Pumpkin Pie

1 1/2 cups pumpkin (canned or fresh cooked/mashed)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 to 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon (I always use the larger amounts)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

3 sligthly beaten eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
1 6-ounce can (2/3 cup) evaporated milk (NOT condensed milk!)

1 9-inch unbaked pastry shell

Combine pumpkin, sugar, salt, and spices. Blend in eggs, milk, and evaporated milk. Pour into pastry shell (have edges crimped high because amount of filling is generous). Bake in hot oven (400 farenheit) 50 minutes or until knife inserted in the middle comes out clean (clear, not milky).

Okay, that's it from the cookbook. It's a great recipe. Now here's what I do that's different: I don't eat dairy, so I use soy milk. This recipe, as most cooks will recognize, is a custard. So you have to use your ingredients so it will set at the right consistency. I use 2 cups of soy milk. I make soy milk from powder, and that would normally mean 4 tablespoons of powder to 2 cups of water. Since there is evaporated milk in here, I up the amount of powder by a tablespoon or two. With three eggs this sets up pretty well, I've never had a problem. You do sometimes have to bake it a little longer, so you might want to have a foil sleeve on your crust top (not over the whole pie, just over the edge) and take it off after 15-20 minutes of baking so the longer time doesn't make the crust too brown.

Pie crust for the 9" pie (and a little extra so the cook can roll it out to bake with sugar cinnamon for the kids)

1 1/2 cups flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
4 to 5 Tablespoons very cold water

Sift flour and salt. Cut in shortening (I do it with my hand, very therapeutic!) till pieces are size of small peas. Sprinkle water over, 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing mixture after each addition. Stop adding water when the consistency is right, even if you haven't added all of the water! (This will vary according to the weather). Form into a ball and flatten on a lightly floured surface. Roll 1/4 inch thick from center to edge.

When it bakes the filling is milky. When it is finished a knife inserted into it will come back moist but that liquid is clear, meaning the milk is completely set up. When the pie cools it actually continues cooking a little more and the center will be solid.

I like it just like this; others choose to gild the lily by serving it with whipped topping.

SRS