Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Karri and I took this from Paula Deen’s recipe with a few moderations of our own:

Ingredients:
- 1 (8 oz) package of cream cheese
- 2 cups of canned pumpkin, mashed
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt
- 1 egg, plus 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
- 1 cup of Half & Half
- 1/2 stick of melted butter
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- pre-made graham crust
- whipped cream for topping

Directions:
1 ) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2) For the filling: (in a large bowl) beat the cream cheese with a hand mixed beater (or if you don’t have one, you can do what we did and put it in a blender) to soften. Put in the bowl.

3) Add the pumpkin and beat until combined. Add the sugar and salt and beat until combined.

4) Beat the egg and two yolks in a bowl, then add to the large bowl with the rest of the filling. Also add the melted butter and Half & Half, and beat until combined.

5) Add the vanilla and cinnamon and beat until incorporated.

6) Pour the filling in the pie crust and bake for about 50 – 90 minutes. Honestly, it depends on your oven. I suggest baking for at least 50 and then keeping a close eye on it. Bake until the center is set.