Pumpkin Hand Pies

Preheat the oven to 375°. Coat a 9-inch pie plate with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk everything together until smooth. Scrape the batter into the prepared pie plate and bake for about 25 minutes, until just set. Let cool completely.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the salt and the 1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar. Add the vegetable shortening and, using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut the shortening into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea size pieces remaining. In a small bowl, beat the egg with the evaporated milk. Using a wooden spoon, stir the wet ingredients into the flour mixture until a shaggy dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and gently knead until smooth. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out to a 16-inch round, about 1/8 inch thick. Using a 6-inch plate as a guide, cut out 6 rounds out of the dough. Work with one piece of dough at a time: Spoon 1/4 cup of the cooled filling into the center of the round. Fold half the dough over itself to form a half moon, pressing to seal. Crimp the edges decoratively, then trim the excess to a 1/2 inch. Repeat with the remaining rounds and filling.

In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup of granulated sugar with the cinnamon. In a large saucepan, heat 1 inch of peanut oil to 350°. Add the hand pies and fry over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until deeply browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pies to a paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain and immediately dust with the cinnamon sugar. Serve warm.