Pumpkin Chiffon Pie: NOT the traditional Pumpkin Pie

Let’s Bake Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

Traditional pumpkin pie is way too dense and heavy too end a thanksgiving meal. If you disagree, you are wrong. So let’s do the opposite and make A Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

This pie thankfully does not have a baked custard component. The custard filling in a regular pumpkin pie may result in cracking and is just way TOO fickle. I just cannot be bothered with it. A traditional pumpkin pie is also relies on a lot of different ingredients that may or may not be already in the pantry.

This chiffon pie is a lot lighter, uses less ingredients, and is just easier to make. It’s just easier to make, and easier to decorate as well. The flavors are also brighter with the addition of the crushed ginger. Lotus biscuits are also used in the crust instead of graham crackers, because I think lotus biscuits are just superior in every shape and form.

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetite.

1. Pre-heat oven to 325F and crush the Lotus Biscuits until uniformly crushed almost like sand, then mix together with salt and melted butter until the mixture has become almost like wet sand. Pour into a 9 inch pie plate and mold into a crust with the bottom of a measuring cup. Bake for 20-25 minutes and remove to cool. You can really use any biscuits like 12 sheets of Graham Crackers or 186gs of any digestive biscuit/cookie, but I think lotus biscuits taste better.

2. In a sauce pot, stir together the Gelatin, Cinnamon Powder, Ground Nutmeg, 3 Egg Yolks, Oat Milk, and Sugar (Everything except the Pumpkin Puree). Set the pot over medium to high heat and whisk constantly until thicken, about 5 minutes. It is appropriately thickened when it can evenly coat the back of the spoon, and a clear trail is left behind when a finger is run across the spoon. DO NOT LET THE MIXTURE BOIL. Don’t boil the custard mixture as that will destroy the setting power of the gelatin and create a filling that won’t set and become all gloopy.

Refer to the image on the side to check if the mixture has finished thickening

3. Remove the pot from heat, fish out the Ginger, and mix in the pumpkin puree. Allow the mixture to cool to room temp. The Pumpkin Puree is added last after the custard has finished cooking as that will help expedite the cooling process. Don’t use cold pumpkin as that could cause the custard to set prematurely and make it hard to fold into the meringue, making a clumpy mess in general

4. Whip together the Egg White and Sugar until Stiff Peak and fold in the pumpkin mixture. The pumpkin mixture must be cool to the touch by folding it into the Whipped Egg Whites. Allow the pumpkin mixture to cool to room temp before folding in the whipped egg whites. If the pumpkin mixture is hot when doing so, the egg whites will deflate and won’t create a light pumpkin pie.

Little lumps of egg whites indicates that it has not been homogenously folded, indicated by the picture on the side. Fold until there are no clumps or streaks of white

5. Pile the filling into the crust, smooth out if wanted, and refrigerate for at least 5 hours, preferably overnight.