Fresh Pumpkin Spice Pie

Boyfriend and I moved to our new apartment almost nine months ago. Since then, we've had two parties, countless kickbacks, and I've made dinner at least three nights a week (and when I make dinner, I try to make things I haven't made before!). 

However, we have never had anyone over for dinner.

Of course, I've made dinner for our roommate (Mah Bestfriend), and for other close friends. It's never been a big deal, and usually we're all drunk. I just make food, and people I live with eat it. The end.

So I've been really excited/terrified to make dinner for people who aren't drunk roommates.

A girl I've worked with for years and her boyfriend are coming over for dinner tomorrow night. She's someone who I consider to be a close friend in an unusual way. We've been through so much together-- hated each other, appreciated each other, related to one another, and somehow became unlikely friends. But all of these experiences have been at work. It's been a crazy ride, and we're both busy with school and work, so it's been hard to hang out.

This dinner has been a long time coming.

Boyfriend and I finally get to have an actual sober adult dinner party thing in our new-ish apartment, and we finally get to hang out with a couple we've been needing to kick it with for years!

And damn, was it a great night!!

(Adapted from AllRecipes)

Ingredients:

• 1 sugar pumpkin (A sugar pumpkin, or pumpkin pie pumpkin. For more info, check out Baking Bites)
• 1 recipe for My Favorite Pie Crust
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (If you don't have it, you can make it REALLY easily from the recipe here!)
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk

Directions:

1. Cut pumpkin in half and remove seeds.
2. Place cut side down on a cookie sheet lined with lightly oiled aluminum foil. 
   
3. Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the flesh is tender when poked with a fork.
4. Cool until just warm.
5. Scrape the pumpkin flesh from the peel.
6. Either mash, or puree in small batches in a blender.
7. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C.)
8. In a large bowl, slightly beat eggs.
9. Add brown sugar, flour, salt, 2 cups of the pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and evaporated milk. Stir well after each addition. (Don't be alarmed by the runniness of the filling!)
10. Put the whole mixture in the food processer again and process until smooth, in batches if necessary.
11. Pour mixture into the unbaked pastry shell.
12. Place a strip of aluminum foil around the edge of the crust to prevent over browning.
13. Bake 10 minutes at 450 degrees F (230 degrees C), then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
14. Bake an additional 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
15. Remove the strip of foil about 20 minutes before the pie is done so that the edge of the crust will be a light golden brown.
16. Cool pie, and refrigerate overnight for best flavor.