Who wants Pumpkin Pie? I sure do! Thanksgiving is next week and I know some of you have been just dying for this wonderful dessert to be set right before your eyes. As for the significant delays in between posts, I apologize. My husband and I moved to a house with a much better kitchen now. It is a lot to take care of!
I wanted to make the best pumpkin pie recipe I could make. I've had the filling recipe for many many years from the family. My mother had this recipe in her big cookbook and it was always a winner. Not sure who in the family she got this from. This is the best pie filling I have ever come across. However my mother wasn't good about making pie crusts. She insisted on buying pre-made pie crusts all the time. Although this is a very good filling recipe to use in the pre-made crusts, I tend to prefer everything homemade if it's not too much of a pain. I thought about the best pie crust recipe I've come across and it comes from none other than my mother in law. She's ridiculously good at apple pie.
PUMPKIN PIE
FILLING
2 eggs
1 can Pumpkin Puree (about 1 3/4 c)
1 C. Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp. Flour
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 3/4 C. Evaporated Milk
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Nutmeg
1/2 tsp. Ginger
1/4 tsp. Cloves
CRUST
1 1/4 C. Flour
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/3 C. Shortening (lard is ok too)
3-4 Tbsp. COLD Water
Mix all ingredients well for pie filling together in a medium bowl. Set aside for preparation of crust.
Stir Flour and Salt for Crust recipe in a medium bowl until well combined. Cut in Shortening (or lard) until the pieces are the size of small peas. Add 1 Tbsp of Cold Water to the mix and toss with a fork, push to the side of the bowl until it is all moistened. How much water you actually need will depend on the humidity level around you.
On a lightly floured surface, flatten dough with hands and form a disc shape. Roll dough from center to edge until about 12 inches in diameter. Transfer dough to a greased pie plate. Lightly press dough into place, paying attention to the edges. Be sure to fill holes with extra dough. Trim dough and flute edges.
Fill crust with filling, wrap edges with foil to prevent burning and bake at 425 degrees f for 15 min. Turn down oven to 350 degrees f and bake for another 35-40 minutes or until done.
