Homage to the Great Pumpkin and Autumn Flavors!
Wightman’s Farm, New Jersey
What would a “Shout Out” to Pumpkins be without the mention of Pumpkin Pie? Pumpkin pie is a universal autumn dessert and truly places the pumpkin and pumpkin picking season… on its well-deserved pedestal of the “Granddaddy” of fall flavors.
I love pumpkins…recipes for pumpkins would not be complete without a good pumpkin pie recipe!
The crust is the kicker for this pumpkin pie recipe. It needs to bake completely and then cooled completely before adding the filling. Yes, you can cool it down quicker in the fridge once you let it cool for about 20 min. on your stovetop first.
ginger-snap-crust
The walnuts in the crust will release their oils along with the butter in the recipe. If the walnuts are extra oily and release excess oil on the bottom of the pie crust once baked…simply absorb some with kitchen paper and then cool the pie crust down immediately.
Also, this pie crust is very forgiving. If it looses some shape or you realize that during the baking it was not evenly laid out in the pie tin, you can easily press the crust while it is still hot from the oven to correct any areas that need correction.
This recipe is a professional one but a simple one to follow. It can easily be made at home by a passionate home cook.
Pumpkin Mousse Pie with Ginger Snap Crust
Ingredients:
- Jamaican Dark Rum – 12 tablespoons
- Water (room temperature) – 4 tablespoons
- Gelatin (powdered) – 9 teaspoons
- Sugar – 2 cups
- Corn Starch – 1 cup (level)
- Cinnamon (powder) – 2 – tablespoons
- Ginger ( ground) – 2 – teaspoons
- Salt – 1/2 teaspoon
- Milk – 4 cups
- Yolks – 8
- Pumpkin Puree ( canned or fresh) – 4 cups ( packed and leveled)
- Vanilla Extract – 4 – Tablespoons
- Heavy Cream – 2 cups
Procedure:
- Pour the Rum and water in a cup and stir in the gelatin leave for 10-15 minutes to bloom
- In a heavy saucepan add the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Pour over half a cup of the milk slowly while simultaneously whisking the ingredients.
- Add in the yolks and whisk well to incorporate.
- Add the rest of the milk and cook slowly on the stove over a medium-low flame constantly stirring with a wooden spoon.
- Once the mixture starts to bubble stop stirring and let boil 30 seconds longer.
- Remove from heat and add the liquids with the bloomed gelatin, then stir in the pumpkin puree.
- Place all back on the stove and bring to a boil. Once boiled pass all through a medium seized mesh strainer to remove any lumps that may have developed.
- Once strained place over an ice bath to cool.
- When slightly cool…add the vanilla.
- Whip the cream until you reach “light peak” consistency.
- Fold the whipped cream into the cooled pumpkin mixture and reserve.
- Pipe into the homemade ginger snap crust and reserve until ready to serve. ( recipe to follow)
- Top with a dollop of fresh whipped cream sweetened to your liking.
ginger snap cookies
Ginger Snap Cookie Crust (recipe)
Ingredients:
- Crushed Ginger Snap Cookies – 4- 1/2 cups
- Walnuts ( crushed) – 1- 1/2 cups
- Sugar – 4 tablespoons
- Melted Butter – 24 Tablespoons
Procedure for the crust:
- Finely crush in the kitchen aid or with rolling-pin the cookies and the walnuts to a fine well-ground consistency.
- Add the melted butter (mix well)
- Press into the pie tins evenly all around and up the sides of the pie mold.
- Place pie tin in the freezer to set the crust.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Bake the pie crust for 15 minutes or until slightly firm. (DO NOT OVERBAKE!)
- The pie crust will harden further as it cool. This needs to be taken into account because over-baked the crust will become too hard once it cools.
- Let the pie crust cool completely. Then set it in the refrigerator to cool and hold until ready to fill with the pumpkin filling.
- Once the crust is full of the pumpkin mixture it is best to set it in your refrigerator for 2-3 hours. Preferably overnight is best.
pumpkin pie
This is a Mousse-Pie… once the baked crust is filled it does NOT have to be cooked again. It just needs to be placed back in the refrigerator to set.
“Just before service one can simply decorate the pie top with some fresh whipped cream…no need for anything more.
The pie and its crust pack a one-two punch of “autumn flavors” and are the focus of this recipe, not a fancy topping.