pumpkin pie

Photo: Andrew Scrivani

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Taking "from Scratch" a Step Too Far

While the canned versus homemade cranberry-sauce debate continues, there's no question canned pumpkin wins over fresh. Pie guru Kate McDermott, author of the new book, Art of the Pie, once tried growing and using her own pumpkins, and the results were disappointing: stringy and watery. She prefers store-bought pumpkin purée, which is consistently moist and creamy (products from the brand Libby's are made from their own variety of pumpkin); plus, the quality in every can is exactly the same. Here's her go-to recipe.