by guest blogger Adrianna Adarme recipe developer, blogger, and author of The Year of Cozy
An ideal cozy day to me looks like this: I have on fluffy socks, chill (maybe slightly emo) music is playing, the weather is brisk, and leaves are falling on the trees outside my windows. My oven is preheated to 350 degrees F, and ingredients are out on my counter, waiting to be mixed together to yield something delicious. And most likely my corgi, Amelia, is waiting for something to be accidentally dropped onto the floor so she can swoop in. I'll probably be making something like this pie from my new book, The Year of Cozy. It's one of my favorites of the season for two reasons: It's a (mostly) no-bake pie, and it tastes just like fall should.
I fell in love with chiffon pies a few years ago; they're wonderfully light, and their texture is silky smooth. Gelatin (rather than a large amount of eggs) helps achieve this beautiful texture. For years, I strictly made egg-heavy pumpkin pies. I got over it and began the search for something that wouldn't bog you down even more after a large meal. I found a happy medium: a few eggs and a bit of a gelatin.
My book is organized by the months of the year, with categories like "Live," "Do," and "Make." It's all about the little moments in life, making them just as exciting as the big. My hope with this book is to inspire you to march into your kitchen and craft closet to make something you can truly be proud of and to bring the biggest reward of all: joy...and carbs.
No-Bake Pumpkin Chiffon Pie
Ingredients:
- 2 cups gingersnap crumbs (from about 30 cookies)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 3 Tablespoons dark rum
- 2 teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup + ¼ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs, separated
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Freshly whipped cream
1. To make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the crumbs and salt in a medium bowl. Pour in the butter and mix until the gingersnap crumbs are moist. Transfer to a 9" pie dish and press the crumbs firmly and evenly until they line the bottom and sides of the dish. Bake until slightly darker in color and firm to the touch, about 8 to 10 minutes. Allow the crust to cool completely before adding the filling.
2. To make the filling: Pour the rum into a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin atop the rum and set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan set over medium-low heat, add the pumpkin, heavy cream, 1/3 cup sugar, 2 egg yolks, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. Cook the mixture, stirring, until it reaches a temperature of 175 degrees F. Transfer the pumpkin mixture to a medium bowl and stir in the rum and gelatin. Set aside to cool.
4. Meanwhile, in a stand mixer's metal bowl, beat the 2 egg whites until they begin to hold peaks. With the beaters still going, sprinkle in the remaining ¼ cup sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
5. Gently fold the egg whites into the cooled pumpkin mixture. Add the pie filling to the gingersnap pie shell and transfer to the fridge to set for 5 hours. Serve with a topping of freshly whipped cream and garnish with gingersnap cookie crumbs or a dusting of ground cinnamon.
Shopping Tip: You can usually find gelatin right next to the Jell-O in your grocery store. It comes in two forms: powder and sheets. I use the powder, but either would work for this recipe. If you do buy the sheets, you'll need 2 for this recipe.
Note: Whenever I fold whipped raw egg whites into a dessert, I make sure to use good-quality organic eggs.
Adrianna Adarme is an author, recipe developer, and blogger. Her site, A Cozy Kitchen, has become a place for people to read entertaining anecdotes about daily life and to find delicious, comforting recipes. Adrianna lives in Los Angeles with her boyfriend, Joshua, and her corgi, Amelia. The Year of Cozy: 125 Recipes, Crafts and Other Homemade Adventures is out now (Rodale Books).
For more from Maria Rodale, visit www.mariasfarmcountrykitchen.com