Pumpkin Pie

We like Pie. Here is Cait with pies (and brownies) she made for me to take on a staff retreat.


Beth from Acorn Collective asked for a recipe for pumpkin pie. This is Ian's mother's recipe for a nice light pie filling. She served it at Thanksgiving. It is Ian's and Pat's favourite kind of pie. The pie crust recipe is from my friend Liz and it is her mother's recipe. The method of mixing the ingredients is critical to its success. I have used it for over 30 years - (it cant be that long!!!) Both mothers have passed on and its comforting that passing on these recipes keeps a bit of them still with us.

Pie Crust

2 cups flour
2/3 cups shortening
I tsp salt
1/2 cup of milk (You may not need all the milk)

Put flour in a large bowl. Put shortening into the bowl with the flour and cut the shortening into 4 pieces and then cut each of those pieces into 4 pieces and then cut each again into 4 pieces. Then with clean hands thumb the flour and shortening mixture over your fingers until the mixture resembles little grains. Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time - important just add enough of the milk for the flour to form a ball and handle dough lightly. Pat dough into a ball, flatten into a disk, wrap in plastic and cool in the fridge for half an hour. Roll cooled dough out on floured surface. Place rolled dough into pie pan and cook at 375 degrees fahrenheit until faintly golden brown at edges.

Pumpkin Pie

I large tin of pumpkin
3 cups of cooled scalded milk (I don't always scald the milk)
2 cups of brown sugar
6 eggs - separated
I tsp cinnamon (I use a heaping teaspoon)
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp allspice (I have never found this)
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt

Mix sugar, pumpkin and spices together. Add in egg yolks, then cooled scalded milk, to pumpkin mixture.
Beat egg whites until stiff and then fold gently into pumpkin mixture. Pour pumpkin mixture into lightly cooked pie shell.

Bake for 10 minutes at 420 degrees fahrenheit then lower temperature to 375 degrees fahrenheit and bake for 35 or 40 minutes.

Serve with whipped cream.