Bready or Not: Pumpkin-Molasses Freezer Pie with Ginger Snap Crust
And now for something completely different!
This variant of pumpkin pie is no bake, or almost no bake. It's fast, easy, and can be made quite healthy with a few easy modifications. The original recipe was snipped from an issue of Relish Magazine a few years ago.
Most sweet recipes I make, sample, and then send the majority off with my husband to his work. I try to eat healthy for the most part--I've weighed a hundred pounds more, and I don't want to go back there--and pies just plain are not portable. If the pie was going to stay home, I wanted to be able to eat it.
My first concern: the crust. I could have bought a graham cracker crust from the store--making this a completely no bake recipe--but I wanted more control over the ingredients. I compared a couple of ginger snap pie crust recipes and found one with a lower amount of cookies and butter. I also used xylitol instead of white sugar, which lowered the sugar calories by 40%.
The filling: I am not a fan of ice cream. It just doesn't appeal to me anymore. I am, however, a hardcore connoisseur of frozen yogurt. I adore those pay-by-the-ounce places and love that the yogurts are low calorie and taste amazing.
One of my favorite local places, Dream Swirls, does a nifty thing. When they are running low on a flavor, they fill tubs with the yogurt and then sell it for a good price. I poked around in their freezer for one that was close to vanilla, and chose angel food cake flavor. That's what I used in this recipe.
I baked my crust for five minutes. I assembled the pie contents. When I went to lick the bowl afterward, I was appalled. The flavors were too strong. I was in dread that the whole pie would need to be dumped.
Don't go by first impressions!
The first day, the initial flavor is very strong, especially from the molasses. After that, it mellows considerably. It actually gets more delicious by the day. The ginger snap flavor pairs beautifully with the pumpkin. I added a touch of maple syrup to the recipe, too, and I think it softens the heaviness of the molasses. Really, the pie is a great marriage of autumn flavors, and it's ideal for a Phoenix autumn because it's nice and cool.
This is a recipe I will make again and again.
Ginger Snap Crust
tweaked from Relish Magazine
Ingredients:
30 hard ginger snap cookies (about 1.5 cups in crumbs)
2 Tb white sugar or xylitol
4 Tb (half stick) melted butter
water (if needed)
Directions:
1) Preheat oven at 350-degrees. In a blender or food processor (or use a gallon bag and rolling pin), crush the cookies. In a bowl, combine crumbs, sugar, and butter. If you pinch the mixture between your fingers, it should stay solid. If not, add water by the teaspoon and mix until it cooperates.
3) Press the dough into a 9-inch pie plate; evenly cover bottom and edges. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove. Let crust cool before putting cold ingredients inside.
Pumpkin-Molasses Freezer Pie
modified from Molasses Cream Pie from Relish Magazine in print, date unknown
Ingredients:
1 graham cracker or ginger snap pie shell
1 pint (16 ounces) softened vanilla bean ice cream or yogurt
2 Tb molasses
1/2 Tb maple syrup
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree*
3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice*
(* or use 1/2 cup of canned pumpkin pie mix, which is already spiced)
Directions:
1) Combine ice cream/yogurt, molasses, maple syrup, pumpkin, and spice. Mix until it's all combined and pour into the prepared shell.
2) Let set in freezer for several hours. For serving, let sit at room temperature for about ten minutes to soften for cutting. Use a fork to loosen the pie piece at the bottom and back. It might crumble a bit, but that's okay. It'll still taste awesome.
If desired, top pieces with Cool Whip or whipped topping or a drizzle of caramel, or just happily eat it by itself. The pie's flavor will be very strong initially but will mellow by the day. Keep stored in freezer.
OM NOM NOM.
This variant of pumpkin pie is no bake, or almost no bake. It's fast, easy, and can be made quite healthy with a few easy modifications. The original recipe was snipped from an issue of Relish Magazine a few years ago.
Most sweet recipes I make, sample, and then send the majority off with my husband to his work. I try to eat healthy for the most part--I've weighed a hundred pounds more, and I don't want to go back there--and pies just plain are not portable. If the pie was going to stay home, I wanted to be able to eat it.
My first concern: the crust. I could have bought a graham cracker crust from the store--making this a completely no bake recipe--but I wanted more control over the ingredients. I compared a couple of ginger snap pie crust recipes and found one with a lower amount of cookies and butter. I also used xylitol instead of white sugar, which lowered the sugar calories by 40%.
The filling: I am not a fan of ice cream. It just doesn't appeal to me anymore. I am, however, a hardcore connoisseur of frozen yogurt. I adore those pay-by-the-ounce places and love that the yogurts are low calorie and taste amazing.
One of my favorite local places, Dream Swirls, does a nifty thing. When they are running low on a flavor, they fill tubs with the yogurt and then sell it for a good price. I poked around in their freezer for one that was close to vanilla, and chose angel food cake flavor. That's what I used in this recipe.
I baked my crust for five minutes. I assembled the pie contents. When I went to lick the bowl afterward, I was appalled. The flavors were too strong. I was in dread that the whole pie would need to be dumped.
Don't go by first impressions!
The first day, the initial flavor is very strong, especially from the molasses. After that, it mellows considerably. It actually gets more delicious by the day. The ginger snap flavor pairs beautifully with the pumpkin. I added a touch of maple syrup to the recipe, too, and I think it softens the heaviness of the molasses. Really, the pie is a great marriage of autumn flavors, and it's ideal for a Phoenix autumn because it's nice and cool.
This is a recipe I will make again and again.
Ginger Snap Crust
tweaked from Relish Magazine
Ingredients:
30 hard ginger snap cookies (about 1.5 cups in crumbs)
2 Tb white sugar or xylitol
4 Tb (half stick) melted butter
water (if needed)
Directions:
1) Preheat oven at 350-degrees. In a blender or food processor (or use a gallon bag and rolling pin), crush the cookies. In a bowl, combine crumbs, sugar, and butter. If you pinch the mixture between your fingers, it should stay solid. If not, add water by the teaspoon and mix until it cooperates.
3) Press the dough into a 9-inch pie plate; evenly cover bottom and edges. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove. Let crust cool before putting cold ingredients inside.
Pumpkin-Molasses Freezer Pie
modified from Molasses Cream Pie from Relish Magazine in print, date unknown
Ingredients:
1 graham cracker or ginger snap pie shell
1 pint (16 ounces) softened vanilla bean ice cream or yogurt
2 Tb molasses
1/2 Tb maple syrup
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree*
3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice*
(* or use 1/2 cup of canned pumpkin pie mix, which is already spiced)
Directions:
1) Combine ice cream/yogurt, molasses, maple syrup, pumpkin, and spice. Mix until it's all combined and pour into the prepared shell.
2) Let set in freezer for several hours. For serving, let sit at room temperature for about ten minutes to soften for cutting. Use a fork to loosen the pie piece at the bottom and back. It might crumble a bit, but that's okay. It'll still taste awesome.
If desired, top pieces with Cool Whip or whipped topping or a drizzle of caramel, or just happily eat it by itself. The pie's flavor will be very strong initially but will mellow by the day. Keep stored in freezer.
OM NOM NOM.
No comments have been added yet.
