Update On Pumpkin Pie Spectacular

Our wonderful daughter came to visit last week and she and I decided to bake the Pumpkin Pie Spectacular together since she won't be here for Thanksgiving, but wanted a practice session with me since she will be bringing the pie to a friend's home as her contribution to the turkey day feast.

It really is a Southern take on pumpkin pie since it uses lots of pecans...in the gingersnap crumb crust that goes on the regular pie crust plus the pecans that are in the streusel that is sprinkled on top. There is a bit of New England in it, too, because I always associate molasses and New England due to their place in the slave trade triangle with the West Indies in colonial times. Gingersnaps just wouldn't taste right without molasses. The pumpkin reminds me to be thankful for the original Americans, the native 'Indians', who introduced food items like squash and dried corn. They kept the Mayflower immigrants alive that first snowy winter in Massachusetts and might have wished later that they hadn't been so kind since the immigrants shoved them out of their land. Lastly I'm thankful for modern technology which has allowed for the humble soy bean to be turned into a creamer that stands in very well for milk. I added an extra egg for stability and some granulated sugar for sweetness since the recipe calls for sweetened condensed milk, which I can't use.

It all made for a decadent, delicious pie. I was even able to show Kate how I learned to crimp the pie crust edges and, after a few tries, she mastered it. I'll bet the pie she makes for Thanksgiving will be even better than our weekend effort!

Pumpkin Pie Spectacular for Dairy-Free Folks

adapted from a recipe from Southern Living Magazine  

Pumpkin Pie Spectacular
From Southern Living magazine Nov 09

½ (15 oz) package refrigerated non-dairy piecrusts or home made single crust pie dough made with vegetable shortening
2 cups crushed gingersnaps (about 40 gingersnaps) made without any dairy ingredients
1 cup pecans, finely chopped
½ cup powdered sugar
¼ cup non-dairy butter, melted
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
1 cup Silk soy creamer, unsweetened   
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
½ cup non-dairy Greek or regular unsweetened yogurt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp ground ginger
Pecan Streusel (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Fit piecrust into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate according to package directions; fold edges under, and crimp. If using home-made, roll to 1/8-inch thickness, fit into pie plate and trim dough to 1 1/2-inches from pie plate edge. Fold or roll edges under and crimp.

Stir together crushed gingersnaps, pecans, powdered sugar and melted butter. Press mixture on bottom and ½ inch up sides of piecrust. Don't press mixture too hard or pie will be difficult to serve. Use any extra for another purpose.

Note – if pie pan is not a very deep deep-dish type, you may have some of the gingersnap mixture left over.

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack (about 30 minutes).

Stir together pumpkin, soy creamer, sugar, eggs, yogurt, cinnamon, vanilla, and ginger. Pour into prepared, cooled crust. Place pie on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes (but if you are using a shallower pie pan, only bake for 15 minutes). Sprinkle Pecan Streusel (recipe below) around edge of crust. Bake 35 – 40 minutes or until set, shielding edges with aluminum foil during last 25 or so minutes of baking if necessary. If using, insert ginger cookie halves around edge of crust.

Let pie cool completely on a wire rack (about 1 hour). Serve small slices - it's very rich.

Pecan Streusel: Stir together ¼ cup all-purpose flour, ¼ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar; 2 tablespoons melted non-dairy butter and ¾ cup pecans, coarsely chopped.