You cook the filling separate from the pie shell? In other words, the pie isn't baked after it's filled? That seems unusual. The recipe I've used for a million years calls for combining the ingredients with no precooking. It's all cooked as it bakes.

It also seems to me that that's very little pumpkin. Most recipes I've tried call for at least a cup of puree. Maybe that's part of the graininess issue, too.

I'm no pie master, but I'll share my recipe if you like. It's never failed, and it's always delicious.

Yours is more like a cooked pumpkin flavored custard that is poured into a baked shell. I don't know why it's grainy. Maybe try cooking it in a double boiler instead of directly on the heat. It will take longer but might solve the problem.

Like Maureen, my pumpkin pies have always been poured into a partially baked or unbaked pastry shell and then baked in the oven. And I use a lot more pumpkin puree.

Pumpkin-Maple Pie

Bon AppÂtit : November 1991

Servings: Serves 8.

Ingredients

1 Buttermilk Pie Crust Dough disk (I make my own.)

1 16-ounce can solid pack pumpkin
1 cup whipping cream
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon natural maple flavor
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch of salt

For Maple Whipped Cream:

1 cup chilled whipping cream
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Preparation

Position rack in lowest third of oven and preheat to 400øF. Roll pie crust disk out on lightly floured surface to 13-inch-diameter round (about 1/8 inch thick). Roll up dough on rolling pin and transfer to 9-inch-diameter glass pie plate. Gently press into place. Trim edges of crust, leaving 1/2-inch overhang. Fold excess under. Crimp edges. Freeze until crust is firm, about 15 minutes.

Line pie crust with foil, leaving 3-inch overhang. Fill foil with beans or pie weights. Fold extra foil gently over crust edges. Bake until crust is set, about 15 minutes. Remove foil and beans. Cool pie crust slightly. Reduce oven temperature to 350øF.

Whisk all remaining ingredients (except Maple Whipped Cream) to blend in bowl. Pour filling into crust. Bake until filling is set, covering crust edges with foil if browning too quickly, about 55 minutes. Cool completely. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Chill.)

Cut pie into wedges and serve with Maple Whipped Cream.

To make Maple Whipped Cream:

Whip cream with syrup in large bowl until soft peaks form. Makes about 2 cups.

The recipe in the new Cook's Illustrated is good (their's is cooked before going into a cooked shell as well). But if you want to improve this recipe one thing you could do it put the liquid through a sieve after it's cooked, that might reduce the graininess. I think you might be cooking it too much. It should still be jiggly in the center when you remove it from the oven. There doesn't seem to be much pumpkin in the recipe. Does it taste pumpkin-y? I don't know what pet milk is. Every recipe I have used calls for heavy cream and milk with sugar or sweetened condensed milk. You could also add some grated fresh ginger.

I make a pumpkin pie like yours....very little pumpkin but lots of "custard stuff".
It needs to be cooked very gently....that's a lot of eggs for a little bit of milk.
I second the idea of the double boiler....and I would add about 1/2 to 3/4 a cup of half and half to the recipe...all those eggs tend to make it a bit like scrambled eggs rather than custard.
Linda C

Sue, Pets milk is name a name brand of evaporated milk. I haven't used it in years, but I have seen it in the stores... I usually use Carnation or the store brand now.