Cook Loose

Pumpkin Pie is one of the easiest pies to make and yet still one of EVERYBODY'S favorites.

• 29 oz Roast Pumpkin or 1 big can pumpkin (NOT the pie mix)
• 1 1/2 C evaporated milk (1 can)
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 C sugar (I like to mix 1/2 white and 1/2 brown)
• 1 t ginger (ground)
• 1 t cinnamon (ground)
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 t nutmeg (ground)
• 1/2 t cloves (ground)

If you grind your own spices this pie is even better, but will work fine with spices from the spice jar, as long as they haven't been sitting there for the last several years.

Preheat oven to 425^o. Line one 9 or 10 inch pie pan with 1/2 recipe pie crust. Put all ingredients in a large blender, or the bowl of a food processor, or just a large bowl. Mix until combined (low speed for the blender, pulse for the food processor, low for a stand or hand mixer, or use a potato masher). It is not necessary to get this perfectly smooth if you are working with roast pumpkin as people like the texture, but there shouldn't be any large lumps. Pour into the pre-baked pie shell. Put into the oven and set timer for 15 minutes. When the timer goes off, reset the oven to 350^o and reset the timer to 50 minutes. When the timer goes off, check to see if the pie is done by inserting a tooth pick in the center. If a toothpick put in the center comes out clean, the pie is done. If not, give it 10 more minutes. When done, pull out the pie and let it cool at LEAST an hour.

Note

• If you are out of evaporated milk BUT you have condensed milk, you can replace the evaporated milk and the sugar with one can of condensed milk and 1/4 Cup of milk. It won't be the same, but it is still really good and somehow I end up with cans of condensed milk in the pantry and forget to pick up evaporated milk. It works.