Carraway Pudding For New Borns and Christmas

Mighleh, a pudding to welcome newborns

Different cultures around the world celebrate the arrival of a newborn in different ways. However, what's common is the great joy this occasion brings and you know for sure a sweet delicacy will likely be served to mark this joyful event.
As the older sister in the family, I had the chance to savor the special middle-eastern pudding that is served on this occasion: mighleh. I still remember the wonderful spicy smell that invaded every corner of our house as my younger brothers and sisters came to life. That heavenly aroma was the same in our relatives' homes as they too welcomed their little bundles of joy.
Whether it was in the middle of winter or at the height of summer, the recipe lends itself well to all seasons. Its spiciness warms during cold times and it is usually served chilled during summer. 

Many also prepare this pudding during Christmas to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.
However, Christmas has so many  recipes that sometimes you hardly have enough time to make a handful.

Madrid nights are bitterly cold and since I´m a still nostalgic for Christmas seasons, I decided to make this childhood recipe that I cherish deeply. It should warm me up!

I am not sure about the origins of this recipe, but I know that is made in many countries of the middle east. It is very easy to make and really delicious.
What's great about it too is that is naturally suitable for lactose intolerant people and for those with allergy to wheat. It sweetness can be adjusted to taste. It is an easy, healthy and delicious recipe.

The main flavorings of this pudding

To prepare this pudding for 6 to 8 persons, you need:

• 1/2 cup of rice flour or powdered rice
• 3 cups and 1/2 of water
• 3/4 cup of sugar
• 1 tsp of cinnamon
• 1 tsp of ground anise
• 1 to 2 spoons of  ground caraway seeds (it is a spice similar to anise and fennel seeds)

For the decoration you need shredded coconut (unsweetened) and a mix of various nuts.

The essential steps in making the pudding

First combine all the dry ingredients, mix well, then add the water! Put on a gentle heat and keep stirring. After 5 to 8 min you will notice that the mixture will start to thicken, keep stirring until you see bubbles forming on the top. At that point you will know that it is time to remove of the heat! 

A regular sized cup makes an ideal serving portion

Wait for the pudding to cool for about 5 min, then pour it into individual serving cups. 

Leave it to cool completely, after which put it in the fridge. 

Golden cups and serving plate add opulence to a rather humble dessert

Before serving, sprinkle coconut on top, then add the nuts you desire. Usually, pine nuts, walnuts, pistachios and almonds are mostly used, but you can experiment and use cashew or macadamia nuts or whatever your heart desires. The joy of this recipe is its simplicity and flexibility. You can omit the coconut for example or reduce the amount of sugar or come up with a unique mix of nuts!

So next time there's a new born in the family or you want an easy dessert for your Christmas dinner, surprise your family members with this creamy, soft and spicy and refreshing pudding! But you know what, you don't have to wait for that to happen, so to kitchen and get cooking!

Coconut and a mix of delicious nuts complement the flavor of the pudding

Spicy hot chocolate and Roscon de Reyes!

When most of the Christian World celebrates the epiphany, in Spain, the 6th of January the arrival of the wise men or Los reyes magos is celebrated.

On the 5th of January, you can see the wise men parade in the streets of almost every city in Spain. Families gather and wait for the passing parades accompanied by kids who feel very excited at the sight of the wise men.

For kids, the reyes magos are the equivalent of Santa Claus. In fact, the next morning the whole family gathers to open the gifts the reyes magos left for the little ones.

Before gift are unwrapped, kids have to patiently wait and have a traditional breakfast with the family. To make the waiting more manageable, the traditional breakfast offering is a sweet delicious treat: hot chocolate with roscon de reyes!

Roscon is a roll shaped bread decorated with candied fruits. Some rolls have a small surprise inside of them (usually small figurines of wise men) and tradition goes whoever gets the roll with the surprise piece will have a lucky year ahead.

I didn´t have time to make roscon, so I bought some from a local bakery, but I had time to make my favorite hot chocolate!

During the increasingly cold days of winter, the best way to warm up your heart is by sipping a spicy cup of hot chocolate. The recipe is not a discovery,  nevertheless, I like to share my take on this popular and comforting beverage!

