So this pie in a jar thing has been making the rounds on a few blogs. I first saw it here, but also here and here.
I wanted to do pumpkin pie, which I didn't see anywhere else. I was taking a chance, because I wasn't sure it would work, but they came out beautifully. They came out of the oven all puffed up, but flattened out as they cooled, so the lids went on with no problem.
For the crust I used the shortbread crust recipe in The Joy of Cooking, which is a crumbly crust, perfect for patting into the jar as it doesn't roll out well. It's supposed to be a pre-baked crust, but I didn't bother and it cooked through just perfectly along with the pumpkin filling.
For the filling I used the recipe from Eagle Brand, which is my favorite pumpkin pie filling. It's so easy, just requires a few ingredients (pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt), and comes out perfect every time. I really like its custard-y texture.
Two crust recipes and one pumpkin recipe was enough for a dozen pies. I used the tiny, four ounce Bell jars. Just pat the crust into the jar, keeping it even with the top of the jar, don't go over! Fill them with about a third of a cup of the filling, just a little under half an inch from the top. Bake at 400 degrees for 35-38 minutes.
I think I always want to eat my pie from a jar now.
