Mini Pumpkin Pies with the Kids

Mrs. V doesn't really like the word "party". So....Linda (another mom and I ) changed the verbiage and asked if we could do a project that would be representative of Halloween instead of having a "party". She was open to the idea. Actually, Mrs. V - at one point said, "I am kind of liking this party idea". Maybe we are on to a new era in room 22!

I suggested we make mini pumpkin pies (as I have done it in the past) and it always seems like a fun project for the kids. Plus we could incorporate math (doubling a recipe), science (baking is, after all, a science), and social studies (we talked briefly about the fall harvest and what kind of vegetable a pumpkin is), etc, etc.

This recipe is derived from a plethora of different pumpkin pie recipes. This is what I came up and what works best with the kids. All the ingredients are at our finger tips and most of us have these things in our pantry (aside from the pumpkin puree).

ingredients:

3 whole eggs, plus 1 large egg yolk

1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree

3/4 cups packed light brown sugar

3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

3/4 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1 recipe of Pate Brisee or your favorite pie crust recipe or a graham cracker crust.

directions:

1. Chill pie crust or mini tarts until firm, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375*.

2. Line shell with parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Bake until edges are just beginning to turn golden about 15 minutes. Remove parchment and weights. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes. Cool completely.

3. Reduce oven temp to 350*. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients Pour mixture into pie shell or tart shells. Bake until the filling is set around edges, but still slightly soft in the center, around 40-45 minutes.

(check crust periodically; if it gets too dark, cover the edges with foil). The filling will be slightly loose in the center, but will firm up as it cools. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Pie can rest at room temperature, loosely covered with foil for up to 2 days.

For the mini pies (we bought the pre-made mini pie doughs for the kids). If using minis, bake for about 18-22 minutes, however start checking after 16 minutes. The filling makes approximately 15 mini pies.

Mind you, I have never (in the past 5 years) tasted one of these pies, but according to the kids and some of the teachers, this is a winning recipe!

This is a really fun project. The kids loved being involved, they all took turns mixing and pouring and they worked really well as a team.