3 Pumpkin Pie Recipes for Thanksgiving

If you're like my family, pumpkin pie is one of the sweetest parts of Thanksgiving. While pumpkin pie comes in many forms from the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew at Starbucks to the holiday pie at McDonalds, for us, good old fashioned fresh baked pumpkin pie is the best.

This year as we have a bit more time than in past years, we decided to bake a pumpkin pie from a recipe instead of our traditional getting a pie already baked from the grocery store.

Googling "making pumpkin pie," we found three original recipes just right for our favorite Thursday.

Our first recipe comes from the folks at McCormick. Called "Classic Pumpkin Pie" here is what you need to make eight servings

Pastry for 9-inch pie crust
2 eggs, well beaten
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons McCormick Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin
1 teaspoon McCormick All Natural Pure Vanilla Extract
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk

Instructions: Preheat oven to 425°F. Line 9-inch pie plate with pie crust. Mix eggs, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, flour and salt in medium bowl until smooth. Stir in pumpkin and vanilla. Gradually add evaporated milk, mixing well. Pour into pie crust. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Bake 40 minutes longer or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm or cold. Garnish with whipped cream and sprinkle with additional pumpkin pie spice, if desired. Store covered in refrigerator.

The folks at Pillsbury give the recipe for what they call "The Easiest Pumpkin Pie Recipe."

3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 1/4 cups evaporated milk or half and half
2 eggs, beaten
1 Pillsbury Pet-Ritz frozen deep-dish pie crust

Directions: Heat oven to 425°F. In large bowl, mix filling ingredients. Pour into pie crust. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F; bake 40 to 50 minutes longer or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool 2 hours. Serve or refrigerate until serving time. Store in refrigerator.

All Recipes takes a bit more time with their recipe.

Pastry for Single-Crust Pie:
1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup shortening
3 ½ tablespoons cold water

Filling:
2 cups mashed, cooked pumpkin
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
2 eggs, beaten
¾ cup packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Prepare pie crust by mixing together the flour and salt. Cut shortening into flour; add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time (you may need only 3 tablespoons, or up to 4 tablespoons). Mix dough and repeat until dough is moist enough to hold together.
With lightly floured, hands shape dough into a ball. On a lightly floured board roll dough out to about 1/8 inch thickness. With a sharp knife, cut dough 1 1/2 inch larger than the upside-down 8- to 9-inch pie pan. Gently roll the dough around the rolling pin and transfer it right-side up onto the pie pan. Unroll, easing dough into the bottom of the pie pan.
In a large bowl, beat pumpkin with evaporated milk, eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt with an electric mixer or immersion blender. Mix well. Pour into a prepared crust. Bake 40 minutes or until when a knife is inserted 1 inch from the edge comes out clean.