It’s fall and it seems everywhere you go there are pumpkins and pumpkin-flavoured treats.
Candy Goodwin attended the Royal Purple fall tea and bake sale.
She said one of her favourite desserts at this time of year is pumpkin pie.
“I like the flavour but pumpkin pie is fall for me, it’s Thanksgiving and fall,” Goodwin said.
Goodwin had a disgusted look on her face when asked if she enjoyed pumpkin flavour in more than just baking.
“Maybe muffins and loaf, things like that, but no not coffee,” she said.
This year, May Bradford along with two other women baked the pumpkin pies, which were served at the tea and bake sale.
Bradford said usually Gurtie Wilson was in charge of making the pie crusts.
“We used to have a lady that made our pie crusts for years, and she passed, so this year we had to cover that because we make between 15 and 18 pies,” she said.
For Bradford baking day was like taking a trip down memory lane.
“That was sort of a reminiscing type of day because we miss her, “said Bradford. “She [Gurtie] was 80 some years old and made a beautiful pie crust, so we’re hoping ours is as good today.”
The secret to Gurtie’s pie crusts hasn’t been shared; but Bradford hopes this year’s pies meet the standards.
“We don’t know, she made them for so many years, so we will see [if] we match her [Gurtie] or not this year, we don’t really know,” said Bradford. “When you’re that old and you’ve being doing it that many years it’s hard to know, but she always made a nice pie crust.”
To make a pumpkin pie crust is simple, according to Bradford. Just mix lard, flour, eggs, sugar, salt and water; then roll it and freeze it overnight.
“Everybody knows how to make pie crust don’t they,” Bradford said.
If you’re planning on baking a Halloween pumpkin pie, Bradford suggests using the pie filling in the can as opposed to filling from a real pumpkin. She said when using real pumpkins filling you have to cook and puree the filling really well to avoid it tasting stringy.
“I’d say the pumpkin from a can is much better,” said Bradford. “It makes a nicer pie.”
kbruch@panow.com
On Twitter: @KaylaBruch1
