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MARBLED PUMPKIN PIE WITH CRYSTALLIZED GINGER
It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie! This lower-fat version is distinguished by a seasoning of crystallized ginger and an attractive swirl of sour cream, which provides a creamy contrast to the spicy pumpkin filling. The mellow and floral sweetness of honey pairs beautifully with pumpkin.
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Yield: 8 servings
INGREDIENTS
Crust:
¾ cup whole-wheat pastry flour
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons chilled butter, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons canola or avocado oil
6-8 tablespoons ice water
Filling:
¼ cup reduced-fat sour cream
2 tablespoons low-fat 1% milk
2 large eggs
¼ cup honey
3 tablespoons sugar
1 (15-ounce) can unseasoned pumpkin puree or 1 ½ cups pureed cooked fresh pumpkin (see Tip)
1 cup fat-free evaporated (not condensed) milk
½ cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg or ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon salt
PREPARATION:
1. To prepare crust: Whisk flour, sugar and salt in large bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse crumbs with a few larger pieces. Add oil and toss with fork to blend. Gradually add just enough water, stirring with fork, until dough clumps together. Turn out onto lightly floured surface. Press the heel of your hand through the dough, causing it to smear. Repeat once or twice until dough is uniformly moistened. This step is called fraisage. Form dough into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour or for up to 2 days. If dough becomes hard in the refrigerator, let it sit at room temperature for about 1/2 hour before rolling.
2. Coat a 9-inch deep-dish pie pan (see Tip) with cooking spray. On lightly floured surface, roll dough into 14-inch circle, about 3/8-inch thick. (As you roll, lift dough with bench scraper or metal spatula and dust work surface with flour frequently to prevent sticking.) Brush off excess flour with a pastry brush. Roll dough back over rolling pin. Brush excess flour from underside. Ease pastry into pie pan. Trim dough with scissors, leaving a 3/4-inch overhang. Fold edge under and flute. Prick shell all over with fork. Cover with plastic wrap. Chill 30 minutes in freezer or 1 hour in refrigerator. (You can prepare the crust up to this point up to 1 month ahead. Wrap in plastic wrap and foil and freeze. Do not thaw before baking.)
3. Set oven rack at lowest position; preheat to 400˚F. Line crust with a circle of parchment paper; fill with pastry weights (such as dried beans or rice). Place pie pan on baking sheet. Bake crust 20 minutes. Remove parchment and weights. Bake until bottom of crust is set and pale golden, 5 to 15 minutes. (Crust will cook faster in metal pie pan.) Reduce oven temperature to 350˚F.
4. Meanwhile, mix sour cream and milk in small bowl until smooth. Whisk eggs, honey and sugar in large bowl until blended. Add pumpkin, evaporated milk, crystallized ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt, whisking until blended.
5. Scrape pumpkin batter into baked crust. Drop spoonfuls of sour cream mixture over pumpkin batter. Draw tip of a knife or skewer through batters to create a marbled design. Place pie pan on baking sheet. Shield edges of crust with strips of foil.
6. Bake at 350˚F on lowest rack of oven 50 to 60 minutes, or until center is set. It will quiver very slightly when pan is nudged. Let cool completely on rack, at least 2 hours. Refrigerate for longer storage.
Per serving: Calories: 310. Total fat: 12 grams. Saturated fat: 6 grams. Cholesterol: 70 milligrams. Sodium: 260 milligrams. Carbohydrates: 45 grams: Fiber: 3 grams. Protein: 7 grams.
Lightened Whipped Cream Topping: Chill small mixing bowl and beaters in freezer. Beat 1/3 cup whipping cream in chilled bowl with chilled beaters until soft peaks form. Add 3/4 cup nonfat vanilla Greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar, and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract; fold together with rubber spatula. (Topping will keep, covered, in refrigerator for up to 1 day.) Yield: About 1 3/4 cups. 15 calories, 1 gram total fat and, 0 grams saturated fat per tablespoon.
Honey-Glazed Pepitas: Coat a small baking dish with cooking spray. Place ½ cup unsalted pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds) in the baking dish; toss with 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon canola (or avocado) oil and a pinch of salt. Bake in a 350ºF-oven, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and starting to darken, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool. The pepitas will crisp up as they cool. Yield: ½ cup. 40 calories, 3 grams total fat and 0 grams saturated fat per ½-Tbsp serving.
Tip: If using a regular pie pan, which is shallower than a deep-dish pan, or a disposable aluminum pan, there may too much filling for the shell. Do not overfill.
Tip: To prepare pumpkin puree from fresh pumpkin: Choose sugar or pie pumpkins, which are smaller than the field pumpkins typically used for jack-o-lanterns. Wash pumpkin and cut off stem. To roast pumpkin, cut it in half from stem end through blossom end. Scoop our seeds and stringy fibers (an ice cream scoop works well). Place pumpkin halves, cut side down, on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Cover with foil and bake at 375˚F 1 to 1 ½ hours or until flesh is very tender. Alternatively, to steam pumpkin, cut it into eights. Scoop out seeds and stringy fibers. Place pumpkin in steamer basket over boiling water. Cover and steam 40 to 50 minutes, or until flesh is very tender. Check water level frequently; replenish, if necessary. Let cool. Peel pumpkin skin from flesh with a paring knife. Puree flesh, in batches if necessary, in food processor. Place puree in cheesecloth-lined sieve over a bowl. Cover and let drain in refrigerator for several hours or overnight. You will get about 2/3 cup puree from each pound of pumpkin. Puree will keep, in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Recipe by Patsy Jamieson
