Mini Crustless Pumpkin Pies: Cute and Tasty

This year's Thanksgiving was a little different from past years.  Usually Thanksgiving is for family, but when I was in school I celebrated with friends, potluck style.  This year was a new experience: my brother's family at his in-laws, my parents in Missouri with my grandmother and aunt, and most of my friends travelling or otherwise committed to family events.  I've never--in my memory, anyway--spent this particular holiday alone until this year.

Early in my lone-Thanksgiving planning, I decided on three things.  The first two were that I would not be "lonely" and that the holiday would be a real holiday.  This meant no laundry, housework, heavy projects, or excessive worrying.  Just rest, relaxation, and some fun.  The third thing I decided was that I would actually make myself a nice Thanksgiving dinner.

The menu became an all-sides, all-deliciousness extravaganza, except for dessert.  I wanted the spirit of pumpkin pie, but not all the trouble...or the leftovers that I would feel guilty about later.  I searched online and found this recipe for mini, crustless pumpkin pie bites.

Mine didn't turn out as crispy/caramelized as in the original, but they were tasty.  Pretty much just like the original Libby's pumpkin pie that mom always made...but cuter and healthier, especially since I used fat free evaporated milk.

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup sugar
• scant ½ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (nutmeg, all-spice, cinnamon, cloves)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 can (15oz) Libby's pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
• 1 can (12floz) fat free evaporated milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven 425 degrees F
2. Spray mini muffin tins with Pam spray (or otherwise lightly grease)  
3. Stir together sugar, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice in one bowl.
4. Whisk together eggs, pumpkin puree, and evaporated milk in a second bowl.
   
5. In two or three parts, fold the dry ingredients  in the wet until well-combined.
   
6. Fill mini muffin tins with filling.  (Really fill them.  They will puff up, but then sink back down.  Filled to the top edge was good.)
   
7. Bake for 10 minutes at 425.
8. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
   
9. Let cool and then refrigerate.
   
10. Serve with cool whip, if you like it.  I added a dollop of frozen lite cool whip to each, instead of ice cream.  

This made about 36 pie bites.  A serving was really about 4 (3 was more like wishful thinking...)