Best Pumpkin Pie – Without a Lie!

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• Water
• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 2 cups Crisco

Pumpkin Tarts / Pie

• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 4 eggs (If you can find them, duck eggs make this pie even better!)
• 796 millilitre can or 3 1/4 cup - Canned or Fresh Roasted Pumpkin or Squash
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 1 cup 1/2 and 1/2 cream

Instructions

1. ***Pie Crust***
2. Beat egg and vinegar in a measuring cup. Add enough cold water to make 1 cup of the liquid mixture and set aside.
3. In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients.
4. Cut in Crisco to the dry mixture and whisk.
5. Pour half of the liquid on top and stir gently with a knife.
6. Add remaining liquid.
7. Stir with a knife and then continue with your hands.
8. Make 4 balls.
9. Squish in between 2 layers of plastic wrap to form disks.
10. Note: Will roll out best at room temperature, NOT cold
11. ***Pumpkin Tarts / Pie***
12. First preheat your oven to 450 degrees for 2 deep dish pies or 375 degrees for 24 tarts
13. Roll out 1 pie crust disk for each pie you are making, or cut out rounds and place in muffin tins for pumpkin tarts. Make sure you save any scraps of dough - you can cut out little leaves using a cookie cutter to make your pie look better than ……well…. everyone's!
14. In a large bowl put all of the following ingredients: brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, eggs, pumpkin, evaporated milk and cream.
15. Whisk together, making sure all the lumps are gone and the spices and sugar are mixed thoroughly.
16. Pour into your piecrusts or tart shells. Place on bottom shelf of oven.
17. For Pies: Bake for 20 minutes at 450 degrees,Then,Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees
18. For Tarts:Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes
19. On a separate cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper or a Silpat, place your cut out leaves. Brush with an egg wash - (1 egg beaten with a dash of cream). Bake in the middle of the oven for the last 15 minutes of baking or until they reach golden perfection. When pie or tarts are cool place golden beauties on top as you wish.
20. Warning: Be prepared for oooohs and aaaahs!!

Notes

Tip: If you find your crusts are getting to dark too fast, put a piece of aluminum foil loosely on the top of the pies or tarts while they are still baking