One of my husband’s favorite pies is pumpkin! Thanksgiving wouldn’t be complete without a piece of pumpkin pie.

Ingredients:
2 cups of pumpkin purée
1/2 cup fat free half and half
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 oz of 1/3 fat reduced cream cheese
1 tsp of high quality pumpkin pie spice
1 cup granulated sugar
2 egg yolks
1 egg
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 tsp Mexican Pure Vanilla extract

Crust:
1 cup AP Flour
1/3 cup plus 1 TB of shortening
1-3 TB ice cold water
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Crust Directions:
Mix flour and salt together. Add shortening and using hands cut shortening into flour mixture or use a pastry cutter but I prefer hands. Cut until dough has pea sized particles.

Start to add water in small amounts. Knead with hands until dough is no longer sticky or dry. Adding more shortening and water as needed. Start with first amount as listed above and increase to max amount as necessary.

Cover in plastic wrap. Place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Roll out chilled dough in a circle shape on to a lightly floured surface.

Roll dough onto rolling pin and center over a 9 inch pie dish and crimp edges.

Blind bake with pie dough weights in foil for 20 minutes.

In the meantime beat the cream cheese with paddle attachment.

Add pumpkin.

Beat together. Add sugar, salt, add eggs mix until incorporated.

Add heavy cream, half and half and melted butter and mix.

Add pumpkin pie spice and vanilla and mix to blend spices throughout.

Pour filling into the prepared pie crust.

Place pie in oven and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until the center is firm.

Remove from oven and let rest on wire rack.

If you have left over dough; roll out and use cookie cutter molds to make leaves for fall. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes. Once cooled place on top of fully cooked pie.