As I’ve said before, I could take or leave chocolate. What I really like in dessert is ginger. I keep bags of candied ginger on my desk at work, and I eat Trader Joe’s Ginger Cashew Almond granola every single morning for breakfast. So, if there’s a way to get more ginger into a dish, I will do it.
Which brings me to my pumpkin pie. I use a basic pumpkin pie filling, but I add in some fresh ginger. Instead of a pastry crust, I use gingersnaps. Then I top it all off with pepitas, candied with cinnamon and ginger.
I use the pumpkin pie filling from Joy of Cooking, plus 1/2 teaspoon of grated fresh ginger. Feel free to use whatever you like. This would even work well with a pumpkin cheesecake.
Gingersnap Crust
Ingredients
5 ounces gingersnaps
5 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons sugar
Directions
Using a food processor, grind the gingersnaps into fine crumbs. Add the sugar and mix. Add the butter and mix to combine.
Press into a pie pan and bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes. When it comes out, you may need to use a rubber spatula to smooth the crust out a bit, in case the sides slip down a bit into the bottom.
Let cool, fill with filling, and bake as directed.
Candied Pepitas
Adapted from Martha Stewart
Ingredients
1 cup (approx 6 ounces) raw pepitas
6 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg white, beaten
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of ground ginger
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together all ingredients in a bowl. Spread mixture in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment.
Bake until pepitas are golden and slightly puffed, about 10 minutes. Stir gently, leaving some clumps.
After they have cooled completely, crumble them up. Sprinkle over pumpkin pie when you are ready to serve. Or, sprinkle it over just about any dessert, or just serve in little bowls as a snack.
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