Pumpkin Banana Meringue Pie Verdict

I finally found the time to upload my pictures from Thanksgiving and had plenty of time to sample the things I made, so I feel I can give you a good judgment.

I had to run to several different store to find pumpkins the roast in the oven myself, but I finally found some. Having never roasted pumpkins before, I followed the recipe very closely. If I did it again, I would have roasted the pumpkin MUCH longer. I would have roasted it until it was almost mush and I think that would have added more flavor. However, I roasted the pumpkins and bananas as directed by the recipe. Not sure if it is worth the effort as opposed to buying the canned pumpkin, but I was excited to try it completely from scratch.

I then took the pumpkin and bananas together and made my filling for the pie from scratch. It smelled so good! I really liked that part.

I also made the pie crust from scratch. A must! Any pie is so much better when you make the crust yourself.

This is what my pie looked out when taken out of the oven. One thing about the recipe I didn't like was it made way too much filling, so I had a lot left over. I would probably half the recipe next time so I don't have to waste it. Although, if you're creative, you could find other uses for it.

And this is the finished product. I made sure to try a piece of this interesting pie after Thanksgiving dinner and was not all that impressed. It seemed as though it was missing some spices our sweetness. I think roasting the pumpkins more would have helped, but this pie showed me that I am a pumpkin pie purist. When there is pumpkin in the title, I want it to taste like pumpkin. It was a fun pie to make, but I think next time I'm going to stick to the traditional pumpkin pie. Here's the recipe for those who are interested:

Ingredients

Pie Crust:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 5 teaspoons sugar
• Pinch kosher salt
• 12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 2 egg yolks
• Ice water

For the filling:

• 2 whole sugar pumpkins
• 6 bananas
• 3 large eggs, plus 1 egg white
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Pinch kosher salt

For the meringue topping:

• 4 large egg whites
• 6 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• Pinch salt

Directions

Crust:

Combine the flour, sugar and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Mix in the cold butter with a pastry blender or your hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Work in egg yolks and 1 to 2 tablespoons ice water until the dough holds together without being too sticky. If it's still crumbly, add more ice water, 1 teaspoon at a time. Form into a ball, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

On a floured surface, roll the dough into an 11 to 12-inch circle with a floured rolling pin. Ease the dough into a 9-inch pie pan, pressing firmly into the bottom and sides. Trim the excess dough, then pinch the edges. Refrigerate until ready to fill.

Filling:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Split the pumpkins down the middle and scoop out the seeds. Arrange on a roasting tray, cut side up, and roast for 20 minutes. Remove the pumpkins from the oven and lay bananas (in their skins) around and between the pumpkin halves. Return to the oven and roast for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before handling, about 5 minutes.

Scoop out the pumpkin flesh and add to a food processor. Peel the bananas and add the flesh to food processor as well. Add the 3 eggs, sugar, cinnamon, 2 tablespoons butter, nutmeg, heavy cream and salt. Puree until smooth.

Put a baking sheet on the bottom oven rack and preheat to 375 degrees F.

Pour the filing into the prepared pie shell. Lightly beat the egg white. Brush the pastry edges with the egg white and sprinkle with a bit of sugar. Carefully arrange the pie on the preheated baking sheet, lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F and bake it until the pie is set but still jiggles slightly, about 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

Topping:

Beat the egg whites, powdered sugar, cream of tartar, and a pinch salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer until glossy medium peaks form, being careful not to over beat.

Spread the meringue mixture over the top of the pie, covering right to the edges. Using the back of a spoon press lightly into the meringue and pull up on the spoon to form peaks all over the surface of the meringue (alternatively you can use a piping bag with a large star tip if you choose).

To cook the meringue, preheat the broiler with the rack in the highest position. Put the pie under the broiler and broil until the meringue is set and golden brown, about 7 minutes, watching carefully to avoid burning, as it cooks quickly. Remove from the broiler and cool before serving.

From Tyler Florence on foodnetwork.com