Looking for the perfect fall holiday dessert, look no further. This delicious egg- and dairy-free pumpkin pie is a very special ending to a holiday meal.
Chef's notes
- When choosing tofu, always choose firm or extra firm silken tofu.
- The filling is quickly made in a food processor but plan ahead as the pie needs to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes and then set in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours before slicing
- The use of too much spice makes fillings taste bitter. You can always add more. If you make our Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice, add a little bit at a time to reach the spiciness you desire.
- Be sure to move the pie in and out of oven on a baking sheet.
- If a 9-inch pie pan is used, there will be extra filling. Bake the extra filling in ramekins in a preheated 375°F oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on a wire cooling rack to cool for 10 minutes. Enjoy warm. This "no crust" pumpkin pie is a great quick dessert.
Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice:
3 tbsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground allspice
3/4 tsp ground clove
Mix the spices together in a small bowl, take a little whiff add more or less spice you like.
Steps
1
Preparing Your Mise en Place
Ingredients
Basic Pastry Dough Recipe
1 Candied Nuts Recipe
5 1/2 tsp arrowroot
3 tbsp grade A Dark maple syrup
1 tbsp ground chia
3 tbsp water
18 oz extra-firm silken tofu, drained
2 1/2 cups + 2 tbsp Spiced Pumpkin Puree
1 cup dark whole cane sugar (such aas Sucanat), ground
6 tbsp organic cane sugar
3/8 tsp fine sea salt
4 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice (see note below)
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/8 tsp agar powder
Prepare the Basic Pastry Dough as instructed, and chill.
Then prepare the Candied Nuts and set aside. These will be used to garnish the pie.
Position one oven rack to the lowest rung of the oven and another rack in the middle. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Prepare the pumpkin pie filling. Combine the arrowroot with the maple syrup in a small bowl. Stir to blend well, making a slurry. Set aside.
Place the chia in a small bowl. Add the water and set aside for 5 minutes. Do NOT stir. Set aside for 5 minutes; then whisk vigorously. Again set aside for 5 minutes and then repeat whisking. This chia egg substitute can be made ahead, but whisk before using.
Place the tofu into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Process for 1 minute or until nicely puréed. Add the Spiced Pumpkin Purée (make Step 1 from the muffin recipe), whole cane sugar, cane sugar, Pumpkin Pie Spice (see notes below for making your own) and salt and blend for another 2 minutes. Add the arrowroot slurry along with the reserved chia gel, vanilla and agar powder and process for an additional 2 minutes, or until the mixture is well blended. Set aside.
2
Assembling & Baking the Pie
Ingredients
Spiced Ginger Cream, optional
Once all of the components have been prepared, assemble and bake the pie.
To fit the dough into a pie pan:
Unwrap the top of the dough. Center the pan on the dough and flip the pan over, with the dough, allowing it to settle into the pan.
Trim and save the excess dough, leaving a 1-inch overhang. If the pie will have a crimped (fluted) edge, fold the overhang in and make a decorative edge by pressing the dough, a section at a time, between your thumb and finger. If the dough has softened and is difficult to work with, chill it and crimp it just before filling the crust. To chill, cover the surface of the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before filling and baking the pie.
Place the pie pan on a cookie sheet or baking sheet. Pour the filling into the crust. Transfer to the lower rack of the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Move the pie to the middle rack, reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C) and bake for an additional 60 minutes or until the top looks set and the filling is heaving. The top will likely have cracked and the center will be jiggle. The filling firms as the pie cools.
Once done, place the pie onto a wire cooling rack to cool to room temperature. Cover with parchment paper and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
Slice and garnish the pie with the candied nuts and Spiced Ginger Cream, if desired. Serve at room temperature or warm the pie briefly in a hot oven. Note: Do not put the nuts on the pie until just before serving, otherwise the sugar will leak onto the pie.
