This dessert was absolutely fabulous! Everyone loved it, and agreed that it was better than any pumpkin pie they had ever eaten. The crust was simple to make gluten free. The filling was divine - a wonderful pumpkin flavor with a light, airy texture.
(And I must give proper credit to my sister and my father for making the pie - I had nothing to do with it. I just helped eat it.)
(Gourmet Magazine, November 1995)
Ingredients:
For Crust:
fourteen 2-inch gingersnaps (about 4 ounces) [when using Mi-Del GF gingersnaps, use about 18 cookies]
1 cup pecans (about 4 ounces)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter melted and cooled
For Filling:
1 envelope (about 1 tablespoon) unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons brandy, rum, or water [we used rum]
1 cup milk
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
4 large egg yolks
1 1/4 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup heavy cream
Accompaniment: whipped cream
Garnish: chopped toasted pecans
Directions:
Make Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a food processor grind gingersnaps, pecans, and sugar fine and add butter, blending until combined well.
- Press mixture onto bottom and up side of a 9-inch (1-quart) glass pie plate.
- Bake crust in middle of oven 15 minutes, or until crisp and golden around edge, and cool on rack.
Make filling:
- In a small bowl sprinkle gelatin over brandy, rum, or water and let stand.
- In a heavy saucepan whisk together milk, brown sugar, egg yolks, pumpkin, spices, and salt and cook over moderately low heat, whisking, until mixture registers 160°F. on a candy thermometer.
- Remove pan from heat and immediately add gelatin mixture, whisking until gelatin is completely dissolved.
- Transfer filling to a metal bowl set in a larger bowl of ice and cold water and cool, stirring constantly, just until the consistency of raw egg white.
- Remove bowl from ice water.
- In a bowl with an electric mixer beat cream until it holds stiff peaks and whisk about one fourth into filling to lighten.
- Fold in remaining cream gently but thoroughly and pour filling into crust.
- Chill pie until set, at least 3 hours and up to 24, covered with plastic wrap after 1 hour.
Top each serving with whipped cream and garnish with nuts.
November 29, 2007 at 5:16 pm
Man that looks good! I may have to try that out before fall is over! I still have two pumpkins on my porch that I need to cut up and freeze! That crust looks Really really good!!
November 29, 2007 at 8:32 pm
I highly recommend it! You can even cut back a little on the amount of butter in the crust. It seemed a little too wet. That may have something to do wit the texture of the gf gingersnaps. I noticed that when I made my cheesecake with a similar type crust.