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.