Nana's Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

Although this recipe is mostly used in our family on Thanksgiving, I thought the fact that it was pumpkin made it a good one for Halloween use. Besides, as far as I'm concerned, pie is adult person candy. I'd much rather you handed me this pie than a Snickers bar any day of the week. It's a pumpkin pie, but much lighter and airier. Once you try it, I think you'll agree.

NOTE: The "chiffon" part of the pie calls for beaten eggs whites, raw. Raw egg can contain salmonella. You can either use pasteurized egg whites or substitute the beaten egg whites for whipped cream (although the end product will be a little different).

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 t teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
3 egg yolks, beaten slightly
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 1/4 cup canned pumpkin
3 egg whites
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 baked 9" pastry shell (see recipe below)

In a sauce pan, combine brown sugar, gelatin, salt and spices. Set aside. Combine egg yolks and milk. Stir into brown sugar mix. Let stand a few minutes.
Heat the mixture over medium high heat, stirring constantly until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in pumpkin. Chill until mixture mounds slightly when spooned - about an hour.
Beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar, beating to form stiff peaks. Fold pumpkin mixture thoroughly into egg whites.
Turn into cooked crust, chill until firm. Top with a dollop of whipped cream!




Nana's Pie Crust
Prep time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Set time: 45 minutes to 12 hours
Cook time: 30 minutes (optional)
Makes two single crusts

2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup Crisco OR butter (butter is the healthier option)
1 egg
1-1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1/4 cup cold water

Combine the flour, salt and shortening in large bowl. Blend with a pastry blender, pastry cutter or knives until crumbly.
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, cider vinegar and water. Drizzle over the flour mixture and mix thoroughly. The dough will be soft and a little sticky. If it’s too sticky, add a little more flour.
Shape the dough into two patties, wrap in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 45 minutes, or in the refrigerator overnight.

Unbaked crust
When chilled, take one patty out of the refrigerator and roll out on a floured surface. The crust should be slightly bigger than the pie pan. When you’re finished with the first crust, repeat process with the second crust.
Fill the crust with the filling and bake according to the pie recipe.

Pre-baked crust
For a pre-baked crust, preheat the oven to 350°F. Press the crust firmly into the pie pan and freeze the crust until chilled, or for at least 30 minutes. This keeps the crust from slipping down the sides of the pan.
When the pie crust is chilled, line it with parchment paper, wax paper or aluminum foil. Fill the crust at least two-thirds full with weights: dry beans, rice, or stainless-steel pie weights. Bake with the weights for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, cool for a few minutes and carefully remove pie weights. Poke holes in the bottom of the pie crust with a fork and bake for an additional 10 minutes without the weights until the crust is golden brown. Cool completely before filling. You can cover the edges of the pie with aluminum foil during baking to keep the edges from drying out or burning.