REC: Pumpkin pie from the Los Angeles times:
I gotta admit, my Fave is the recipe off of the Libby's pumkin can. . . only I like it spicier too and always add extra cinnamon and especially ginger, I like pumpkin pie with ginger. If I am feeling like I need extra richness, I use half-and-half or light cream instead of the condensed milk. I also usually add an extra egg to insure non-leakage, but that is really not necessary.
If you want to do it completely from scratch, get yourself a couple of butternut squashes, split them lengthwise, clean them and bake them cut side down on a greased cookie sheet till you can easily pierce the skin and into the flesh with the tip of a knife. Scoop the meat out, mash (should not be stringy with butternuts) and measure and use in any pumpkin pie recipe you might like. Don't tell anyone it's squash, because some people just don't "like winter squash". Tell them it's pumpkin and they will love it.
The following recipe is good, but I add extra spices like I mentioned above. I double the ginger and increase the rest of the spices by 1/4 to 1/2, depending on how old they are.
Pumpkin Pie from the Los angeles times
11/18/2009
Total time: About 1 hour
Servings: Makes 1 (9-inch) pie
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups (15 ounces) puréed cooked pumpkin
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup, preferably grade "B"
3 eggs
1 1/3 cups half-and-half
1 prepared unbaked pie shell
1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves, nutmeg and salt.
2. Whisk in the pumpkin until the sugar and spices are evenly incorporated. Whisk in the maple syrup. Whisk in the eggs, 1 at a time, until incorporated. Slowly whisk in the half-and-half.
3. Pour the filling into a prepared pie shell and bake until the custard is set (the filling should barely jiggle when tapped), about 45 minutes to an hour. Remove to a rack and cool to room temperature.
