Family traditions are what make the holidays so special. For Ellis Dental appointment coordinator, Nicole Frazier one of her favorite traditions is the dessert table featuring three special pies: chocolate, pumpkin and almond. Since Nicole believes it really isn’t fall until she begins seeing all things pumpkin, it’s no surprise that the pumpkin pie is her all time favorite. We’re featuring Nicole’s classic pumpkin pie recipe in case you’d like to include it with your Thanksgiving menu this year. Hopefully you and your family will enjoy it as much as Nicole and her family do and will want to add it to your traditional holiday menu for many years to come.

Nicole’s Classic Pumpkin Pie

For the filling you’ll need the following:

¾ cup packed brown sugar
1 ¾ tsp pumpkin pie spice
¼ tsp salt
1 (12 oz.) can of evaporated low-fat milk
2 egg whites from large eggs
1 large egg
1 (15 oz.) can of unsweetened pumpkin

If you are really ambitious you can make your own crust or just do what her family does and use:

½ (15 oz.) package of refrigerated pie dough, like Pillsbury
Cooking spray

Begin by preheating the oven to 425 degrees.

Now prepare the filling by combining the first six ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well with a wire whisk. After those ingredients are well blended, add the pumpkin and stir until smooth.

Roll the crust out into an 11 inch circle. Spray a 9 inch pie pan with the cooking spray and then carefully mold the pie crust into the bottom and sides of the pie pan. Fold the edges under and flute.

Pour the pumpkin mixture into the crust and put the pie plate on a baking sheet to contain any spills. Bake on the lowest oven rack at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Then immediately reduce the temperature to 350 degrees. Do not remove the pie or open the oven door while changing temperatures. Continue to bake for an additional 50 minutes or until the middle of the filling is almost set. Remove from oven and cool completely on a wire rack.

Topping

¼ cup whipping cream
1 tbsp amaretto
2 tsp powdered sugar

Beat the whipping cream with a mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form. Then add the amaretto and powdered sugar and continue to beat until blended.

Once the pie is completely cooled, put a large dollop of topping on each piece of pie and ENJOY!!