Pumpkin Chiffon Pie
A fluffy cloud of meringue folded into a creamy pumpkin custard bursting with spice then nestled into a ginger snap cookie crust. It’s an old classic recipe and one worth remembering!
Equipment
- medium saucepan
- Electric mixer
- 9" deep dish pie plate
Ingredients
- For the ginger snap crust:
- 2-½ cups ginger snap crumbs, about 5 cups of gingersnaps
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 to 2 tablespoons cold water
- For the pumpkin filling:
- 1-½ tablespoons unflavored gelatin, 2 envelopes
- ½ cup cold water
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 can pumpkin puree, 15-ounces, about 2 cups
- 3 extra-large egg yolks, with the egg whites reserved for the meringue
- ½ cup ½ cup milk
- 1 9” baked gingersnap pie shell or traditional pastry crust
- For the meringue:
- 3 extra-large egg whites or ½ cup pasteurized egg whites*
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract or alcohol-free vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350-degrees.
- For the ginger snap crust:
- Toss the ginger snaps into a food processor, and process for about 20 to 30 seconds until finely ground.
- Add the kosher salt and flour, process for about 10 to 15 seconds.
- Pour in the melted butter and 1 tablespoon of the water. Pulse about 6 to 8 times to combine. Press the crumbs together between your fingertips – if they do not hold together add the additional 1 tablespoon of water and check again. Use the remaining water only if needed – too much will make it sticky.
- Spray the bottom of 9” deep-dish pie plate. Turn the mixture into the pie plate and press in the bottom and up the sides. A measuring cup works well for this task.
- Freeze the crust for 10 minutes. Place the pie plate on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes at 350-degrees. Set aside to cool completely while you make the filling.
- For the pumpkin filling:
- In a small bowl or measuring cup add the gelatin to the cold water, stirring to dissolve.
- In a medium saucepan combine the brown sugar, kosher salt, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, pumpkin puree, egg yolks, and milk. Whisk together until the pumpkin mixture is smooth.
- Cook over medium-low heat until the mixture comes to a boil, about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Boil for 1 minute and remove from the heat.
- Add the dissolved gelatin to the pumpkin mixture, stirring to blend in completely and set aside to cool, about 20 minutes. While the pumpkin mixture cools make the meringue.
- For the meringue:
- Combine the egg whites and the cream of tarter in the bowl of a mixer. With the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium-high until they are frothy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Using medium speed, add the sugar a little at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl once. Raise the speed to medium-high and beat until the meringue has formed soft peaks. Add the vanilla extract and continue beating on medium-high until the meringue is glossy and has formed stiff peaks, about 5 minutes.
- To assemble the pie:
- Gently fold the meringue into the cooled pumpkin custard, taking care not to deflate the meringue.
- Pour the pumpkin filling into the cooled gingersnap crust. Chill at least two hours or overnight to allow the filling to set up.
- Keep the pumpkin chiffon pie refrigerated.
Notes
*The meringue that is folded into the pie filling is made from uncooked egg whites. If you have a concern about using raw eggs, pasteurized eggs are recommended as an alternative.
You can also use alcohol-free pure vanilla in place of pure vanilla extract. Nielsen-Massey have wonderful options to choose from.