Big Fat Pumpkin Pie

                                                                            

Crust:
2 Cups Flour
1/4 TSP Salt
2 TSP Sugar
1/3 Cup Shortening
1/3 Cup Butter
1/2 TSP Vanilla
4 to 5 TBS of Ice Cold Water
Mix all dry together. Cut in butter & shortening to make fine crumbs. Stir in the vanilla & cold water until dough forms a ball. Divide dough in 1/2. Freeze the one use the other to make this pie! Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough & place in a 10 inch pie pan. Trim & crimp the edges. Lay a sheet of foil lightly into the bottom of the pie & have it come up the edges. Fill foil with about 2 cups of raw rice. Bake for 10 minutes & remove from oven. CAREFULLY remove foil with the rice. This blind baked crust will insure you have a crispy crust! Now set shell aside & prepare the filling.

 2/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 TBS. cornstarch
3 eggs                
1, 29 ounce can of pumpkin  or fresh pumpkin
2 cups whole milk                      
1 tsp vanilla         
1& 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg
In large mixing bowl combine sugar salt & cornstarch. Add eggs & beat well. Beat in pumpkin mix well. Add milk, vanilla & spices beat well. Pour into LARGE deep pie pan 10" or 2 8 inch pie crusts that you blind bake. Sprinkle top with cinnamon. Bake 375 for 1 hour & 1/2. Cover edges of pie crust with foil to prevent overly dark crust. Check pie at 1 hour but bake until pie filling is set. If using 8 inch pie crust check at 40 minutes & continue until set. IF you do not care for spices or prefer to leave some out  do so to suit your taste! Let pie cool & then refrigerate .