(Ginger) Snappy Pumpkin Pie
I can hardly believe here we are in September, more than half a year into COVID19 and the new normal. Just weeks before Washington’s stay at home order, I started a new assignment at State, a job that did not lend itself to working remotely except occasionally. So while everyone else I know was quarantining at home, I was one of the few souls slipping in and out of my home to my car to a mostly deserted office building.
Early on when we knew little about the virus and thought it could live on surfaces, I traveled to and fro with pieces of bleach wipes on each of my hands - touching anything I needed to touch. Everything was closed along the way, and anything I would need with me for the day, which sometimes stretched 12 - 14 hours, I would pack with me.
So this weekend, as I masked up and enjoyed doing errands around town, seeing people out and about, I wasn’t phased when I waited in line to enter Trader Joe’s or the shoe repair on Saturday. At Trader Joe’s I was so happy to see all things pumpkin on the shelves and stocked up on their small jars of pumpkin butter to make my family’s favorite pumpkin squares (recipe later). I didn’t buy any pumpkin puree because I was sure I had a few cans at home leftover from last fall.
While waiting in line today to enter the Bethesda Central Farm Market, I was talking with Bob about what to bring his mother for her birthday tomorrow and somehow we landed on my pumpkin pie recipe with the gingersnap crust. I made it over and over again last fall, even after Thanksgiving, just to have it around the house. i’ve adapted it from two different recipes so that it’s dairy free and uses gingersnaps (you can use regular or gluten free) so there’s no need to stress over getting out the rolling pin.
After the market, we stopped at Giant just down the road to pick up pumpkin puree JUST IN CASE we didn’t have any at home. After walking around and around a few times, I found the empty shelf where pumpkin puree usually lives.
Hmmm. That’s random, I thought. Seems a little early to be running out of pumpkin puree.
We dropped off the items from the farmer’s market at the house and checked to see if we had any pumpkin puree in the pantry. Unfortunately, no.
I thought it would be quicker to drive over to Whole Foods to pick up a can instead of going back to TJs, where the line tends to be longer because it’s a smaller store, but when I got to Whole Foods, I had the same experience as the one at Giant. I circled all the aisles I expected the pumpkin to be in but no luck. Most of the shoppers seemed to be Amazon shoppers and one of them saw me walking around in circles and asked me what I was looking for. She took me straight over to the pumpkin puree aisle and both of us looked at the empty shelf with the same expression.
OMG.
“People must be stocking up,” she said.
It’s the new toilet paper, I thought.
I got in my car and called TJ’s.
“Do you have any pumpkin puree?” They picked up, so that’s good.
“Oh yeah we’ve got our Everything Pumpkin display all stocked up.”
“I know, I was there yesterday and bought the pumpkin oatmeal cookie mix and the pumpkin butter. But do you have pumpkin puree?”
“I’m sure we do…It’s in a can, right?”
“A can or carton, but can you check?”
“Ok give me a sec.”
She put me on hold and I sent a May Day text to Bob.
“Yep we’ve got plenty!”
“Great! Would you put 4 cans aside for me, please?”
“No need you should be fine,…”
“But I just came from Giant and Whole Foods and they’re sold out…”
“Oh okay what’s your name?”
She understood.
People are stocking up.
I started with needing 1 can and came home with 4.
The new normal.
But taking nothing for granted and taking real pleasure in masking up, waiting patiently in line to do the everyday things, I’m happy to be home in my kitchen and baking just the absolute best pumpkin pie ever.
It’s the small things, right?
Ingredients
Crust
8 ounces gingersnaps (today I used Mi-Del Swedish style gluten free)
1/4 cup melted butter (I use plant butter, which is non-dairy and uses avocado oil)
Pie filling
1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
3 eggs
1/4 cup maple syrup or agave
1/4 cup coconut sugar
¼ cup oat milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon sea salt
How to make it
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Put the cookies into a food processor and pulse until crumbly. Add the melted butter and pulse a few more times.
Press the cookie and butter mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9 inch pie dish. Chill the crust in the fridge for 20 minutes. Then bake in the oven for 15 minutes and cool on a rack.
Set the oven to 350 degrees.
In a bowl, mix the pumpkin puree, eggs, maple syrup, milk, vanilla, and spices with a wooden spoon or wisk.
Pour into the cooled crust and use foil to protect the edges of the crust or line with a silicon crust protector. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until the mixture is firm.
Cool on a rack and enjoy with any type of whipped cream or ice cream you prefer!