All notes are from my friend. I made it this year using roast butternut squash purée.
Pumpkin Pie
1 package cream cheese (8-ounce) softened
2 cups canned pumpkin, mashed
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg plus 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1/2 cup half-and-half
1/4 cup melted butter (1/2 stick)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 pieces pre-made pie dough
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place 2 piecea of pre-made pie dough down into 9-inch pie pans* and press down along the bottom and all sides. Pinch and crimp the edges together to make a pretty pattern. Put the pie shells into the freezer for 1 hour to firm up. 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 (about 2 pounds) 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 with a mixer. 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, ginger and cloves and beat until incorporated.
Pour the filling into the warm prepared pie crusts and bake for 50 minutes, or until the center is set. Place the pies on a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Cut into slices and top each piece with a generous amount of whipped cream.
*I used 2 disposable foil pie tins which worked perfectly for 2 pies.
(based on a recipe from Paula Deen)
