Thanksgiving is for pie!..... Perfect Pumpkin Pie filling....

When someone tells me they don't know how to make pie I tell them it's really easy!  You just have to remember; it's food, don't be afraid of it!  It should be afraid of YOU because YOU are going to EAT it!

I have been mass producing pumpkin pies since I was thirteen and my Mom needed help in the kitchen.  I come from a large family, and there was never enough time or space for Mom to take care of all the little things.  Quite frankly, she wasn't especially keen on cooking large meals.  She had her moments, but all in all she was always happy that someone else take up that chore.  I used to pore over her old cook books to search out methods or techniques, but we always went back to the "old favorites", and you will too!

Who remembers the old "Royal City Pumpkin" tins?  My original recipe came from the back of one of those cans, and I have tweaked it over the years until it is simple and always delicious!

So, lets start!  First, make your "rough puff pastry" (I use the lard version because the family requests it, but you can use the butter one if you wish).  Roll the crust to line your pie shell, pressing the dough into the bottom of the pan to prevent shrinking during the cooking process.  Now make your filling!  In a large bowl, combine one fourteen ounce can of good quality pumpkin - NOT pie filling! - with three quarters of a cup of Demarera Sugar, one teaspoon of cinnamon, three quarters of a teaspoon of ginger and just a PINCH of ground cloves. 

Carefully stir the spices and sugar into the pumpkin until no streaks of spice remain.  In a measuring cup gently beat three eggs with a fork until loose, then add to your pumpkin mix.  Open a fourteen ounce tin of evaporated milk - not sweetened condensed milk - and add to the pumpkin mix.  Whisk everything together until it is smooth. 
Now place your filling into the crust, scraping the bowl so you don't waste any of the filling, and place the pie in a preheated HOT oven.  I start my pies at my favorite 425 degrees Fahrenheit, but you know your oven and will use your favorite hot setting... then, immediately turn your oven DOWN to about 325 degrees.... you want to flash the edges so they don't slip during baking, but you want the filling to cook low and slow for a smoother finish.  And now the "magic" made easy!  The reason I use canned milk instead of cream or fresh milk is simple.  Canned milk has already been processed and contains changed proteins that will not cause the filling to split or weep after cooking.  It gives the perfect custard texture and makes for a better final product.
Bake your pie until the center puff up and the custard is firm but not hard in the center.  If your edges begin to brown too quickly you can make a "tent" with foil over the whole pie, but remember to add a hole in the center so the custard gets some colour. 

Serve this either warm or fully chilled, with ice cream, or whipped cream, or just the way it is!  Mmmmm.....  And enjoy!