Pumpkin pie

We have been making this pie for over 30 years! It was one of the first things that my mother handed down to me to take over for Thanksgiving. She helped with the dough in the early years, but I always made the custard. Sometimes we roasted our own pumpkin, however, to streamline, we now use organic canned pumpkin. It was her father's favorite dessert and we always made an extra just for him to take home for the week after the holiday. Now the next generation is getting in on the action and while it is hard to let go of one of the first things I learned to make, its nice to see little hands cracking eggs and stirring in pumpkin. 

Pumpkin pie
 
 
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon nutmeg
2 large eggs
15 ounces of canned or fresh pumpkin puree
12 ounces evaporated milk
1 unbaked pie shell (basic pie dough)
 
Mix sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, salt, ginger, nutmeg and cloves in bowl. Beat eggs into mixture. Stir in pumpkin. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.  Pour into pie shell.
Bake in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean.


Basic Pie Dough
Serves: 2 pies
 
1 cup chilled butter
4 tablespoons vegetable shortening
4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
10-12 tablespoons water with ice cubes
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
 
Cut butter and shortening into flour, cinnamon and salt with fingertips or pastry cutter or two knives until butter resembles small peas. Add vanilla to ice water.  Make a well and gradually add in water mixture into flour and mix with hands until dough begins coming together. Flip dough onto floured surface and mix gently until ball forms, divide into two balls and gently flatten into disc. Wrap in plastic and let rest in fridge or freezer until ready to use.

*This can be made in the food processor to save time and mess. Place dry ingredients into machine, pulse, then add cubes of cold butter. Pulse a few times, only until butter resembles small peas. Add in vanilla water and pulse until dough comes together.