Brown Sugar Gingersnap Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

Yield: 8 servings (one 9" pie)

Ingredients

Gingersnap Crust:

• 2 ½ cups (330g) gingersnap cookie crumbs*
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• pinch of kosher salt
• 6 Tbsp (85g) unsalted butter, melted

Pumpkin Chiffon Filling:

• ¾ cup (160g) brown sugar, packed
• 2 ½ tsp Telephone Brand Agar-Agar Powder
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp nutmeg, freshly ground
• pinch of ground cloves
• 3 large eggs, separated
• ¾ cup (170g) whole milk
• 1 Tbsp bourbon, optional
• 1 ¼ cups (284g) canned pumpkin**
• ¹/₃ cup (66g) granulated sugar

Topping:

• 1 cup (227g) heavy cream, cold
• 2 Tbsp confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• ground cinnamon (for dusting)
• nutmeg, freshly ground (for dusting)

*We used Keebler Gingersnaps (formerly Murray), and we needed 60 cookies for our crust.

**We like Libby’s® 100% Pure Pumpkin.

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. Put gingersnaps in food processor. Pulse until cookies are fine crumbs. Sprinkle in ground ginger and salt, then drizzle melted butter onto crumbs. Pulse to combine. Press crust mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan.
3. Bake crust until edges are lightly golden and set, 7–10 minutes. Transfer pie pan to wire rack and cool completely.
4. While crust is cooling, make your pumpkin chiffon filling. In a medium pot, whisk together brown sugar, agar-agar powder, cinnamon, ginger, salt, nutmeg, and cloves.
5. In a medium vessel with a spout, mix together egg yolks, milk, and (optional) bourbon.
6. Add liquid mixture to brown sugar mixture in 4–6 parts, whisking thoroughly after each addition. Let sit for 3–5 minutes.
   NOTE: Adding the liquids bit by bit helps the agar and the liquids combine evenly, which will make the pie filling set better.
7. Place pot on medium heat. With a silicone spatula, stir mixture in a figure-eight pattern until it reaches a boil (no more than 4–5 minutes).
8. Remove from heat, then thoroughly stir in pumpkin. Pour pumpkin mixture into a heatproof bowl. Immediately press cling film directly onto surface to keep a skin from forming. Refrigerate mixture for one hour.
9. Once your pumpkin mixture has chilled, use a little bit of lemon juice or white vinegar to wipe down bowl and whisk attachment of your mixer.
10. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat egg whites on medium-high speed until foamy.
11. With mixer running, gradually add granulated sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking for 10 seconds after each addition. After all sugar has been added, beat on medium to medium-high until stiff, glossy peaks have formed.
12. Gently fold beaten egg whites into pumpkin mixture. It’s okay if you end up with a few streaky bits; just fold together the best you can without overmixing.
13. Spoon pumpkin chiffon filling into totally cooled gingersnap crust, smoothing top with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Chill in fridge for 3–4 hours or overnight.
14. When it’s almost time to serve the pie, place metal mixing bowl and whisk attachment in freezer for 15 minutes.
15. In the chilly bowl of a stand mixer fitted with cold whisk attachment, whip heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add confectioners’ sugar, then whip until slightly stiff peaks form. Spoon or pipe whipped cream onto pie. Dust pie with ground cinnamon and freshly grated nutmeg.
16. Serve immediately. Store any leftovers in the fridge.

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Adapted from: Kate McDermott for Better Homes and Gardens