Pumpkin Cream Pie

This Thanksgiving, I wanted to try something new, and a little different than our traditional pumpkin pie. I have been following The Pioneer Woman because she is just fabulous. She is so funny, and I just love her recipes and pretty much everything about her! She has a wonderful series about how her and her husband met and courted and ended up getting married. And man, is it a good story. But, what I love are her recipes. Although, occasionally laced with alcohol, they are delish! My most recent favorite was her Pumpkin Cream Pie. Oh my. It was so yummy!

A quick synopsis:

Mix Vanilla Pudding, Half and Half, Cream, Spices (I would have added just a little bit more) to taste, whiskey, and after its boiled, pumpkin puree. So cook it, then cool it fully.




Then whip up some whip cream and brown sugar, and mix the fully cooled mixture in with it. The color kinda reminds me of this one time I used to babysit a baby, and he had just been introduced to squash... That's all.



I have a slight lack of pictures for this recipe. But here is some of the leftover graham crackers from the shell, baked/roasted and crunchy waiting for the pie to set up fully.



This is Pioneer Woman's pie pre-inhalation. Because it was really good!




Have you ever had the Pumpkin Pie milkshake from Arctic Circle? A delicious, tasty, out of character item for Arctic Circle, because the rest of their food is really only half good. Anyway, the subtle flavor reminds me of that. It's just sweet enough, but not too sweet. I would have added just a little bit extra spice because, well, I love cinnamon. The crust was perfect, it had powdered sugar and lots of butter.

If you're looking for a healthy pie, this really isn't it. But if you only eat it a day or two out of the year, I think it's totally worth it! Thank you Pioneer Woman! Oh, and if any of you start following her, you are not allowed to enter any of her contests, because then you would win and I wouldn't. Because that's the way my world works. So we'll just say you're not allowed!


Here's the printable recipe:

Recipe: Pumpkin Cream Pie

Prep Time: 2 Hours | Cook Time: 20 Minutes | Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 8

Print Recipe 3"x5" Cards 4"x6" Cards Full Page

Ingredients

• FOR THE CRUST:
• 1-½ package Graham Crackers (about 15 Cookie Sheets)
• ½ cups Powdered Sugar
• 1 stick Butter, Melted

• FOR THE FILLING:
• 1 box (3 Oz. Box) Vanilla Pudding (Cook And Serve Variety)
• 1 cup Half-and-half
• ½ cups Heavy Cream
• Pinch Of Cinnamon
• Pinch Of Nutmeg
• Pinch Of Ground Cloves
• 2 Tablespoons Whiskey (optional)
• ½ cups (plus 3 Tablespoons) Pumpkin Puree
• ½ cups (additional) Heavy Cream
• 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• Extra Graham Cracker Crumbs, For Garnish

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Grind graham crackers in a food processor (or, if you don’t have a food processor, place them in a large ziploc and pound ‘em with a rolling pin.) Add powdered sugar and melted butter and process until totally combined. Press into the bottom and sides of a pie pan until nice and firm. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until warm and “set.” Remove from oven and allow crust to cool completely.

In a medium saucepan, mix dry pudding mix with half-and-half and cream. Add spices. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is bubbly and thick. Remove from heat and stir in whiskey, if using. Add pumpkin and stir to combine. Place lid on pot and set aside to cool. When cool enough, place pot in the fridge to cool completely.

When mixture is cool, remove from the fridge. In a mixing bowl, add 1/2 cup heavy cream and brown sugar. Beat until very light and fluffy. Fold in pumpkin cream mixture until combined. Pour into cooled crust.

Cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight. Serve with graham crackers crumbled on top.