The pumpkin is a type of winter squash native to North America, and it was first grown by northeastern Native Americans as a food source. The Indians gave pumpkins to the early settlers during their first winter in the New World and taught them the many uses for it. As they experimented with cooking techniques, the first pumpkin pie was not really a pie but more likely made by baking a whole pumpkin in hot ashes. An early export to France, the pumpkin was cultivated there and by the 17th century recipes for pumpkin pie could be found in English cookbooks. It wasn’t until 1796 that a recipe for the dish appeared in an American cookbook called American Cookery by Amelia Simmons. Originally made with fresh pumpkin, today pumpkin pies are typically made with canned pumpkin filling, which commonly includes cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, or allspice.
Recipe Servings: