Mom's best ever Pumpkin Pie

Recipe Title:  Pumpkin Pie Filling (click here to go to my YouTube video of this recipe)

Original Recipe By:  Eileen Little and adapted by Miriam Borys

Yield: 3 medium sized pies

Ingredients:

1 can pure pumpkin (796ml or 28 oz.)
6 eggs
1 ½ cups sugar
2 cups milk
2 tsp. cinnamon
¾ tsp. ginger
¾ tsp. allspice
¾ tsp. nutmeg
½  tsp. salt

Procedure:

Heat milk in the microwave until heated but not boiled.
In a large bowl or with a stand mixer whisk eggs and sugar until well blended.
Add pure pumpkin, spices, salt and mix in until well combined.
Add hot milk and stir in until combined.
Pour into unbaked pastry pie shells (recipe to follow) just up to the fluted edges (don’t
overfill).
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake pie on the middle shelf of the oven for approximately 40 minutes until the filling is baked and is not liquid.
Serve hot or cold.  Refrigerate pie after cooled to preserve the freshness.

raw pie filling just before going into pre-heated oven

PASTRY (for 4 pie shells)

5 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 lb. shortening
2 tbsp. white wine vinegar or white vinegar
1 cup ice water
1 tbsp. brown sugar

1.     Mix together flour, salt and brown sugar. Whisk together to remove the lumps.

2.    Cut up shortening into small cubes, return to cooler to keep cold.

3.    Add vinegar and egg to liquid measure cup. Beat with a fork.

4.    Add enough ice cold water to egg/vinegar mixture to make a total of 1 cup of liquid.

5.    Place measured dry ingredients in a large bowl if mixing by hand.

6.    Add shortening and with a knife or a pastry blender start cutting the shortening in to the flour until all the shortening is dime size and mealy.

Miriam's Time Saving Tip♥ If using a stand mixer in pastry making do not multi task. Stay at the mixer and pulse the machine on and off until the flour and shortening are slightly mixed but not totally combined. There should still be big size chunks of shortening showing and plenty of loose flour. Do not be alarmed at this because if you go too far at this stage you will ruin the pastry.

7.     Add liquid to mixing bowl and with a fork mix liquid in. Do not over mix at this stage or your pastry will be tough. Gently form into a ball with your hand.

8.    Roll dough up into a disc and wrap in parchment paper and then in a clean plastic bag and store in cooler until needed.

Miriam's Time Saving Tip♥ Making this pastry ahead is a great time saver. It keeps well for over a week in the fridge as long as it is wrapped well. After making pies freeze the remaining pastry for use later.