My Best Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Pie re-posted from my blog The Insomniacs Kitchen March 2012 adapted 10/27/2021

I just made pumpkin pie for the first time and it came out great! I put it in front of the tiny fan so it would cool off fast so we could eat it. I am so excited. I think pie is my new friend.

This is a delicious whole wheat crust and the pie is light like Indian Pudding and not too sweet. This is an adaptation of the Libby's Pumpkin pie label recipe and the One Pie brand label recipe. I love pumpkin pie, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin ice-cream pumpkin
everything!!

Ingredients 

1/2 or (1/4 cup) granulated sugar (I like 1/4)
1/8 cup of dark molasses
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt (half if using regular salt)
1 teaspoon ground ginger (I used freshly finely grated frozen ginger root)
2 large eggs
1 small can of pure pumpkin (15 oz.)
1 can of evaporated milk (12 fl. oz.)
1 home made nine inch pre-baked whole wheat pie shell (4-cup volume)

Directions for making the pie:
Mix sugar, dark molasses, cinnamon, salt, ginger and eggs in large bowl. Whisk in pumpkin puree and evaporated milk. 

Pour into pre-baked (5-10 minutes) pie shell.

Bake pie in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 more minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

Some bakers use sweetened condensed milk so I tried it but I discovered that it is cloyingly sweet and drowns out the pumpkin taste compared to a pie made with evaporated milk and 1/4 cup sugar. The evaporated milk pumpkin pie is much more like Indian Pudding and tastes like a food!

Pie Crust
1 cup of whole wheat flour 

4 Tablespoons corn oil 

3 tablespoons white or brown sugar (the sugar is the glue, holding the crust together)

2 Tbs cold water or milk (if needed to moisten) sometimes I use a spray bottle.

          1 teaspoon Kosher salt (less if using regular salt or white flour)

Mix flour and oil with fingers so it is pebbly then add a little bit more so it becomes like Play-Doh consistency. Press into pie pan with fingers. Prick dough with fork and make pressed fork pattern on edge. It is very sticky and hard to handle but hang in there, it will be delicious. Pre-bake at 350 for 5-10 minutes. Then let it cool.

Tip from Once Upon a Chef Jenn Segal and The Salty Marshmallow : A great tip is to press the crust into the bottom of the pan with the back of a measuring cup.  This will make sure the crust is in the pan nice and firm, so that it won't fall apart when you cut this for serving. Another note is that it's best to let this crust chill for a good 30 minutes before adding the filling! (not sure I can do the latter beyond 10 minutes.)