There is an exciting craze sweeping the South—a resurgence of the love of cast-iron cookware. Our moms cooked in cast iron; it was and is a staple in their kitchens. Young people today are falling in love with cast iron, and those of us more “mature” people are getting ours out of storage.
My skillet has many years of cooking wear on it. It started out as a gray, newly made iron skillet that had to be seasoned. Today most of the new skillets come already seasoned and ready to go. After years, mine is now dark black and very smooth on the cooking surface.
The old wives’ tale was that the cast-iron skillet was always a wedding gift and was used to keep the husband in line. Well, it is probably better to woo him with delicious food prepared in the skillet, like a scrumptious dessert. That’s why I had to share the recipe for Pumpkin Crumble Pie from our new release, Southern Cast Iron.
A recipe for a new cast-iron favorite.
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- ½ (14.1-ounce) package refrigerated piecrusts (1 sheet)
- ½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup evaporated whole milk
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin purée
- Apple Cider Syrup, to serve (recipe follows)
- For crumble: In a medium bowl, stir together flour, sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Cut in butter with a fork or pastry blender until crumbly. Stir in pecans. Cover and refrigerate 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375°. On a lightly floured surface, roll piecrust into a 12-inch circle. Press into bottom and up sides of a 10-inch cast-iron skillet. Fold edges under, and set aside.
- For filling: In a large bowl, whisk together brown sugar, milk, zest, pumpkin pie spice, salt, eggs, and pumpkin until combined. Pour into prepared crust. Sprinkle crumble evenly over filling.
- Bake until crust is golden brown and filling is set, approximately 35 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Serve with Apple Cider Syrup, if desired.
- Canned pumpkin and pre-made piecrust help this treat come together quickly.
- 1 quart apple cider
- In a small Dutch oven, bring apple cider to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil until cider reduces to 1 cup, approximately 40 minutes. Refrigerate up to 2 weeks.
What do you love to make using your cast-iron cookware?