Of all the recipes to forget to post!!! I'm sure by now you're all sick of pumpkin pie...but a slice of this thick, dense, flavorful pie would be worth going over the edge for or wearing pants with an elastic waist band...or stepping on the scale to see numbers you've never seen before! My niece, who considers herself somewhat of a pumpkin-pie-connoisseur declared this pie the best she has ever tasted...and I would have to agree, in fact, everyone who ate a slice of this pie thought it was da-bomb! It's easy too...especially if you use a pre-made pie crust...a little cheating over a holiday is legal! You mix all of the ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer, pour it into the crust and bake...that's it. This is a Paula Deen recipe - which is maybe why it's so rich - there isn't any evaporated milk in this pie like most recipes call for...and since it's a Paula recipe, you've probably already guessed...there's butter in it!
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend...full of family, food and chaos...and while it's good to be back home to the quiet of the manse...I sorely miss my family and all the chaos and especially Baby Max...there is just never enough time with him! This is a shot of Baby Max on his first-ever-ride-in-the-Target-cart...he is perusing a Christmas book...brilliant child that he is! While I was in Utah my mom took me to Pirate O's...a little specialty store that has been in Draper, Utah for 11 years and she's been keeping it a secret from me! I could only have been happier in Pirate O's if Baby Max had been with me! If you live in the Salt Lake metropolitan area and you haven't been to Pirate O's then put it on your list of Places to See Before You Die...it's full of specialty chocolates, pasta, cheeses, jams and jellies and tons of other things...you've got to see it to believe it...it looks like a dump but remember, looks can be deceiving! Pirate O's is located at 119th and 7th East in Draper.
Paula's Pumpkin Pie - From Paula Deen
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups canned pumpkin
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, plus 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 pre-made pie dough
whipped cream for topping
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place pre-made dough into a 9-inch pie pan and press down along the bottom and all sides, crimping the edges together to make a pretty pattern (something I've never been able to do!) Put the pie shell back into the freezer for 1 hour to firm up (this also helps prevent shrinkage.) Fit a piece of aluminum foil to cover the inside of the shell completely. Fill the shell up to the edges with pie weights or dried beans and place it in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and pie weights and bake for another 10 minutes or until the crust is dried out and beginning to color.
For the filling, in a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, add the pumpkin and beat until combined. Add the sugar and salt and beat until combined. Add the eggs mixed with the yolks, half-and-half, and melted butter, and beat until combined. Finally, add the vanilla, cinnamon and ginger and beat until incorporated. Pour the filling into the warm prepared pie crust and bake for 50 minutes, or until the center is set. Place the pie on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Cut into slices and top each slice with a generous amount of whipped cream. Serves 8 people or 6 pigs.
"Don't smoke too much, drink too much, eat too much or work too much. We're all on the road to the grave -- but there's no need to be in the passing lane.” Robert Orben
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One year ago today: Joyce's Sweet Potato and Sausage Soup
