Adapted from this recipe with over a decade of refinements

Ingredients

  • 1 Sugar Pumpkin
  • 1 Cup White Sugar
  • 1 1/2 Cans (18 oz) Evaporated Milk
  • 1 1/4 Tsp. Cinnamon, Ground
  • 1/2 Tsp. Clove, Ground
  • 3/4 Tsp. Allspice, Ground
  • 1/4 Tsp. Ginger, Ground
  • 1/2 Tsp. Nutmeg, Freshly Ground
  • 1/2 Tsp. Mace, Ground
  • 1 Tbsp. Rum
  • 4 Large Eggs
  • 3 (9-Inch), or 2 (11-Inch) Deep Dish Pie Shells

Directions

  1. Cut pumpkin into 4 pieces, removing the stem
  2. Remove seeds and guts, scraping the insides of the pumpkin clean (you can rinse, dry, roast, and salt the seeds for a snack)
  3. Rinse the pumpkin gently
  4. Cook pumpkin in crockpot on low for 6 hours with ~1 inch of water, continue recipe after pumpkin is cooked
  5. Preheat oven to 400ºF
  6. Let pie crusts thaw if frozen (10 minutes)
  7. Cover pie crust edges with tinfoil (to prevent burning)
  8. Prick bottom and sides of pie crusts well
  9. Bake empty pie shells on bottom rack for 8 minutes
  10. Remove crusts from oven and let them cool (crusts will bubble, let them settle fully before pouring)
  11. Scoop pumpkin meat out and puree until smooth (should result in 2~3 cups pumpkin puree)
  12. Add all ingredients
  13. Mix with hand blender until smooth (the mix should be very soupy, this is normal), try not to introduce too much air into the filling
  14. Raise oven temperature to 425ºF
  15. Fill pies, alternating pours between all shells for an even spread of spices
  16. Bake at 425ºF for 16 minutes
  17. Lower temperature to 350ºF and bake for ~50 minutes (until a butter knife comes out clean)
  18. Let pies cool fully in fridge before eating

Notes

  • You can substitute half of the white sugar for raw, demerara, or even brown sugar for a more complex sweetness
  • If you can't find fresh or pre-ground mace, adding a bit more nutmeg is an acceptable alternative
  • If you have an infinity bottle for your rum, this recipe is an excellent time to use some