Pumpkin Pie with Ginger Snap Crust and Sorghum Whipped Cream

I made this pie two weekends ago, and I was drawn to Alton Brown's recipe for pumpkin pie because of the unique use of crushed ginger snaps in the crust instead of graham crackers.  We both adore the bold, spicy flavor of ginger snaps, so we figured this one would be a real winner.

I did end up making a few alterations to the recipe from the original.  I felt that the amount of ginger snaps used just wasn't enough to get a good thick coating of crust in my entire pie pan, so I increased them.    I also added a lil cinnamon to the pumpkin pie filling for some extra kick.  I understand that the spices in the filling were decreased to make up for the punch-you-in-the-jaw spicy flavor that the ginger snaps add to the crust, but I thought that my addition of cinnamon was not at all overwhelming.  Then again, we LOVE spicy desserts, so you can leave it out if you wish.

Finally, I had a jar of 100% sorghum sitting on my counter from our recent trip to Carver's Apple Orchard and was inspired to whisk some of it into some homemade whipped cream to serve with the pie.  Oh my heck it was incredible!  If you can't find sorghum, regular molasses will do just fine, but I heartily recommend that you give it a try.  It was the perfect finish!

Pumpkin Pie with Ginger Snap Crust and Sorghum Whipped Cream

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• Author: Erin Browne (altered from Alton Brown)
• Total Time: 1 hour 30 mins
• Yield: 10 1x

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Ingredients

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• CRUST:
• 11 ounces of ginger snaps, crushed
• 1 TBS dark brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 3 TBS + 1 tsp unsalted butter, melted
• FILLING:
• 1 can pumpkin puree
• 1 cup half and half
• ½ tsp grated nutmeg
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¾ cup dark brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 large egg yolk
• WHIPPED CREAM:
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 TBS 100% sorghum (or molasses)

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Instructions

1. FOR THE CRUST:
2. Preheat oven to 350F
3. Make sure ginger snaps are thoroughly crushed and that there are no large chunks. Combine crumbs with sugar, ginger, and melted butter, and incorporate using your hands.
4. Press into a 9 inch pie pan using the pads of your fingers to ensure that it is firmly packed. Be sure the center of the pan gets a good thick coating of crust to prevent it from becoming soggy.
5. Bake crust for 10 to 12 minutes, and then remove from the oven and set aside to cool for an additional 10 minutes.
6. FOR THE FILLING:
7. In a saucepan, bring the pumpkin puree to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.
8. Add the half and half, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt, and stir to combine. Return the mixture to a simmer and then remove from the heat and allow it to cool for 10 minutes.
9. In another bowl, mix together brown sugar, eggs, and extra yolk. Pour in the pumpkin mixture and mix to combine.
10. Pour filling into pie pan until there is a small lip of crust still visible (you will have a bit of extra filling left in the bowl).
11. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until the crust is dark, sides of the pie are set, and the middle is just slightly jiggly.
12. Allow pie to cool on a rack for 3 hours, and then chill in refrigerator for several hours (pie is best the next day)
13. FOR WHIPPED CREAM:
14. Whip heavy cream with hand mixer or stand mixter fitted with whisk attachment until cream is foamy.
15. Add 2 TBS of 100% sorghum or molasses and whip on high speed until creamy peaks form.
16. Serve pie with a dollop of whipped cream and garnish with ginger snap if desired. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator.

• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 75 mins

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