Granny’s Favorite Pumpkin Pie

Ah, pumpkin pie. It is finally time to share Granny’s recipe for this old fashioned classic staple of every Thanksgiving dessert buffet. Even when we cannot pass another bite of turkey or stuffing past our lips without the fear of exploding, we can all still defy the laws of physics and slather a slice with whipped cream, unbutton our pants, and get the entire thing down as though it is the first thing we have eaten all day. Granny’s Favorite Pumpkin Pie is really something special.

As a November baby, this pie was Granny’s birthday cake. And what do you know? Today is Granny’s 99th birthday! What better way to remember her than snarf down some of her favorite pumpkin pie? After Granny was moved into assisted living and could no longer cook one herself, Maddy and I used to buckle a homemade pumpkin pie into the backseat and cart it from Boston to Philly for Granny’s birthday. She always pretended not to notice the crumbled crust or the misshapen filling pressed into the foil. It is true that our pie was nowhere near as good as hers was, and every year we swore we were never traveling with a pie again.

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Granny's Favorite Pumpkin Pie

Ganny's pumpkin pie is sure to be the hit of your Thanksgiving buffet. But don't stop there! We serve it for birthdays and weddings too. It is THAT good.

Ingredients

• 1 c pumpkin
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/4 t cloves
• 1/2 t cinnamon
• 1/2 t allspice
• 2/3 c sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 c scalded milk
• 1/2 c evaporated milk
• a few shakes of ginger (optional)
• whipped cream for topping

Instructions

1. Combine pumpkin, salt, cloves, cinnamon, and allspice (also the ginger if using). 

2. Beat the egg and mix with sugar. Gradually cream the milks into the egg and sugar with a mixer. Combine with the pumpkin mixture and mix until well blended. I was surprised how thin the mixture was. See the picture above. It turned out beautifully. 

3. Pour into an unbaked pie crust.

4. Bake 15 minutes at 450. Turn the oven down to 350 and bake for another 40 minutes until a knife blade comes out clean. 40 minutes was perfect in my oven.

5. Serve with whipped cream and a little grated nutmeg if you like.