For a cup of this hot chocolate you need:

• 150 ml of soy milk 
• 50 g of coarsely chopped dark chocolate
• 2 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• seeds of half vanilla bean
• 30 g brown sugar
• whipped cream and ground cinnamon for the decoration

In a saucepan combine the milk, star anise, cinnamon, sugar, the seeds and the vanilla bean. Let them simmer for about 5 to 7 min until fragrant. Add the chocolate and whisk until it melts and is well mixed into the milk.
If you want a thicker hot chocolate you can add half tsp of corn flour mixed with a teaspoon of water then add it slowly and whisk quickly.

Pour the chocolate and add whipped cream (dairy or vegan like coconut cream)  and a generous sprinkle of cinnamon. Enjoy this drink on your longer winter nights or whenever you're in the mood for some comfort. Don't wait for the next winter storm, try it now!

End and Start Your Year with Decorated Cookies

As we bid 2012 farewell and we welcome 2013 with excitement I decided to take more time to master the art of decoration, especially that of cookie decoration.
So challenge yourself this year and start 2013 on a sweet and artistic note.

I will not share the recipes now as I am short on time, but the cookies I made share the same basic ingredients but differ in the added flavorings. Both flavors are warm and festive: orange and vanilla cookies and rose petals and walnuts cookies!

With these cookies you can use your artistic imagination to create endless combinations of shapes and colors. Hopefully, I will share with you many tips and tricks on how to decorate cookies very soon.

Enjoy the pictures and hope you like what you see.

The different patterns and shapes I created

A beautiful Christmas tree

Elegant Snow Flakes

An abstract shape of a Christmas tree

Beautiful abstract green lines

Beautiful abstract red  lines

The mistletoe, a Christmas classic

All cookies wrapped in bags for individual servings. 

Panforte and Buon Natale a Tutti Quanti!

Our sweet Christmas adventure started in the Middle East, from there we flew all the way to Germany and now we land in la Bella Italia.

Ah Italy!!! Where to start? The history? The elegance? The art? The architecture? The people? The dolce vita? The simple yet bursting with flavor food? Okay, you get it, I am deeply passionate towards Italy. It's nothing new, I had developed this passion almost 20 years ago.

My first trip to Europe was to Italy and the first region I visited was Tuscany which is arguably one of the most beautiful regions in the world featured many times in great classical movies. The first major city I visited was Florence, the Renaissance city. I was amazed by the beauty of this city, the immense Santa Maria de Firoi or the Duomo Cathedral, its museums, the walk to Ponte Vecchio and simply wandering in its old narrow streets soaking in all the art, history and beauty.

The next major city was Siena, another beautiful Tuscan city with a unique character. Like all Italian cities it has a wealth of sites worth seeing. While walking in its picturesque streets a type of sweets caught my attention: Panforte.  With my broken Italian, I walked into the shop and bought a piece, I was happy with my little discovery. Needless to say, it was delicious, it was love at first bite!

Panforte is essentially consumed during Christmas times, but can be found in Siena all year long.

Panforte or Siena cake, goes back to the 13th century, the first documented recipe was in 1205, it is said that the recipe  originated in monasteries as a strong bread that had honey and pepper, other spices were added later to the recipe.

For some time, panforte was reserved to the nobility, but luckily now everyone can sample this delicious bread and even better, with my easy recipe, you can prepare this sweet in the comfort of your home, probably thousands of miles away from Siena and its beautiful churches, monasteries and houses.

Without further ado, here's the recipe to follow!

What you need:

• 200 g of nuts (I used 100 g almonds, the remaining quantity divided between pistachios and hazelnuts)
• 100 g candied peels (I used orange and lime peels that I made few days earlier; store bought is fine too)
• 100 g sugar
• 100 g honey
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 2 g of coriander seeds
• 1 or 2 cloves
• 1/4 tsp of freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 g of pepper
• 45 g flour
• 15 ml masala wine (optional)
• Tsp of glucose or corn syrup (optional, and just to be on the safe side, to prevent any crystallization)

Start by roasting the nut in a preheated over (180C) for about 10 min. Dice the peels into small cubes.
Mix the peels and the nuts (you can peel the nuts if you wish but I didn´t bother). Add the flour.
Grind  the cloves and the coriander seeds and add them to the rest, followed by the cinnamon and the grated nutmeg.

In a heavy bottom pan, combine the sugar, honey and glucose (if you are using it), put them on a low heat, and wait for the sugar to dissolve and for the syrup to get an amber golden color.

