Sunday, January 23, 2011

A Pie By Any Other Name

I heard on the radio this morning that today was National Pie Day. Created by the American Pie Council, the day is "dedicated to the celebration of pie".  The Pie Council recommends commemorating the day by eating, making, and sharing pies.

Of course I was going to participate!  I love pie, but it can be calorie-laden and doesn't fit into my eating plan right now. Since a good portion of the calories comes from the pie crust, I figured that with a tiny modification I could indulge. What's another name for a crustless pumpkin pie?  A custard!


I beat eggs, sugar, and spices in a large bowl, added pumpkin puree and milk, then poured the mixture into greased custard cups arranged in a large baking dish. Next, I put the dish in the oven and poured boiling water in the dish to make a water bath and baked the custards until they were set (which took about 40 minutes).  When the custard was done, I removed the cups from the water bath, set them on a rack to cool, then chilled them in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.

Hubby Tony was in charge of dinner tonight, with Son Donald as sous chef.  After the table was cleared I brought out dessert.  Sadly, there wasn't any whipped cream in the house to top the custard with, but it was still cold, creamy, and wonderful.  And the best part?  There's plenty of leftovers.

9 comments:

  1. Yum! I love custard. I bet yours was yummy. I heard today was sanctity of life day! lol. Maybe it's both...life...pie...their both good! :)

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  2. Mmmm... this looks really fabulous! I'm wondering if it's hard to make. Do you have a recipe to share with us?

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  3. This sounds delicious, I'm going to have to try it sometime. I don't eat pie because of the crust, way to much fat content but these... I'm in! I hope you have a fantastic week.

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  4. oh gosh, I like this idea Kathy. Oh that's where all the calories come from...the crust...hmm

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  5. I missed the pie day. Maybe I should put that on my calendar for next year. I would have celebrated with my Red Wagon Pies. I may just celebrate a little later in the week!

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  6. I baked a raisin pie this evening. I love pie crust, especially buttery flaky ones, so I would never think of baking a pie without the crust.

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  7. Man I can't believe I missed National Pie Day! Truly something to celebrate! I love the idea of making custards. One of my husband's favorite pies is pumpkin custard. I've never thought of making it without the crust. What a great idea!

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  8. I adore pie! LOVE it! Could go for some RIGHT NOW!

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