Recipe: Vegan Pumpkin Pie

I haven't had pumpkin pie in over 3 years now and figured it was time to get over my aversion to tofu filling and give it a try.

Verdict? Delicious crust, ok pie. It did hit the spot. And the husband made "mmmmm" sounds with every bite. I think I'll try new recipes before saying "mmmmm" with every bite though.

Was it the same as the pumpkin pie I grew up on? No, but not in a bad way, just different. The recipe I used says to bake for 1 hour or until the knife comes out clean. I used fresh pumpkin puree, and it baked for 1 1/2 hours until I finally said that's enough and figured it had to set up a bit in the fridge. Thankfully it did and we didn't have a plate of ooze on crust which was quite delicious and I will use that recipe again.

Here's a photo of its yummy goodness before it took pie form. Since the pie had minor acupuncture, I opted not to take it's after photo.


Vegan Pumpkin Pecan Pie

Crust:
2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c pecan pieces
1 tsp salt
1 Tbs sugar
1 c shortening

Filling:
1 (16.oz) package extra firm lite silken tofu
1 (16.oz) can pumpkin puree
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c plus 2 Tbs maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 c pecan halves

Method:
For the crust, pulse flour, pecans, salt and sugar in a food processor until pecans are ground. Add shortening and pulse until almost combined, then add 3 tablespoons ice water and pulse until just blended. Gather dough into two balls, and then press each into a disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours until firm. Once chilled, roll out into a 9-inch circle on a lightly floured surface and fit into an 8-inch pie pan. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the filling, preheat oven to 400*F. Blend tofu in a food processor or blender until creamy and smooth. Add pumpkin, sugar, 1/4 cup of the maple syrup, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves and blend well. Set aside. Set aside 8 pecan halves to use for garnish. In a small bowl, toss remaining pecan pieces with remaining 2 tablespoons maple syrup, then place evenly on the bottom of the pie shell. Pour filling into pie shell and bake approximately 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes clean. Set pie aside to let cool, then top with non-dairy topping and decorate with remaining 8 pecan halves.