Add the syrup and the wine to the nut and spices mixture and mix well until all is combined. The smell that filled the air at this point was so intoxicating, it took me back to those narrow and beautiful streets of Siena!

When you combine your liquid and dry ingredients, if you feel your mix is too dry add some hot water, a teaspoon at a time.  When all is well mixed and combined, transfer the mixture into an 18 cm pan, covered with parchment paper and  greased. Press down gently to have an even top.

Bake for about half an hour (160C), until it becomes a bit darker in color.

 Let it cool down before you dust it with confectioner sugar, and this is it.

You can appreciate the great mix of taste of panforte eating it with a cup of espresso,  a sweet wine, or just alone, a nibble from time to time will do you good!

Vanillekipferl or half moon vanilla biscuits!

In the previous post I shared with you a recipe that I grew up with, those oriental pancakes, a pre-Christmas delicacy, filled with nuts and a slight hint of spices that would bring warmth into cold December days and nights.

Today I will share another recipe, that I discovered by the end of 2005.

For almost a decade I shared my living spaces in Madrid with different people from across the world. I co-rented with French, Japanese  Americans,... with which I shared some quality moments. Sharing the flat also meant long talks in the kitchen, midnight chats from bedroom door to another, and the best was having international dinners, where each would make a typical dish from his country. Sharing food and recipes for me is always the highlight of sharing a flat!

One cold december day, when I got home, as I stepped in I was greeted with this incredible aroma of a baked sweet. I got into the kitchen and my flatmate at that time, Rebecca, a great German girl with whom I shared fond memories, was baking these white crescent shaped cookies. She asked me to try one and it was delicious. I still have her recipe written in Spanish on a small piece of paper.

As I try new and exciting recipes all the time, I got to do Rebecca's recipe only once. However, as winter creeps in and below freezing temperatures are becoming more frequent in the long Madrid nights, I decided to do these cookies again since they go along perfectly with a big warm cup of coffee or even a warm glass of wine.

It is not clear where this recipe originated, some say it´s a Hungarian recipe, some say it´s Austrian, and other say it is a specialty of the Bavarian city of Norldlingen! Perhaps they were inspired by the almond snowdrops, after all they are very similar in terms of ingredients and texture, by these ones are characterized by their vanilla flavor.

Anyways, during Christmas those cookies are enjoyed in many countries, and they can also be found in many Viennese coffee shops all year long.

As for the recipe few ingredients are needed, I made half batch and got almost 28 cookies, and to make them you will need:

• 25 g toasted ground almonds
• 25 g toasted ground hazelnuts
• 140 g flour
• 35 white sugar
• 100 g butter pinch of salt
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract

To make thing easier,put the butter,salt and flour in a food processor, pulse for few seconds until combined. Add the nuts and sugar and pulse again. When all combined add the egg yolk and the vanilla, pulse again then transfer the mixture onto a surface and with your hands work the dough a bit to make sure everything is well combined. Wrap the dough in plastic and put in the fridge for about an hour.

Take your dough out, and form your crescent, I took pieces of 10 to 12 gr each, I think they make perfect cookies, bigger is just too much.

When done forming the crescents, just leave them for about 10 to 15 min in the fridge, then bake them for about 10 to 15 min in a preheated oven (180 C). You know they are done when you see that the edges are golden brown.

Let them cool for few minutes, then put them in a bowl that has 25 g of vanilla sugar and a 1/4 cup of icing sugar, give them a big coating and it´s done. Easy and quick way to get crumbly and full of flavor cookies!

Katayif, Oriental Pancakes, a Pre-Christmas Delicacy

December is upon us, one of my favorite months of the year. Despite the cold, it's a month that warms my heart and fills me with the Christmas spirit. I've always been one of those people who impatiently wait for the 25th of December.The excitement of the celebration, the stress of buying the perfect gift, the frenzy in the streets, shops and markets is just amazing. But Christmas season is a culinary feast where each region around the world has a specific set of traditional sweets and treats that are served before and after Christmas eve.

Back home, the preparation for Christmas starts on the 4th of December; on that day, in some Near Eastern  countries , we celebrate Saint Barbara, an early Christian martyr. Among the traditions, several cereals and grains such as wheat, chickpeas, lentils, are sprouted in small pots to be used in the decoration of the Nativity scene. As they sprout, the green they bring is seen as a symbol of hope in the birth of Jesus Christ.

