Home made pumpkin pie recipe
To get the pumpkin pulp:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Start with a baking pumpkin. I used one from the store simply labeled as a pie pumpkin. These are smaller than carving pumpkins and not quite as orange. The ones I've used have been around 4 1/2 - 5 pounds and produce enough pulp for two pies so double the recipe if you want.
Cut the top off the pumpkin and clean out the guts just as you would when carving a jack o'lantern. Making vertical cuts, slice the pumpkin into about 3 inch wide sections. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet (some recipes I've seen have said to do this peel up and some said peel down. I did peel down and it was fine) Bake in preheated oven for about an hour or until "meat" is soft. Remove skin (mine peeled right off with a slight bit of help from a knife slit at the edge between the skin and the pulp) and mix into puree using either a hand mixer or a food processor. (I used a mixer and cut the pieces up to make it easier.)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
(NOTE: This recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups mashed pumpkin per pie. The size of pumpkin I got gave me just enough for two pies but you may want to measure to be sure. Also, the following recipe is for ONE pie.)
1 1/2 cups mashed pumpkin (puree...pulp...whatever you want to call it)
1 1/2 cups milk (I used evaporated milk. 1 1/2 cups is equal to a 12 oz can)
2 eggs
2/3 cup brown sugar (I packed it)
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
3/4 tsp. salt
Mix spices with sugar, then add previously beaten eggs. Add pumpkin and milk, stir together and pour into unbaked 9 inch pie shell. To make baking easier, place unbaked pie(s) on a cookie sheet when baking.
Bake at 425 for 10 minutes then at 350 for about a half hour or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.
Cool, serve and refrigerate.
My previous recipe had called for nutmeg also and as this one doesn't, I sprinkled a bit in when I mixed everything together. It wasn't much, probably not even 1/4 teaspoon. I just felt it needed a bit. I didn't use clove but you could do the same with that too if you wanted just don't go overboard on it.
Yay! Pass the whipped cream!
