A unique, delicious pie for Thanksgiving

By Kara Furr

Pumpkin pie – for most people, it just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without one on the dinner table. But if you’re getting bored with the same old pie, or you want to impress your guests with something a bit more special, try switching up your pumpkin pie this year by adding a simple gingerbread crust.

Ingredients

For the filling

1 ½ cups (most of one 15 oz. can) canned pure pumpkin

2 large eggs

1 cup whole milk

½ cup pure maple syrup

(can substitute sugar)

1 T all-purpose flour

1 ½ t pumpkin pie spice

¼ t salt

For the crust

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

3 T firmly packed brown sugar

2 t ground ginger

2 ½ t ground cinnamon

¾ t ground allspice

½ t salt

½ cup (1 stick) cold

unsalted butter, cut into cubes

1 large egg yolk

2 T dark molasses

Pie weights (or dried beans)

Directions

Make the crust:

In a food processor, blend together the flour, sugar, spices and salt. Add the cold butter and process until it resembles a coarse meal. In a small bowl, stir together the egg yolk and molasses and add to the flour mixture; pulse the motor, blending until the mixture is combined but still crumbly. If the dough isn’t coming together, add very cold water one teaspoon at a time until it just forms a dough.

Carefully roll out the mixture until it’s about 1/2” larger than the diameter of your pie tin and carefully press it into the pan. Chill the crust for 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 375ºF. Pull out your chilled crust, line it with foil and fill with pie weights or beans. Bake in the lower third of your oven for 15 minutes, remove the foil and weights, and bake for 10 minutes more. Cool the pan on a rack.

Make the filling:

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Whisk together pumpkin and eggs in a medium bowl. Add milk, maple syrup, flour, spices and salt; whisk to blend.

Pour filling into the prebaked piecrust. Bake until center is just set, 55-60 minutes. Let cool on a rack.

Serve with sweetened whipped cream.