The West has Halloween, the Eastern Christians celebrate Saint Barbara, during which little children wear creative disguises and roam the streets singing songs and knocking on doors to be rewarded with treats and money.

Sweets abound in that day too. Wheat is boiled and perfumed with cinnamon and anise then it is served with a sprinkle of sugar or honey and decorated with nuts. More elaborate sweets are prepared too such as a fermented dough that is fried in balls than dipped in syrup known as Ouwamet. Mchabak is even more elaborate and requires some skills to make, it is a fried dough shaped in a bicolor laced fashion then dipped in syrup. But what I loved most during Saint Barbara are the Katayif which are the Arabic version of pancakes minus the eggs and butter. 

The katayif  recipe is very old, it is said to go  back to the 7th-8th century, while others say it goes back to the Fatimid caliphate era (909-1071). The story says that a cook had created a a flat dough that he filled with nuts, arranged it on a plate so people could pick up the one they desired and this is why they are called katayif which in Arabic means 'picked up'.

These baked goodies are especially consumed during the holy month of Ramadan all over the Arab World and in some other religious celebration like Saint Barbara.

We always used to help my mom baking those panckaes, she used to prepare the dough and we used to take care of the rest. Baking, chopping the walnuts, filling them and of course eating them!
Since I moved to Spain I always made sure to make katayif on the 3rd of December. It makes me feel that I´m not that far away from home and this year is not going to be an exception!

For the dough you need:

• 200 g flour
• Teaspoon of granulated sugar
• Tsp icing sugar
• 1 tsp of instant yeast
• 1/4 tsp bicarbonate
• A dash of salt
• Few drops of lemon
• 300 ml water

Combine all the ingredients but the flour in a blender. Whisk all together well then add the flour, blend for few seconds until all combined. You will get a thick runny batter, leave it to rest for about 30 min.
The batter is bubbly and almost doubled.

Heat a non stick pan, pour a bit of the batter and cook until the top is dry. The dough will have small holes when it dries!

Put the cooked ¨pancakes¨  on a clean towel, and let cool. When cooled cover them so they won´t harden.

For the filling you need:

• 150 g walnuts
• 2 tbsp cinnamon (you can add the quantity you desire)
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 3 tbsp orange blossom water
• 1 tbsp rose water

Chop the nuts, add cinnamon and sugar then the rose and orange blossom waters. You can also fill the katayif with kachta (or heavy clotted cream if you want) and decorate with pistachios and rose petal jam!

The walnuts katayif are usually fried, but mom never did, and I must admit I really prefer them like that, just delicious, soft from the outside crunchy in the inside, and served with a drizzle of syrup, just amazing! You can of course fry them in deep vegetable oil if you want to, but while fried food is good, when something is just as good without being fried, I prefer to eat the healthier option.

As for the sugar syrup, just combine a cup and a half of sugar and a cup of water, add a small stick of cinnamon, a cardamom pod, let it simmer for 15 min and when it is ready add few drops of lemons juice, teaspoon of orange blossom water and another of rose water and take off the heat.

To fill the walnuts katayif, put about a teaspoon and a half of the filling in the center, then close the katayif by joining the sides together, press to make sure you seal them well. As for the kachta ones, you join the sides of the pancake half way to create a small pocket which you fill with Arabic cream or other creams you want.

I´m sure once you try these pancakes you will do them over and over again. They are so easy to make, and you can even eat them without any filling. They are very healthy and have low fat and calories. You can just drizzle them with  honey and some nuts making them an ideal breakfast!



Enjoy and happy Saint Barbara!

A Choux Pastry that Floats

Elegant little swans

Since I was a kid I remember enjoying the delicate and light choux pastry. It came in different shapes and different flavors, the house favorite were always éclairs and choux.

Choux is a small cabbage-shaped pastry filled with pastry cream dusted on top with icing sugar. I just loved how the sugar would fly of the pastry as your edges ever so closely to this delicacy and you open your mouth to take a bite or just to throw the whole piece inside!  These are sweet moments that you always cherish!

I don´t remember exactly when I first saw the swan shaped choux pastry, but I remembered that I just loved the idea, perfect shape for a perfect taste.

Choux pastry is a true classic, it has withstood the test of time due its versatility, its lightness and delicate crisp exterior. It was already in use some five centuries ago. It´s not exactly known who invented this recipe. Some speculate that the relatively simple ingredients and preparation process this recipe requires makes it possible that it was developed in various places separately. 

