CrustLESS Pumpkin Pie

I LIKE pumpkin pie.  Even if I have a 'Doris proof' pie crust recipe from my sister Nadine, I don't enjoy making the crust part.  And, the crust of a pie isn't my favorite part, anyhow, so,......................... years (YEARS!) ago, in a meeting, I learned I can have this 'good for me' treat without the bother of making a 'fat-filled' crust.  Read on...

Photo by Doris

For years, now, this is the only kind of pumpkin pie we have at Thanksgiving, or other gatherings-- Cheryl is an expert at making this in a very large baking dish and having it be perfect every time. 

If you want to follow your own special recipe, OR the recipe on the can of pumpkin, do that.  Then, instead of pouring the prepared filling into a crust, you just pour it into a 'prepared' pie plate or other baking dish.  You prepare the dish of your choice by lightly oiling it and dusting that with flour (dumping the excess flour out).  Just like preparing a pan for baking a cake. That's it.  You will determine when your 'pie' is done by inserting the blade of a very clean knife into the center-- if it comes out 'clean', it's done!

For 'just because', I altered the recipe on the can as follows:

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs, slightly beaten
• 3/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons of flour (because I used more liquid with the honey and syrup)
• 1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin
• 1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk

Directions:

I put the above ingredients into my Kitchen Aid bowl in the order given, letting everything mix a bit after the addition of flour.  After mixing for a while, I added the pumpkin and evaporated milk and continued on until all was very well blended.  Done!

Because I doubled the above recipe, I baked this in a glass 9x13-inch baking dish at 400-degrees for 10 minutes, then turned heat down to 350-degrees for almost an hour.  

IF you are following the single recipe on the can of pumpkin, bake it accordingly and I think you'll be happy with the results.  BUT!, since all ovens vary, check on the progress during the last 15 minutes, or so.