Pumpkin Pie Filling

Recipe No. 403 from the U.S. Army’s WWII cookbook — Pies. Quantities are exactly as printed, for 100 servings; a scaled-down 8-serving version is in the notes.

Ingredients

• Sugar, brown — 6½ pounds (5 No. 56 dippers)
• Cinnamon — 1½ ounces (6 mess kit spoons)
• Mace (optional) — ½ ounce (2 mess kit spoons)

Salt — 1½ ounces (3 mess kit spoons)

• Eggs, slightly beaten — 30 eggs (1½ No. 56 dippers)
• Milk, evaporated — 6 — 14½-ounce cans
• Water (for milk) — 3 quarts (3 No. 56 dippers)
• Pumpkin — 2 No. 10 cans

Directions

Key ingredients

Cinnamon · Evaporated Milk

1. Mix sugar, cinnamon, mace, and salt together.
2. Add beaten egg; mix thoroughly.
3. Mix milk and water; heat. Add hot milk and pumpkin to egg mixture; mix thoroughly.
4. Place unbaked pie shells in oven. Pour one No. 56 dipper filling into each pie shell.
5. Bake in hot oven (400° to 425° F.) about 15 minutes. Reduce heat and continue baking 15 minutes or until center of pie filling has risen level with crust. Remove immediately from oven.

Notes

SCALED TO 8 SERVINGS (the original is ÷12.5): Sugar, brown — 8⅓ oz Cinnamon — about ¾ tsp Mace (optional) — a pinch Salt — about ¾ tsp Eggs, slightly beaten — 2⅓ eggs Milk, evaporated — ½ can (14½ oz) Water (for milk) — 15⅓ tbsp Pumpkin — 2 cups

— TM 10-412, Army Recipes (War Department, 15 August 1944), recipe No. 403, Pies. Army measures: 1 No. 56 dipper = 1 qt; 1 No. 55 dipper = 1¾ qt; 1 mess kit cup = 1½ pints.