Legend says that when Catherine de Medicis moved to France, she was accompanied with her a chef called Pantanelli, and that he was the creator of this delicacy in 1540. But many recipes were found under the same name but had different ingredients and made in different ways. On the other hand similar recipes were found but under different names like benets (in English cook books dating back to 1584), french fritters or beignets soufflés. Also similar recipes were found in German cook books dating back to 1553!

Anyhow, it doesn´t matter where, who or when this recipes was created, what really matters that now we can enjoy it in different shapes, different flavors and at any time. Just few easy steps and we have such a versatile pastry that can be filled with sweet and savory fillings.

Here in Spain, this dough is used to make  buñeoles del viento, specially made on the 1st of November which are ball shaped and deep fried pastries filled with many different types of creams, chocolate and  praliné among others.

So let's see how you can make at home this pastry and get creative with the shapes you want to make.

For the choux dough you need:

• 125 cl water or 125 cl  milk, or a mix of both 
• 3 g salt
• 3 g sugar
• 75 g flour
• 100 g butter, cut into small cubes
• 2 eggs (125 g )
• Lemon zest or few drops of vanilla essence

The dough is not complicated but requires a certain know-how

How to:

In a heavy bottom pan, combine milk, water, salt, sugar, butter and lemon zest or vanilla. Put on the flame and when the mixture is boiling add the flour in one batch and stir quickly. With a wooden spoon cut through the dough, this way it will dry perfectly, you need to mix and cut the dough for about 4 minutes. 
When the mixture doesn´t stick to the walls of your pan, and makes a ball, transfer it to a bowl and leave it to cool for 3 min. Now Start adding the eggs one by one, make sure that each egg is well combined before you add the next. The dough is ready when it falls slowly forming a ribbon.

Thick but fluid dough that forms ribbons

If you decide to make the swans, start by piping the heads, make some extra ones if any breaks, and bake them in a preheated oven (200 C) for about 5 min, as they are thin they will be done quickly.

It is a flexible dough, so be creative

Meanwhile pipe the body of the swans in large balls that taper and become pointy at one end. You need to bake those for about 20 to 30 min depending on your over and how big the choux  balls are. Usually when the choux is of a nice golden brown color it means they are done. Don't be tempted to open the oven before they have this nice color because the choux will flatten and no longer puff. 

The main body of the swans

While the swans are cooling, you can prepare the filling, I went for an easy one, whipped cream with cream cheese and maple syrup, for it you need:

• 250 ml cream (35%)
• 2 tbsp cream cheese
• 1 or 2 tbsp of maple syrup (to taste)
• 20 g of sugar 

Beat the cream with the sugar until thick and fluffy, Beat the cream cheese in another ball with the maple syrup than fold it in with the cream. Before beating my cream, I put the bowl and the whisks in the freezer, this helps the cream to thicken quickly and hold its shape.

Now you can assemble your swans!

Cut the ball that will form the main body of the swan. Make the upper layer smaller than the bottom one. Now slit the upper layer in two, these parts will form the wings of the swan which will be positioned on top. 

Fill the bottom layer with cream, put the top layer on top making sure you fan the two parts a bit to make them resemble wings in a resting position.  

Swan assembly line

You can vary the shape and size of your swans to your liking

When you have them ready, you can dust some icing sugar on the top.

Following some few steps and knowing some few tricks you will get and very tasty and light dessert, that can be served in many ways, floating swans is one of them. Bon appetit!

 Swans made from choux pastry, a floating delicacy

Pumpkin Pie and Happy Thanksgiving!

The earthy tones of pumpkin pie reminds us of the fall season

The world is acquainted with American traditions and celebrations thanks to the strong influence of American movies, TV series and music have on the world's pop culture.

While growing up I was, and still am, a fan of American movies. Many of these movies showcased a celebration which is totally alien to us, but its accompanying traditions seemed pretty similar to how we celebrate Christmas. The celebration in question i.e. Thanksgiving  is American and putting aside the true meaning of this celebration, I always enjoyed the scenes where families gathered to enjoy a delicious meal of a perfectly roasted turkey and all its side dishes as well as the traditional pumpkin pie.

