Old Aunt Jemimia’s pumpkin pie recipe: A poem (1913)
He lives in vain, he who may die,
And never taste a pumpkin pie.
Perhaps my story is too long,
Just pass the subject and go right on.
Only a recipe to cure all ills.
Cut out sickness and doctor bills.
Make the heart happy and brighten the eye
A treat! A homemade pumpkin pie.
Get the flour ready to sift
And backward your mind will quickly drift
To the time when Millie, Uncle and Joe,
Sister Sue, and her Sunday beau.
Miss McLane and Prof Krouse
Ate Xmas dinner at our house.
Lunch that day was not a fake.
Custard pudding and chocolate cake,
Chicken, dressing and sauerkraut,
doughnuts, everyone left them out.
It didn’t take long to tell the why
when mother brought in the pumpkin pie.
‘Tis hard to say who ate the most.
Next in order came the toast,
Decision chose the eldest there.
All eyes turned to Uncle’s chair.
And as he held his glass on high,
We gave three cheers for Uncle Hy.
“Don’t think I’m telling any lies.
When I say we ate five pumpkin pies.”
The dog, old Watch, began to growl.
Though he had the bones of a good-sized fowl.
You could see a slight in his big round eyes,
For he had smelled the pumpkin pies.
He heard mother say to little Jeff.
“Sonny, there isn’t one piece left.”
Pie crust recipe
Five spoonsful of flour dust
Forms enough for the under crust;
Baking powder, a pinch.
Salt the same
Sift all well and sift again.
The finer the flour the better the crust.
Be sure the table is free from dust.
One spoonful of butter, one of lard.
Do not mix the ingredients hard.
Enough cold water to form a paste,
Colder the water, better the taste.
Bring the rolling pin from the bin;
Roll the paste and roll it thin
Be sure the oven is well-heated for baking
Or you’ll be cheated in the undertaking.
Dark & delicious: 5 ways to to make old-fashioned pumpkin pies with molasses & brown sugar
Pumpkin pie filling recipe
Deep-colored pumpkins are the best,
Remove the seed and it is dressed.
Do not pare, but bake in shell.
And when done, you may easily tell.
Remove from oven, scrape from rind
You will find the flavor fine.
Beat well two eggs and in a trice
Add the eggs and then the spice:
Half teaspoonful of ginger
A sprinkle of salt.
If you get this wrong, it’s our own fault.
Half teaspoonful cinnamon, big cup of milk.
Stir until as smooth as silk.
Five spoonsful of sugar will sweeten enough.
Now you have the proper stuff.
An article better than one can buy,
Old Aunt Jemimia’s pumpkin pie.
