Pumpkin Pie

Today I decided I wanted to try and make pumpkin pie from scratch.  I've never really liked pumpkin pie but I heard that it tastes a lot different if you make it from scratch.  There was sugar pumpkins on sale, and that really was my motivation to make it.  First I found a great recipe to use, and added a few tweaks to give it a little more of a flavor kick.

First I made the crust from my moms recipe. (It's awesome!)

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup + 2 TBSP shortening
• 3 TBSP water

To make the crust just combine all the ingredients until a smooth elastic ball of dough is formed.  I usually find that I need to add more flour and water, so it usually is a trial and error process the first time you make the dough.  Divide the dough in half and roll out one half and put into a pie pan.  Since for this recipe you only need one half of the dough you can just freeze or refrigerate the rest of the dough.

For the actual feeling you need the following:

• 1 sugar pumpkin
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 TBSP flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 TBSP pumpkin pie spice
• 1 12 ounce can of evaporated milk

1. Cut the pumpkin in half and take out the guts and seeds. Put cut side down on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil and bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes or until the flesh is tender when poked with a fork.
2. Cool until warm, and then scrap the sides out and put into a blender and puree, turn oven up to 450 degrees
3. In a large bowl slightly beat eggs, add brown sugar, flour, salt, 2 cups of pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice and evaporated milk. Mix well
4. Pour mix into pie crust, put aluminum foil around the edges of crust
5. Bake for 10 minutes at 450 degrees, and then turn down oven to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 40-50 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean
6. Remove foil strip 20 minutes before the pie is done

 I let it chill for a few hours and we ate it cold and loved it!  I can't believe I like pumpkin pie after all these years of saying that it is disgusting, but I guess things change.

So if you don't like pumpkin pie, I would highly recommend making this pie and giving it another try!

Ellie playing with the pumpkin