November's Pumpkin Custard Pie

The fourth Thursday of November is Thanksgiving. I love this American holiday, because it is a time to pause in our busy lives and be thankful for what we have. With any celebration, what makes it special is the friends and family that are there - sharing it with you. The food, of course, is also an important tradition and aspect of the holiday. It wouldn't be a proper Thanksgiving without a pumpkin pie. I decided to share my favorite pumpkin pie recipe with you.

This pie (to me) has the right amount of spice. The four eggs make a nice custard filling too. The brown sugar gives it a richness, and I always enjoy adding some whipped cream as a finishing touch. I hope you give this delicious pumpkin custard pie a chance, and if you do, please let me know what you think of it!

Bon Appetit!

Tips:

The filling is made for a deep dish 9-inch pie. If you do not have a 9-inch deep dish pie plate, don't worry! I pour the extra filling in greased one-cup ramekins and place them in a baking dish (you should have four) carefully pour very warm water in the baking dish about 2/3's full. Bake with your pie for about 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center of one of the custard ramekins comes out clean.

Preparation time is 15 minutes. Total time is 1 hour.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cup half-and-half
1 recipe for a 9-inch deep dish single crust pie (or 1 9-inch pastry shell and ramekins)
Whipped cream, optional

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare the pie pastry and carefully ease into pie plate. Flute (press a decorative design in to crust). Gently, line pastry with a two sheets of aluminum foil; place pie weights over top. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven; remove the foil. Meanwhile, for the filling, combine the pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt , cloves, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Add the eggs; beat lightly with a fork until combined. Add the half-and-half; mix well.

Place the partially baked pastry shell on a foil-lined rimmed cookie sheet. Carefully pour the filling into the pastry shell. Crust will over brown - cover the edge of your pie with foil right away and take it off during the last 5 to 10 minutes of baking. Bake for 20 minutes. Turn pie to heat evenly. Bake about 25 minutes more or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill within 2 hours. If desired, serve with whipping cream. Make 8 servings.