Thanksgiving Pies

Nothing like being a last-minute Linus or Lucy, is there? Well for those of you still without pies for tomorrow’s big event, you might want to consider one of these two spins on holiday classics. The first is a rich and decadent pumpkin mousse cheesecake on a sprouted nut crust, and the second is a sweet/tart apple-cranberry filled take on a traditional sourdough butter-crust recipe.

Wishing you and yours the leaf-piling-ist, football-kicking-ist, buttered toast and popcorn Friendsgiving of them all!

 
 
 

Pumpkin Cheesecake atop a Sprouted Nut Crust

This is my ‘gluten-free crust’ take on a simple & delicious Martha Stewart recipe.

Crust

  • 2 cups sprouted nuts (almonds, walnuts & pecans work nicely) finely ground
  • 2 tablespoons ghee or butter
  • ¼ cup date, Muscabado or Rapadura sugar

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Press firmly into the bottom of spring-form pan and bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, or until edges are brown.

Filling

  • 4 packages Organic Valley full-fat cream cheese
  • 1 ¼ cup date, Muscabado or Rapadura sugar
  • 3 tablespoons einkorn flour
  • 1 cup cooked pumpkin, pureed
  • 2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 4 pasture-raised eggs

With an electric mixer beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth.

Mix in flour, then add pumpkin puree, pie spice, vanilla & salt and mix until smooth.

Add eggs one at a time, mixing well before adding the next.

Place spring-form pan on a baking sheet, pour in filling and smooth top.

Transfer to oven and reduce heat to 325 degrees.

Bake 45 minutes without opening oven, then turn off heat and allow to stay undisturbed for another 2 hours without opening oven door.

Allow to cool completely and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

 

Apple/Cranberry Pie in a Sourdough Einkorn Butter Crust

A sweet/tart/buttery/sourdough version of an Autumn classic, utilizing my favorite ancient wheat flour.

Crust

  • 2 cups sifted einkorn flour
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon date, Muscabado or Rapadura sugar
  • 1 cup pasture-raised butter or butter/tallow combination, diced into small cubes
  • Approximately 1 cup sourdough starter

Combine flour, salt & sugar, sprinkle cold fat on top and using fingers, ‘cut’ into flour mixture until consistency resembles peas.

Slowly pour in starter until a dough ball is achieved.

Cut in half, chill until needed and roll out bottom first, fill then top.

Apple/Cranberry Filling for a 10-inch pie plate

  • 5 large apples, peeled, cored and sliced thinly
  • 1 package fresh cranberries, cut in half
  • Juice & zest of 1 large orange
  • 2” piece of fresh ginger, peeled & grated
  • ½ cup dried cranberries
  • ½ cup candied ginger, minced finely
  • 1 teaspoon pie spice
  • ¼ cup einkorn flour
  • ½ cup date, Muscabado or Rapadura sugar
  • ¼ cup butter or ghee

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Mix all ingredients except butter in a large mixing bowl until juice is released.

Fill crust-lined pie pan with filling and top with dabs of butter or ghee.

Roll out a top crust or lattice pieces and assemble pie top.

Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees, turn oven down to 350 degrees and bake for another 25 minutes, or until top is golden brown and filling is fragrant and bubbly.

RecipesAnnie DruComment