I have always been underwhelmed by pumpkin pie. It has a squash-y taste no matter what spices you mix with it and frankly, I just find it a bit boring. It’s been my mission for the past couple of years to find a next-level pumpkin pie replacement. I’ve tried everything – kabocha squash pie, maple pumpkin pie, pumpkin pie with a brulee top. None of them has sold me. That is, until this year, when I discovered that the solution was to ditch the custard filling and opt for pumpkin mousse.
I’ve got to say, this has been a real game-changer. The pumpkin mousse filling is absolutely delicious – you’ll actually want to lick it out of the bowl unlike the filling of a standard pumpkin pie – and the crust is a Thanksgiving-doctored graham cracker crust instead of the usual pie dough! Graham crackers and butter is literally the tastiest thing that can ever be eaten, and combined with some cinnamon and nutmeg, it’s ready to make its debut on the Thanksgiving table. Not to mention, you’re really going to love this pie when 57 items are fighting to get into the oven on Thanksgiving and your crust already baked on Wednesday, and now your pie is just setting in the fridge! You’re really going to thank me then. Me, and Food & Wine magazine where I unearthed this treasure.
People tend to get a little up in arms about messing with tradition – I get it, I also was deeply offended when, last year, to accomodate my sister’s Christmas schedule, I was forced to celebrate the holiday on two different days. It’s weird! But you don’t need to change your entire Thanksgiving spread to breathe a little new life into the holiday. By all means, keep the apple pie and the roasted butternut squash and that giant turkey no one really likes but eats out of obligation. But don’t feel guilty about bringing a dessert onto the scene that’s actually delicious and doesn’t taste like a vegetable.
I’ve got to give myself a pretty big pat on the back, because it’s T-3 weeks until Thanksgiving and I’m already sharing tips. This is generally something I do about two days before the holiday in a mad frenzy. This year, I’m doing everything I can to get good ideas out to the world and give you ample time to actually implement them! This way, we can all wow our friends and family with a white chocolate pumpkin mousse pie on November 24.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup macadamia nuts
- 10 whole graham crackers, broken into small pieces
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon fine cornmeal
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon unflavored powdered gelatin
- 3 1/2 oz. white chocolate, finely chopped
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 small bay leaf
- 1 2-inch cinnamon stick
- 2 pinches of ground allspice
- 1 pinch grated nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°. Toast the macadamias on a pie plate for 15 minutes, until golden. Let cool.
- In a food processor, pulse the graham crackers until finely ground; transfer to a bowl. In the processor, pulse the macadamias until finely ground; add to the bowl. Add all of the remaining ingredients to the bowl and mix well. Press the crust over the bottom and up the side of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake for about 20 minutes, until set. Transfer to a rack and cool.
- Meanwhile, make the filling. In a bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over 1/3 cup of water; let stand for 5 minutes. Place the white chocolate in a large bowl.
- In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the granulated sugar. In a small saucepan, simmer 3/4 cup of the heavy cream with the bay leaf, cinnamon stick, allspice, nutmeg and vanilla for 1 minute. Discard the cinnamon stick and bay leaf. While whisking constantly, slowly drizzle the heavy cream mixture into the egg mixture. Whisk in the gelatin mixture. Immediately pour the hot egg mixture over the white chocolate; let stand for 1 minute, then whisk until smooth. Whisk in the pumpkin puree and salt until incorporated. Refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour.
- In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 1/4 cup of heavy cream until soft peaks form; fold into the pumpkin filling until incorporated. Scrape the filling into the baked crust and spread in an even layer. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.
Notes
https://www.thekitchenchronicles.com/2016/11/03/pumpkin-and-white-chocolate-mousse-pie/
November 21, 2016 at 3:51 pm
Ok Elizabeth, We are ditching our traditional Libby’s pumpkin pie recipe and heading to the supermarket for white chocolate and the rest of the ingredients. We have a pretty tough pie critics corner. We are also making last years cranberry pie offering.