Pumpkin Pie Filling

16 ounce can pumpkin (or 2 cups of cooked, mashed pumpkin flesh)
3 medium eggs or 2 large eggs
1 scoop vanilla protein powder *optional
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon EACH ground cloves, nutmeg and ginger
3/4 cup skim milk with 1/3 cup dry milk powder added to it

Open up the canned pumpkin and scrape the contents into a big bowl. Crack in the eggs. Measure in the sugar, salt, spices and milk and protein powder if using it. Beat very well. I use a whisk, but a fork could work if you were diligent. The batter may seem a little thin, that's alright. Gently pour the filling into the unbaked crust. If you have too much filling, you can pour the rest into oiled muffin cups and make pumpkin custard. Fill the crust almost to the top of the crust. Place the pie in the oven. Bake at 450° for ten minutes. Reduce the heat to 350° and bake for 45 minutes. When the pie is done, it will be slightly puffed around the edges, and seem firm when you jiggle the pie on the oven rack. Poke a knife off center to be sure. If it comes out clean, the pie is done. Remove it from the oven and let it sit a while to cool down.

Note: The pie crust is optional in this recipe. I often bake the filling in a pie plate, or a cake pan without using a pie shell at all. This is called Pumpkin Custard. It tastes the same as pumpkin pie, but is a bit healthier because you don't have the added fat and calories of the traditional pie crust.