Always In Earnest

"Bless those women; they never do anything by halves. They are always in earnest." -Charles Dickens

Dessert

Pumpkin Pie

pumpkin pie
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We’ve made Grandma’s Pumpkin Pie filling for Thanksgiving dinner every year ever since we got married in 2001! It is delicious every time! I use a basic pie crust recipe here, but the filling recipe is Grandma’s! I’ve recently started using a pumpkin spice from The Spice House in place of the spices in Grandma’s recipe, but I listed the original spices in the recipe. Be sure to read the recently added notes at the bottom of the recipe for helpful hints on preventing cracks in the filling and preventing a soggy crust.

pumpkin pie

A fun note about these pie photos – Margeaux (one of the young women I mentored a decade ago, and a wonderful mama of two adorable girls now!) came over to our house this week to learn how to make this pie, and she helped me photograph it! It was her idea to use the green wreath, she added whipped cream for us, and she also styled the plates with pine cones and cinnamon sticks. She did a great job! I love Margeaux, and it will always make me happy to see these photos and think of her!

pumpkin pie
pumpkin pie

Pumpkin Pie

Grandma's pumpkin pie filling recipe is a winner every time! With just the right amount of spice, this pie belongs on the Thanksgiving table every year!
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Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 8 slices

Ingredients
  

Crust Ingredients

  • 1 cup flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ⅓ cup shortening
  • 3-4 Tablespoons cold milk

Filling Ingredients

  • 3 eggs beaten slightly
  • ½ cup sugar granulated
  • ½ cup brown sugar packed
  • 1 Tablespoon flour all-purpose
  • ½ teaspoon salt iodized table salt
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice from The Spice House; (OR as Grandma's original recipe calls for: ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ½ teaspoon allspice, 1 teaspoon cinnamon)
  • 1½ cups mashed pumpkin cooked or canned (I use a full 15 oz can)
  • 1½ cups evaporated milk, heated

Instructions
 

Crust Preparation

  • Combine the flour and salt.
  • Cut the shortening into the flour mixture using a fork or a pastry cutter until the pieces are the size of peas.
  • Add the cold milk one tablespoon at a time; stir gently until the dough starts to come together. Combine into a dough ball with hands. Be careful not to over-work the dough, as the gluten will become too developed and the crust will be tough instead of flaky.
  • You may shape the dough into a disc, then wrap in plastic film and refrigerate for up to two days.
  • When ready to shape the crust, roll out the dough into a 12-14" circular shape on a floured surface, depending on the depth of your pie dish.
  • Transfer the dough to the pie plate by rolling it over the rolling pin and placing it on the edge of the pie dish, then unrolling the dough.
  • Fold the outer edges of the dough under to make a nice thick edge, then shape as desired. We usually do a zig-zag crust for pumpkin pie. Set in a cool area while making the filling.
    If your pie dish is glass, don't refrigerate it. Putting cold glass directly into a hot oven can cause the glass to shatter.

Filling Preparation

  • Move the oven rack to the lower 1/3 of the oven to promote a fully baked bottom crust. Preheat the oven to 425℉.
  • Add the sugar, brown sugar, flour, salt, and spices to the beaten eggs and mix just until incorporated.
  • Blend the pumpkin into the egg mixture. Add the milk and mix until combined.
  • Pour the filling into the pastry-lined pan.
  • Bake the pie in the lower 1/3 of the oven at 425℉ for 10 minutes, then turn the oven to 350℉ and continue baking for 50 minutes.
  • Let cool before serving. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Notes

This pie crust recipe isn’t the one Grandma uses, but just a basic pie crust recipe that I use for most pies. As with most recipes, each person adjusts it to fit their own approach. I’ve also added the suggestion to bake in the lower 1/3 of the oven. 
I love the Pumpkin Spice from The Spice House. I usually buy the glass jar the first time I buy a particular spice from them. For refills, I buy the flatpacks that ship for free. 
I like using a no-mess pie crust dough rolling bag. Mine is 14″ in diameter. Here is a good option. It eliminates the mess of flour on the counter, and it helps me roll the dough into a good circle. It also allows me to transfer it to the pie dish easily by putting the dish on top of it face-down and then turning the whole thing over. 
Two of the main things that can make a pumpkin pie crack are overbaking and cooling too quickly. The pie will continue baking with residual heat after you turn off the oven, so expect the center to still be wobbly at the end of the baking period. Allowing the pie to cool slowly inside the oven with the door cracked open can help it cool more slowly to prevent cracking. This can take four or more hours, but it is worth the wait – a fully cooled pie will slice nicer. Another common issue is a soggy crust. Bake in the lower 1/3 of the oven to promote a fully baked bottom crust. See this link from King Arthur Baking and this link from Epicurious for more info. 
We always bake our pies a day or two before Thanksgiving to give plenty of time for the pies to cool, and to spread out the baking load over a few days. 
Keyword dessert, pie, pumpkin