Three Pounds of Coffee and a Hedgehog

Not your average Thanksgiving haul. But then my family is a tad unusual.

It’s Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada and since our anniversary was only last week, we double-dipped with the celebrating. To mark the occasion, my in-laws came up from Kingston with 3 pounds of my favourite Italian Roast from Cooke’s and a gift for our garden — a decorative hedgehog.

There’s an embarrassing story that explains why a hedgehog makes a suitable gift, but I’ll let your imaginations run wild. It’s small, bronzed and has been dubbed Mrs. Tiggywinkle. You need know nothing more.

Before the distribution of coffee and statuary wildlife, we feasted. Along with the capon, cranberry jellied salad, green beans and stuffing, we gorged ourselves on pie — lip-smacking grape and classic pumpkin.

Below is a recipe for the best pumpkin pie recipe going. I believe it originally comes from the good people at Carnation, but it might have morphed a bit as it got passed along. Easy to make, it’s perfectly spiced and velvety smooth. We serve it Mennonite-style — covered in whipped cream and drizzled with real maple syrup. It doesn’t get better than that.

Perfect Pumpkin Pie
Printable recipe

Ingredients

• 2 uncooked 9-inch pie shells
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
• 1 large can evaporated milk
• 2 eggs

Instructions

1. Mix sugar and spices thoroughly.
2. Add pumpkin and mix well.
3. Beat eggs with milk and add to pumpkin mixture. Mix well.
4. Pour evenly into 2 raw pie shells.
5. Bake at 425F for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350F and bake another 35 minutes or until set.
6. Serve at room temperature with whipped cream, maple syrup and unlimited thanks for the bounty.

Variations

• Low-fat pumpkin pudding – use low-fat evaporated milk and bake the filling without the crust in two buttered casserole dishes.