A Pinellas County Tradition Photo/text by Renee Burrell Heilman's Beachcomber Chefs Leticia Ramirez and Hector Hernandez replicate traditional family recipes 365 days a year at the restaurant that has been a favorite destination on Clearwater Beach for over 60 years. CLEARWATER BEACH - Heilman's Beachcomber has been serving classic American cuisine on the beach since 1948. This Thanksgiving they'll once again be serving the traditional turkey dinner with all of the trimmings, including pumpkin pie. We asked them to share their recipe with Gazette readers and learned that they use Libby's canned pumpkin, but make it their own with a delicious homemade crust and signature peanut brittle whipped cream topping. General Manager Jack Herr, said, "This classic recipe has been on LIBBY'S Pumpkin labels since 1950. It's easy to prepare and even easier to enjoy." Ingredients 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon cloves 2 large cloves 15 oz. LIBBY'S 100% Pure Pumpkin 12 fl oz evaporated milk 1 unbaked 9-inch (4 cup volume) deep dish pie shell Whipped cream (optional) Mix sugar and spices in a small bowl. Beat eggs in a large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and the sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in the evaporated milk. Pour into pie shell. Bake in preheated 425 oven for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350; and bake for 40-50 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving. Yields 8 servings. Over mixing the ingredients, over cooking and cooling the pie too fast can cause it to crack. Heilman's Beachcomber's hints to keep the pie from cracking are: 1) Never overcook, as residual heat within the pie causes it to keep on cooking even when outside of the oven. So it's best to remove the pie just before the center is done. 2) Combat cracking from temperature drops by spraying a fine mist of water from a spray bottle after removing pie from the oven and then repeat twice more in five minute intervals. If the water forms droplets or rolls, you've sprayed too much! 3) Don't force the pie to cool too quickly by placing it in the refrigerator/freezer/outdoors as this, too, causes cracking. Since Heilman's has one of Florida's top ten wine cellars with 20,000 bottles and over 700 selections--20 available by the glass--and year after year receives Wine Spectator's Best of Award of Excellence; we had to ask sommelier and Maitre D George Penavis which wines to serve with the traditional turkey dinner with all of its sweet and savory tastes and aromas. He recommends, "Zinfandels, light Pinot Noirs, Riesling and a Gewurztraminer are good choices because they won't over power the mild taste of the turkey and will balance nicely with the trimmings." Heilman's Beachcomber is open for lunch and dinner 365 days a year and though open on Thanksgiving, early dinner hour reservations are booked up. Openings are still possible however, from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Phone 727-442-4144 for reservations.

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