The idea of pumpkin pie  always intrigued me. Back home we  use  pumpkin in many savory dishes but not in desserts, although a delicious jam is made from it. Additionally, pumpkin pie is not a traditional dish in  in Spain and I didn't sample pumpkin pie in Madrid till last year when I went to a well know American restaurant in the Spanish capital. Needless to say, I really enjoyed the pie!

The origins or precursors of pumpkin pie are a few centuries old. Pumpkins were among the many new food items brought from the New world  to the old world. The Europeans specially embraced the use of pumpkins as they were similar to squash and courgettes but more interesting.

The first recipes known date back to the 16th century, and they were known under the name of pompion a name probably derived from the Greek pepon which means large melon. Pompon was the french name given to the recipe, and the English called it pompion, which may implicate that the origin of the recipe is french.

According to some historians, the first pumpkin pie recipe published in Amercia was in 1796, in Amelia Simmons´American cookery, that recipe is the most similar to the pies known nowadays, and was called pompkin pudding!

We are half way through fall, and pumpkins are available now among other fall fruits and vegetables and as I have so many things to be thankful for, I decided to have my own Thanksgiving and the star of my own celebration will be a delicious Pumpkin pie.

It is the first time that I bake this pie and of course I wanted it to be special. I have to say I did experiment on this one, and a lot, but hey that's the fun of baking and cooking!

Easy to make pie crust

For my take on  the traditional pumpkin pie you need for 2 small pie shells or tarts: (10 cm tart tin)
Crust:

• 100 g flour
• 20 g freshly roasted walnut
• 15 g sugar (you can use more but if you do so use powdered sugar for the rest of the desired amount)
• A pinch of salt
• A pinch of freshly ground star anise
• 50 g cold butter, cut into small cubes
• Ice cold water

In a food processor, combine flour, sugar, walnuts, salt and star anise, pulse until the ingredients are well combined and the walnuts turned to powder. Add the butter and pulse for few seconds, until you have a sandy mixture. Put in a bowl and gradually add few drops of water until the dough stops sticking and can be formed into a ball. Wrap it in plastic and put it in the fridge, you can do that a day ahead.

On a floured surface, roll the dough to about a half  cm thick, transfer it to the pie tin, and put it in the fridge for 30 min. Now cover the dough with baking sheet and any kinds of grains and blind bake it for about 10 to 15 min  in a preheated over (180 C) (depends on the oven). When the edges are slightly golden, take the dough out. Wait for few min to cool, remove the paper and bake it for an additional 10 min.

Spice up your pie with these wonderful flavors

Meanwhile, prepare the filling which requires: 

• 3 FULL tbsp pumpkin purée
• 1 tbsp cream cheese
• 1 tbsp black treacle
• 1 tbsp molasses (and 1 tbsp of sugar if you want it sweeter)
• 2 tbsp of cream (35%)
• 1 egg
• Spices: you can use whatever you wish, I used fresh ginger, star anise, cloves, nutmeg (all freshly ground) and of course cinnamon. You could also use all spices. A dash of each is enough, but I did use more cinnamon than the other spices, about half tsp.
• Few drops of vanilla essence

Easy steps to make a wonderful sweet filling

I made the purée a day ahead. Just cut the pumpkin in two, remove the seeds, put it on a tray cover it with aluminum foil, and bake for about an hour and a half depending on the size of the pumpkin. The result is better than the canned one, the roasting gives the pumpkin a smoked taste, and will effect the final result.
I did remove the excess water of the roasted pumpkin so I won´t get a too liquidy purée.

To make the filling start by adding the spices to the pumpkin purée, I think this way the flavors will be better absorbed (you could do so an hour ahead)! Combine the cream cheese, treacle, molasses, sugar (if using) and cream, mix with a hand mixer until well combined. Add the egg and whisk thoroughly for about a minute until you get a homogeneous mixture. Now add the purée and mix well.

The journey of the pie shell from empty to filled then baked

Transfer the mixture to a saucepan and heat slowly while mixing the whole time, turn off the heat when the mixture starts to thicken, this will cut the time the pie will spend in the oven. 

Pour the mixture over the crust and bake for about 30 min (it might take less or more, depending on the thickness of the filling and the type of oven, so keep watching the pies). It will be ready when the center is set.

And here you have it, my version of pumpkin pie, and I have to say I´m pretty satisfied with the result. Happy Thanksgiving!

Glaze with maple syrup and decorate with shaped cookies