, I posted the recipe, so click the button below to see for yourself:
ANCIENT PUMPKIN PIE RECIPE
THERE IS MORE TO PUMPKIN THAN PIE
So, eventually this pumpkin custard got wrapped in a buttery crust, and became what we enjoy around the Thanksgiving table today. Very different from the original, but with the same appreciation for this seasonal treasure. And that’s just pumpkin pie history! We were just getting started with our pumpkin obsession.
I mean, who doesn’t love a slice of sweet, moist pumpkin bread, and then there’s pumpkin cobbler, of course, and pumpkin cake smothered in cream cheese frosting! So many pumpkin spice options you can bake at home, it’s impossible to list them all. So, I’m making a few of my favorite pumpkin desserts I found in my vintage community cookbook collection. After all, pumpkin has obviously been trending a very long time, so vintage cookbooks are the perfect place to find some of the best recipes. The perfect pumpkin bread, a unique no-bake twist on pumpkin pie with a praline crunch, an easy pumpkin cobbler, and a show stopper pumpkin cake roll.
So, if you love pumpkin spice, and appreciate vintage recipes then you’ve come to the right place. So, join me as I celebrate pumpkin spice season!
WANT TO COOK THE RECIPES IN THIS SERIES? SEE BELOW FOR LINKS!
KITCHENWARE USED IN THIS SERIES
VINTAGE PYREX
Butterfly Gold from the 1970’s
Other Recipes in this Series
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Vintage Pumpkin Bread
A total classic. Pumpkin bread is popular for a reason - it’s delicious! And apparently it’s been popular for quite some time. Straight from Grandma‘s kitchen, you’ll absolutely fall in love with this loaf.
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Vintage Pumpkin Pie Cake Cobbler
Pie? Cake? Why choose? This pumpkin cobbler will make everyone happy, and it’s so so easy!
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Vintage Pumpkin Roll
Is there anything prettier than a cake roll? They can be intimidating, but this one is super easy and tasty!
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Ancient Pumpkin Pie Recipe
The pumpkin pie we know and love today started its life as something very different from what it eventually evolved in to. Here’s my version of America’s first pumpkin pie.
