Grandmother Abbott’s Pumpkin Pie

Makes 2 pies

Pie Filling

1 large (28 oz.) can pumpkin

6 eggs

2 cups sugar

2 cups half and half (between milk and heavy cream)

2 t. salt

1 t.  ground mace

1 t.  ground nutmeg

2 t.  ground cinnamon

1 ½ t. ground ginger

½ t. each – ground allspice and ground cloves

 Combine all ingredients and mix well.

Pie Crust

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 t. salt

1 t. sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter

¼ to ½ cup ice water

Place flour, salt and sugar in a food processor and process for a few seconds to combine.  Add the butter; process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 8 to 10 seconds.  For hand method, place the dry ingredients in a large bowl.   Add the butter, and blend with a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. 

Add the ice water in a slow steady steam through the feed tube of a food processor with the machine running, process just until the dough holds together.  Do not process dough for more than 30 seconds.  For the hand method, mix the dough with a wooden spoon, adding the water and mixing until the dough just hold together. 

Divide dough in half and turn the dough onto 2 pieces of plastic wrap.   Press each piece of dough into a flattened circle and wrap it in the plastic; refrigerate the dough for a least 1 hour.  The dough may be double-wrapped in plastic and frozen for several months.

Roll out dough to 1/8-inch thick and place into a 9-inch pie pan.  Finish edges of crust.

Fill each uncooked pie crust with ½ of pie filling.  Bake in pre-heated 425F degree oven for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 350F degrees and bake for approximately 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in pie comes out clean.