Partially bake your favorite pie shell .

Pre made is good and that is what I prefer to use most of the time . But if you’d like to make your own, here  is the recipe for a 

Homemade Short Crust Pie Shell.

Preheat oven to 180c/350f

Short Crust

1 stick COLD BUTTER cut into 1/2” pieces

3-4 tablespoons of COLD WATER

1 1/4 cups Flour ¼ teaspoon Salt

In a food processor blend flour, and salt.

Add butter and pulse 10 times until mixture resembles wet crumbs.

Add 1tablespoon water at a time until mixture starts come together. (You may not need all the cold water, just add a teaspoon at a time until the mixture is not too dry and not too wet.) If the butter starts to warm put mixture in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before continuing.

Turn mixture onto floured board and knead 4 or 5 times. (If too dry return it to the processor and add one teaspoon of COLD water at a time until the consistency comes together.)

Flatten dough into a 6” round, and wrap in plastic. Chill for 20-30 minutes.

On floured surface using a rolling pin, rolling away from yourself and then back. Rotate dough with¼ turns -rolling and turning -rolling and turning until you have a 15” round.

Transfer dough to the pie plate by folding it over the rolling pin and unrolling it onto pie plate.

Fit the dough into plate and trim and notch the edges.

Perforate the bottom with a fork and chill the shell for 20 minutes before baking.

Bake until almost golden brown about 20 minutes. The shell will finish baking with the filling.

While shell is baking prepare the filling :

FILLING

1     8oz package of Cream Cheese-room temp

1 cup Brown Sugar

1 can  pumpkin

1 egg

2 egg yolks

¼ teaspoon Salt

¼ cup butter-melted

1 cup  half and half

½  heaping teaspoon of Cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ginger (fresh grated ginger is a nice thing if you have it on hand)

In a Kitchen aid with the paddle attachment or with a hand mixer- 

Cream the cream cheese and sugar.

Add the pumpkin and blend well.

Add eggs and yolks, butter, cinnamon and ginger.

Slowly mix in half and half.

Mix until smooth.

Pour into pre-baked  pie shell.

Place in oven and bake for 50-55 minutes or until the mixture is set and doesn’t wiggle in the middle when you gently move the pan.

Cool completely and serve with a dollop of whipped cream on top.