Into the Kitchen: Classic Pumpkin Pie

There's nothing like a pumpkin pie, am I right? I'm not a huge fan of custard or pudding, sometimes I'll eat mousse, but generally this kind of dessert isn't my thing. Pumpkin pie though...I can't get enough of it.

Ingredients

Crust:
1 1/3 cups flour
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 plus 1 tbsp butter
a pinch of salt
3-5 tbsps cold water

Filling:
2 cups pumpkin puree
2 eggs
1 2/3 c light cream
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cloves

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Combine flour, salt, butter, shortening and a bit of water in mixer. When blending crust, be careful not to overmix. Combine until just mixed and finish by hand. Pat into a disk shape, cover with plastic wrap and chill. Once cool, roll the crust on a floured board. Transfer dough to a 9 inch pie plate. Trim crust overhang to 1 inch. Make cuts in the crust at 1 inch intervals. Bend alternating edge pieces inward. Cover crust with foil and chill.

Sift together flour, salt and spices. I usually just take a whisk to the dry ingredients to make sure everything is combined. Next, beat eggs, cream and pumpkin together. Stir into dry ingredients. Place chilled pie plate onto a foil-lined baking sheet. Pour filling into the pie shell and bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees. After, turn down heat to 350 degrees and bake until the pie filling sets. Let cool until room temperature and then refrigerate. Serve cold with a dollop of whipped cream and coffee, of course.

(Image from here.)