Gingersnap Pumpkin Pie

Happy Thanksgiving! What a wonderful time for us to be reminded of all that we have to be thankful for. And this year in particular, I have so much gratitude. I'm so very thankful for:

• My wonderful husband, who I have so enjoyed being married to. Even though we lived together for a few years, there's just something that's a little different now. After all, we put a ring on it!
• Family and friends, especially after seeing the outpour of love and support for our wedding. Our hearts are so full!
• Employment. Enough said.
• My health and my family's health. May we always feel so great.
• Having a well-equipped kitchen! And it might sound funny, but I'm thankful for having the curiosity to continue experimenting and cooking. It's nice having a hobby that will nourish my family! 
• Gingersnap pumpkin pie. It's just so simple; and so good! 

Too obvious of a transition there? Anyway, let's talk about this pie. There is about a month's time each year between Thanksgiving and Christmas where pumpkin pie is relevant. So you've got to maximize on it while you have the opportunity.  

But PIE. Pie can be a little daunting. If you start to get hung up on crust and fillings that need to "set up", you might talk yourself out of making one. But this pie? This pie is a beginner's pie if there ever was such a thing — namely because I've eliminated the traditional dough crust (I was never a huge fan anyway) and replaced it with a gingersnap crust. That means you get a little dose of spicy goodness with each bite you take. (And it also lowers the calories, which is always welcome in my book!) 

Gingersnap Pie Crust (makes a crust for a 9" pie plate)

Ingredients: 

About 5 oz. gingersnap cookies (for me this was about 25 Sweetzel's gingersnaps)

5 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

3 tbsp. sugar

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 

In a food processor, pulse the gingersnaps and sugar together until you have coarse crumbs (you can also put the cookies in a freezer bag and use a rolling pin to crush the cookies). Add the melted butter, and pulse until the cookie crumbs are evenly moistened.

Dump the crumb mixture into a pie plate. Using a glass, back of a spoon, or anything else with a flat surface, firmly press the crumb mixture evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the pie plate. Bake until the crust is dry and set, about 12 minutes. Let cool while you make your filling.

Click here for a printable recipe!

Classic Pumpkin Pie (makes a 9" pie)

Ingredients:

2 eggs

15 oz. pure pumpkin

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Lightly beat eggs in large bowl. Add pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and nutmeg and stir well. Gradually stir in the evaporated milk. Stir until well-combined. 

Pour pumpkin filling into your pie crust (this also works for a dough crust if you opt against the gingersnap crust). I like to make a pie crust protector out of aluminum foil so that the gingersnap cookies don't burn — see here for a visual of that. 

Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce oven to 350 degrees. Bake for another 40-50 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center of your pie comes out clean.

Cool pie on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate. 

Click here for a printable recipe!