Thanksgiving day massacre

I am about to shoot someone, something, somehow. Woke up this morning, lo and behold, no gas. So, that means no hot water, and no cooking. AAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGG!!!!!!!!

Anyhow, I am trying to be a calm person and am praying that they don´t decide to switch it off tomorrow as well, since I am celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow. Anyhow, went to the market to pick up the Turkeys, two beautiful 12 lb birds from my lovely turkey lady, Maria Jose, whose picture you can see above. Then, went to my vegetable guy, to get the rest of my veggies, and the cranberries. 11 freakin euros. They knocked off a euro for me cause they know me, but 11 freakin euros????

Ok, deep breaths.

So, pumpkin pie. I love pumpkin pie. But the last few years that I have made pumpkin pie, it inexplicably gets left behind.....only a few people having fearlessly tried it. See in Spain, pumpkin is something you eat as a vegetable side, the maximum being in soups. So, last year I tried a recipe from Martha Stewart, The triple chocolate pumpkin pie, and alas, it was a complete hit! I told everyone that it was a chocolate pie, then after it was all gone, explained that it also had pumpkin in it. So, this year I am doing it again, since I will have different guests, and the recipe follows:

Triple Chocolate Pumpkin Pie

Serves 12

Graham Cracker Crust

2 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs (about 16 crackers, and for those of us who live outside of the U.S., I find that digestive cookies work fabulously)

3 oz. (6 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted

1 tbsp granulated sugar

2 tbsps packed light brown sugar

1/2 tsp coarse salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

3 oz. bittersweet chocolate (61 % cacao) finely chopped

Filling

6 oz. semisweet chocolate (55% cacao) chopped

2 oz. (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, cut into small peices

1 can (15 oz.) solid pack pumpkin * (I prefer to use fresh pumpkins, I find that two small ones roasted in the oven at 375 (190C) for 45 min. give it a sweeter and nicer taste)

1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

3 large eggs

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp coarse salt

3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

3/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Ground cloves

1 oz. milk chocolate, melted

1. Make the crust: Preheat oven to 350ºF (175º C). Combine graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugars, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl. Firmly press mixture into bottom and up sides of a deep, 9 1/2 inche pie dish. Bake until firm, 8-10 minutes.

2. Remove from oven, and sprinkle bittersweet chocolate over bottom of crust. Return to oven to melt chocolate, about 1 minute. Spread chocolate in a thin layer on bottom and up sides. (You can do this with the back of a spoon) Let cool on a wire rack. Reduce oven temp to 325 deg. (150 C)

3. Make the filling: In a large heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, melt semisweet chocolate and butter, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat.

4. Mix pumpkin, milk, brown sugar, eggs, cornstarch, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and a pinch of cloves in a medium bowl. Whisk 1/3 of the pumpkin mix into chocolate mixture. Whisk in remaining pumpkin mixture until completely incorporated.

5. Transfer pie dish to a rimme baking sheet and pour pumpkin mixture into crust. Bake until center is set but still a bit wobbly, 55-60 minutes. Let cool in pie dish set on a wire rack. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 8 hours (preferabley overnight). Before serving, drizzle melted milk chocolate on top. Serve immediately.

Try it next year, I swear it is truly sublime!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

C