719. Fresh Pumpkin Pie

It's difficult to ignore the pumpkin craze this time of year in the virtual world.
One recipe that particularity spiked my curiosity for years is pumpkin pie. The concept is so foreign and strange to me.
So naturally I had to try it. What can I say? It was good; strangely good, and absolutely not the decadent dessert I expected it to be. It was actually healthy, both in taste and in reality (relatively compared to other dessert pies), so it won't naturally spring to the top of the list of my favorite decadent desserts.  You can of course make your own pie crust, or you can use a cookie crumb crust, like I did, using lotus speculoos which are delightfully caramelized and spiced.

Ingredients:

1.5kg pumpkin or butternut squash
250g spice cookies (lotus speculoos)
2 Tbsp melted butter
1 egg
2 egg yolks
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1/2 tsp alspice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cream
Whipped cream, to serve

Method:

Make the pumpkin puree: slice in half, scoop out seeds and strings, bake flesh-side down at 400F for 1 hour until easily pierced with a fork. Let cool, scoop out flesh, puree in food processor until smooth. If watery, strain overnight.
Pulverize the cookies to crumbs in the food processor, add melted butter, and process again to homogenize.
Press the biscuit crumbs in the base and sides of a 9 inch glass pie pan (23 cm wide, about 5 cm deep).
Bake the crust in 350F oven for 10 minutes; remove and set aside to cool.
In a bowl, whisk two cups of the pumpkin puree with the egg and egg yolks, sugars, vanilla, salt, spices, milk, and cream.
Pour the mixture in the cooled crust, and bake in 350F for 45-50 minutes.
Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate overnight.
Serve with whipped cream and a delicate sprinkle of cinnamon.

 صحة و عافية