Sometimes there is a person in your life as a child who opens your eyes to the possibilities of a life lived with style and joie de vivre.  Hattie was just such a person for my husband, Rick. “She had class oozing out of her marrow. Her being was effortless.” is the way he describes her. Hattie did things her own way. She was a family friend and as a teenager he worked for her doing yard-work and was rewarded with her homemade chocolate milkshakes, which became his ideal. She is a legend that lives on past her years and we often drink to her memory when we are having a celebration. This is her recipe for pumpkin pie that my mum-in-law, Bobbie, has passed on to me. I added a bit of cloves and vanilla to it because I like that flavor and because I believe that’s what Hattie would do- add her own twist of style- so I think it honors her in that way.  Bobbie’s note on the recipe card reads: “This makes a dark pie because of the brown sugar. The Bourbon adds depth to the flavor. Good!”

Hattie’s Pumpkin Pie (with a bit of Gabi)

• one chilled unbaked pie shell, see last post
•  2 eggs, beaten
• dash of salt
• 1 heaping teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp of nutmeg
• generous 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1-1/2 cups pumpkin puree, canned is preferred
• 1 cup minus 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 Tablespoons good Bourbon
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
• My additions are: add 1/8 teaspoon of ground cloves and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Serve with softly whipped, vanilla flavored and lightly sweetened whipped cream

Beat the eggs, spices, salt well and blend in the sugars. Mix in the pumpkin puree, cream, (vanilla)  and Bourbon. Pour into the unbaked pie shell and bake at 400F for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350F and bake for 45 minutes more or until set in the middle.

Cool completely and serve with whipped cream if desired. The pie will shrink a bit from the edges of the crust as it cools and inevitably it will crack in the middle. I like to make a little decoration to cover the crack such as the pumpkin and vines above. I baked the vines around a metal skewer to get the curl.

We had this pie as part of our second Thanksgiving meal with friends this year.  I enjoy the tradition of including recipes from those who have touched our lives as part of our celebratory meals. It makes our lives richer and happier.  Hope you enjoy this pie if you make it and please, if you will- drink a toast to Hattie!