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Increase by one egg. Pumpkin is basically a custard, and what makes it firm up is the egg cooking. Increasing liquid makes things wetter. The crustisn't involved. You can test it before you take it out of the oven the same way you would custard, inserting a knife and seeing if it comes out wet with the pie filling or just damp.

Interesting the comment on more eggs vs less. If you want to make a custard firmer, you increase the egg: liquid ratio, since the liquid doesn't change consistency, just evaporate a little. (And which Joy is that from, BTW? There's one edition that I'm jubrous of, as my Ma would sometimes say.)

I've always been crazy about super-firm pumpkin pie, and had never found the right recipe, until I tried the Baking Illustrated version. They call for cooking the pumpkin with a few other ingredients in a pot on the stove, which eliminates a great deal of water in the pumpkin. Ultimately, this leads to a very firm, very smooth pie filling, that works out perfectly every time!!

PUMPKIN PIE
If you do not have a food processor, the pumpkin may be put through a food mill or forced through a fine sieve with the back of a wooden spoon. Alternatively, you can cook the pumpkin, sugar, and spices together before pureeing, then whir the mixture in a blender, adding enough of the cream called for in the recipe to permit the pumpkin to flow easily over the blades. In either case, heat the pumpkin with the (remaining) cream and milk, as indicated, then slowly whisk the mixture into the beaten eggs. The pie may be served slightly warm, chilled, or at room temperature.

INGREDIENTS

Flaky Pastry Shell

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour , measured by dip-and-sweep
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
10 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/4 sticks), chilled and cut into 1/4-inch pats
3 - 3 1/2 tablespoons ice water

Pumpkin Filling

2 cups plain pumpkin puree (16 ounces), canned or fresh
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2/3 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup milk
4 large eggs

1. For pastry shell: Mix flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor fitted with steel blade. Scatter butter over dry ingredients; process until mixture resembles cornmeal, 7 to 12 seconds. Turn mixture into a medium-sized bowl.
2. Drizzle 3 tablespoons of water over flour mixture. With blade side of a rubber spatula, cut mixture into little balls. Then press down on mixture with broad side of spatula so balls stick together in large clumps. If dough resists gathering, sprinkle remaining water over dry, crumbly patches and press a few more times. Form dough into a ball with your hands; wrap in plastic, then flatten into a 4-inch disk. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. (Can be refrigerated for 2 days or, if sealed airtight in a plastic bag, or frozen for up to 6 months.)
3. Generously sprinkle a 2-foot square work area with flour. Remove dough from wrapping and place disk in center; dust top with flour. (If it has been chilled for more than 1 hour, let dough stand until it gives slightly when pressed, 5 to 10 minutes.) Roll dough in all directions, from center to edges, rotating a quarter turn and strewing flour underneath as necessary after each stroke. Flip disk over when it is 9 inches in diameter and continue to roll (but don’t rotate) in all directions, until it is 13 to 14 inches in diameter and just under 1/8 inch thick.
4. Fold dough in quarters and place the corner in the center of a Pyrex pie plate measuring 9- to 9 1/2-inches across top. Carefully unfold dough to cover pan completely, with excess dough draped over pan lip. With one hand, pick up edges of dough; use index finger of other hand to press dough around pan bottom. Use your fingertips to press dough against pan walls. Trim dough overhanging the pan to an even 1/2 inch all around.
5. Tuck overhanging dough back under itself so folded edge is flush with edge of pan lip. Press double layer of dough with your fingers to seal, then bend up at a 90-degree angle and flute by pressing thumb and index finger about 1/2-inch apart against outside edge of dough, then using index finger (or knuckle) of other hand to poke a dent through the space. Repeat procedure all the way around.
6. Refrigerate for 20 minutes (or freeze for 5 minutes) to firm dough shell. Using table fork, prick bottom and sides — including where they meet — at 1/2-inch intervals. Flatten a 12-inch square of aluminum foil inside shell, pressing it flush against corners, sides, and over rim. Prick foil bottom in about a dozen places with a fork. Chill shell for at least 30 minutes (preferably an hour or more), to allow dough to relax.
7. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 400 degrees. (Start preparing filling when you put shell into oven.) Bake 15 minutes, pressing down on foil with mitt-protected hands to flatten any puffs. Remove foil and bake shell for 8 to 10 minutes longer, or until interior just begins to color.
8. For filling: Process pumpkin, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in a food processor fitted with steel blade for 1 minute. Transfer pumpkin mixture to a 3-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan; bring it to a sputtering simmer over medium-high heat. Cook pumpkin, stirring constantly, until thick and shiny, about 5 minutes. As soon as pie shell comes out of oven, whisk heavy cream and milk into pumpkin and bring to a bare simmer. Process eggs in food processor until whites and yolks are mixed, about 5 seconds. With motor running, slowly pour about half of hot pumpkin mixture through feed tube. Stop machine and scrape in remaining pumpkin. Process 30 seconds longer.
9. Immediately pour warm filling into hot pie shell. (Ladle any excess filling into pie after it has baked for 5 minutes or so — by this time filling will have settled.) Bake until filling is puffed, dry-looking, and lightly cracked around edges, and center wiggles like gelatin when pie is gently shaken, about 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour.

I had great results with pumpkin pie yesterday, but I did have to spend a bit of time letting the mashed pulp completely drain before using it. I did not puree it, which gave it a bit more texture. Mine only took one egg, but that drier pulp seemed to be the key. I also let it sit uncovered in the fridge several hours as an earlier poster suggested.

I think it would be difficult to overbake a pumpkin pie (I always bake them past wobbly in the centre to the point where they start to pull from the side of the crust).

I live in a household of pumpkin haters so I have no choice but to finish the pie myself. Pity. Terrible, terrible pity.

The Libby recipe has gotten me compliments for years; my mother always insisted on an extra egg "to make it richer", and I've gone to using a can of condensed low-fat milk for the liqud. Occasionally, I'll use brandy instead of vanilla if the mood strikes me. And just follow the time on the can.

Well obviously everyone has weighed in on the "More Egg!" thing, and I agree.... but to get to the root of the problem with the recipe - what size egg does it say to use, and what size are you using?? ie, if it says use 3 AA Large and you are using 3 AA Medium eggs you wouldnt be using as much egg as it calls for??

Sorry, it's probably pretty obvious and you're probably using the right size, but that is something that people dont always realize and it doesnt hurt to check....

the most recent non-firm pies, we used 3 eggs for two pies (i think we only had 3 eggs in the fridge). as bobcatsteph3 said, Joy says to use fewer eggs for a firmer pie. but everyone is saying the opposite?

i think we're going to try the Libby's can recipe next time. that's the kind of pumpkin I buy anyways.