Baked Pumpkin Pie

Found another can of pumpkin in the pantry.  I'm doing very well getting rid of the chometz, but there's a box of graham crackers.  Pie crust!

I'm calling this post "baked" as opposed to the Pumpkin Chiffon that I usually make.  This recipe started as the one on the Libby's can.  I don't normally keep evaporated milk on hand, decided I prefer brown sugar in my pumpkin pies, and subbed in a graham crust.  Not that big of a tweak, for me.  You can actually see where the recipe came from.

Some people shy away from making pies because they think they're either too difficult to make or too messy.  Including pulverizing the crackers, this took ten minutes to prep.  I did it all in one bowl, plus a microwaveable cup for the butter.  About halfway through adding ingredients, I realized it isn't much different than my quiche recipes, which I just throw together when I can't think of anything else to make with items on hand.  It takes longer to read the recipe as you go along than to make it.

*7 full graham crackers (or 14 squares)
2 Tb granulated sugar
1/4 C butter, melted
2 eggs
*1-1/2 C milk
2/3 C light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cloves
1 (15 oz) can packed pumpkin - not pie mix

1.  Place graham crackers in a quart ziplock and seal.  Run over with the unopened can of pumpkin until it breaks into fine crumbs.  Pour into a small mixing bowl and stir in granulated sugar.  Add melted butter and stir into a thick paste.  Press paste into a pie pan and place in the oven while it's preheating to 425º and you're mixing the filling.  That will give it enough time to set and dry out a bit, without making it too dark.

2.  Rinse out bowl and wipe dry.  Beat eggs until well blended.  Beat in milk, spices, and brown sugar.  Add pumpkin and stir until fully combined.  Go get the pie crust out of the oven, which should be nearly to 425º by now, and pour the filling into it.

3.  Bake pie at 425º for 15 minutes.  Lower oven temp to 350º and continue to bake 30 minutes.  Test with a toothpick, which will probably come up wet, but the hole will vent the middle and allow more even cooking.  Test again in 10 minutes, and 5 minutes after that if necessary.

That cool starburst pattern is because I didn't mix in the spices well enough.

4.  Once toothpick finally comes up clean, remove pie from oven and allow to cool at room temperature for about 2 hours.  This slow cooling is to reduce the number of surface cracks, like you would with a cheesecake.  Once pie is room temperature, either serve immediately or refrigerate for later.

Makes about 8 servings

Difficulty rating  π