So three months after Thanksgiving, I have finally found the time to post about the pie I made twice during the week of Thanksgiving. Despite how much pumpkin pie folks had consumed that week, this was deemed the best pumpkin pie EVER by all of those who consumed it. I definitely owe thanks to the author of this AllRecipes.com recipe, as well as the Gourmet Cookbook authors for their traditional pie crust recipe which works wonderfully with any type of pie I make! The pie feels incredibly light when you eat it because the eggs are separated, the whites are beaten until soft peaks form, and then you lightly fold them into the rest of the pie mixture. The streusel topping is also a must -- I have made this pie without the topping before, and the difference between the version with the streusel topping and the one without is really quite significant.
Another tip when using a homemade pie crust -- no need to pre-bake the crust prior to putting in the filling, and I usually put some foil around the edges during the last 30 minutes of baking or so.
The AllRecipes.com recipe can be found here: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Brown-Familys-Favorite-Pumpkin-Pie/Detail.aspx.