My dad is an expert at this pie. He used lard instead of butter before I became a vegetarian (I must admit, lard gives it a certain richness that butter lacks). It is the best pumpkin pie I have ever tasted, especially with the ginger whipped cream. Remember, with pie crusts, you must keep everything cool, and don't handle it much.
Pastry:
2 1/4 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c butter
6 tbsp water
Filling:
1 can pumpkin or 2 c fresh, mashed, cooked
1 1/4 c half-and-half
2 eggs
1/3 c sour cream
3/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c light molasses
1 tbsp flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp ground cloves
Whipped Cream:
1 c whipping cream
1/4 c chopped candied ginger
Preheat oven to 425'F
Pastry: Stir together flour and salt in mixing bowl. Cut butter into chunks. With a pastry blender or two knives, mash butter into flour and salt. Sprinkle water over mixture while mixer is on. Roll into a ball and flatten so it's 4 in. round. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hr.
Pie: Roll out pastry and line a 10 in. pie pan. Cut a circle of foil to fit in pie shell and line the shell with it. Half-fill with raw beans, rice or pie weights. Bake for 10 min. Take off foil and beans. Bake for 5 more min. In a mixing bowl, combine all the rest of the ingredients and mix until smoothly blended. Pour into pastry shell. Bake in lower third of oven for 15 min. Reduce heat to 300'F and continue to bake for 40 min or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool to room temperature.
Whipped Cream: Whip cream until it holds soft peaks, then fold in ginger. Use to top pie.