the sugarapple

I was never a huge fan of pumpkin.  it was a vegetable I would more tolerate than actually request.  but I’ve actually begun to really appreciate it for breakfast, brunch, and even just roasted with some olive oil for a perfect side dish.  yet, one classic pumpkin dish, (hint: its readily available at Thanksgiving) has always made me say “no thanks” and that is pumpkin pie.  I just never liked the taste  and used to watch in awe as everyone else gobbled it up.  not me.   but now that I’ve begun to love pumpkin, I had to ask – could I possibly find a pumpkin pie recipe that I would like?  the answer is – YES.

luckily, the recipe author was not a fan of pumpkin pie either – but found a way to make this variation delicious.  I turned this into pumpkin tarts, but of course – you can make it into a pie if you like.  tell me what you think!  do you love the classic pumpkin pie or this version?

pumpkin tarts (slightly modified from The Washington Post, “pumpkin pie for people with pumpkin issues“)

pumpkin filling:

• 1 1/4 cups (12 1/2 ounces) pumpkin puree (100 percent pumpkin; do not use pumpkin pie filling-or make your own)
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 3 large eggs, separated into whites and yolks
• 3/4 cup low-fat sour cream
• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) turbinado sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour

directions:

make your favorite pie or tart crust and follow the instructions for pre-baking if necessary (feel free to try the gingersnap crust from this recipe or I love the crust recipes from the four and twenty blackbirds pie book)

heat oven to 375 degrees.

for the filling: combine the pumpkin puree, melted butter, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and salt in a large bowl, stirring until well incorporated. whisk together the egg yolks, sour cream, turbinado sugar and flour in a liquid measuring cup, then stir into the pumpkin mixture until well blended.

place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer (fitted with a balloon-whisk attachment) or a handheld electric mixer; beat on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. use a flexible spatula to gently fold the egg whites into the pumpkin mixture just until no trace of white remains. Pour the filling into the crust (cooled if pre-baked), using the spatula to slightly mound the filling in the center.

Bake at 375 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes or until just set/barely jiggly. Transfer the pie to a wire rack to cool for at least 2 hours before serving or storing.

Makes one 1 tart, pie, or 12 mini versions.

lo-carb version: If you’d like to try this sans crust (i.e. no crust) for a lo carb version, I just put the filling in cupcake wrappers and baked for 40 mins.  and it was delish!   let me know if you try it.