The best recipes for pumpkin pies are the ones that make it taste just the way you want them, Pumpkin Pie Recipes

Pumpkin pie is one of those pies you can easily make a day or two ahead. You can make both the crust and the filling in advance, refrigerate them separately, and then bake them the day of. Or you can make the pie, loosely wrap it in plastic wrap and keep it chilled in the refrigerator for up to two days.

You can even easily freeze pumpkin pie, for storage for up to a month. To freeze, let the pie cool completely to room temperature. Then wrap it with a few layers of plastic wrap, and then a layer or two of aluminum foil. Wrap it tightly so that the air touching the pie is minimal.

To defrost, let the pie defrost slowly, for several hours, or overnight in the refrigerator.

Ingredients For Pumpkin Pie Recipe:

Pastry for Single-Crust Pie:

• 1 ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup shortening
• 3 ½ tablespoons cold water

Filling:

• 2 cups mashed, cooked pumpkin
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporate milk
• 2 eggs, beaten
• ¾ cup packed brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• a ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon salt

Directions For Pumpkin Pie Recipe

– First, take a pie crust out of the freezer and let it sit until room temperature (this will save time later). Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

– Prepare pie crust by mixing together the flour and salt. Cut shortening into flour; add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time (you may need only 3 tablespoons or up to 4 tablespoons). Put the cream, sugar, and eggs in a bowl with a whisk and beat until the mixture is very stiff, either by hand or using an electric mixer. Mix dough and repeat until dough is moist enough to hold together.

– With lightly floured, hands shape dough into a ball. On a lightly floured board roll the dough out to about 1/8 inch thickness. With a sharp knife, cut dough 1 1/2 inches larger than the upside-down 8- to 9-inch pie pan. Gently roll the dough around the rolling pin and transfer it right-side up onto the pie pan. Unroll, easing dough into the bottom of the pie pan.

– In a large bowl, beat the pumpkin with evaporated milk, eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt with an electric mixer or immersion blender. Mix well. Pour into a prepared crust. Bake for 40 minutes or until when a knife is inserted 1 inch from the edge comes out clean.

– Then add the pumpkin puree and spices, and mix these together.

– Now for the crust. Put it into a pie shell or springform pan that is at least two inches deep (this will save time later). The crust should be thick and not puffy on the bottom. If you have trouble making it thick enough, use a fork to press into the bottom of the pie shell first to make strains. Next, fold back the edges of the pastry onto itself to make sure there’s enough pastry (this will save time later).

Cook’s Notes:

If your pumpkin is large enough, you may double this recipe to make two pies.

To prepare the mashed pumpkin: Use 1 1/2 pounds of skin-on, raw pumpkin to yield 2 cups of mashed. Halve pumpkin and scoop out seeds and stringy portions. Cut pumpkin into chunks. In a saucepan over medium heat, in 1 inch of boiling water, heat the pumpkin to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover the pan simmer for 30 minutes. Drain, cool, and remove the peel. Return pumpkin to the saucepan and mash with a potato masher or use a food mill.

Nutrition Facts:

Per Serving: 363 calories; protein 7.4g; carbohydrates 44.3g; fat 18g; cholesterol 60.2mg; sodium 365.3mg. Full Nutrition

Tip:

Aluminum foil helps keep food moist, ensures it cooks evenly, keeps leftovers fresh, and makes clean-up easy.