This is not what you have come to know as gluten-free pumpkin pie—this is the mother of all pumpkin pies, bursting with fresh pumpkin, warm spices and, yes, a TON of ginger! You’ll need to make the Candied Stem Ginger recipe a day or a few hours in advance.
Ingredients
- HOMEMADE CANDIED STEM GINGER
- ⅓ cup fresh ginger, peeled and chopped into evenly sliced slivers or round coins
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1½ cups water (may need a bit more)
- Small glass jar with lid, like a canning or mason jar, properly sterilized
- PIE CRUST
- 11 ounces gluten-free ginger snap cookies, roughly broken up
- 6 tablespoons melted coconut oil (or butter, ghee)
- 3 pieces Candied Stem Ginger
- PIE FILLING
- 2¼ cups (a little over 1 pound) fresh pumpkin meat, cut into bite-size chunks as evenly sized as possible
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 egg
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 12-ounce can evaporated milk, light if preferred (substitute evaporated coconut milk for a dairy-free version)
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons Candied Stem Ginger syrup
- ½ tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ tablespoon pumpkin pie spice blend
- Pinch of salt
- WHIPPED CREAM
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon powdered confectioners' sugar
- 1 tablespoon Candied Stem Ginger syrup, optional for extra ginger punch
Directions
Homemade Candied Stem Ginger Directions
This will make roughly ¾ cup. The recipe calls for equal amounts fresh peeled ginger and sugar, so if you want to make more than this, simply double the recipe.
In a small nonstick saucepan, add the ginger and cover with water.
Over medium-high heat, bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer partially covered until the ginger is very tender, about 1 hour. Add a bit more water to the pan if needed to ensure the ginger is always covered in liquid.
Once the ginger is very tender and the liquid has reduced down slightly, add the sugar and stir well to dissolve it. Turn heat back up to medium-high and bring to a gentle boil, then turn the heat back down to low.
Allow to keep gently bubbling until a syrup similar to the consistency of honey forms, about 20 to 25 minutes.
Turn off the heat, carefully transfer to the sterilized jar, and immediately seal. To store: Once opened, store in the fridge. Unopened, store in a pantry cupboard.
Candied Stem Ginger Pumpkin Pie With Whipped Cream Directions
Make the Candied Stem Ginger either a day or a few hours ahead of time.
Preheat oven to 375° F.
Place all the crust ingredients into the bowl of a food processor or a blender, and blitz or blend until you get a breadcrumb consistency.
Using the palm of your hand, press the crust mixture into the bottom of a 10-inch pie pan with deep sides, and smooth out the crumbs as evenly as possible, including up the sides of the pan.
Place the pie pan in the fridge for 30 minutes to allow the crust to set a bit.
While the crust is setting, roast the pumpkin. In a roasting pan, add the pumpkin chunks and water. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and use a fork to punch a few holes in the foil to allow it to vent.
Cook the pumpkin at 375° F until the pumpkin is softened and fork tender, about 25 to 30 minutes. If there is any excess liquid, drain it off. Uncover the pumpkin and allow it to cool slightly.
Turn the oven down to 350° F.
Once the pumpkin is slightly cooled, use a slotted spoon to transfer it to the bowl of a food processor or blender with all the remaining filling ingredients. Blitz or blend until a creamy, smooth consistency is achieved.
Remove the pie crust from the fridge and place on a large baking tray. Carefully pour the filling mixture into the pie pan and bake at 350° F until a skewer or toothpick comes out clean when you insert it, about 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes. You want the center of the pie to be set, but it will still be a bit jiggly.
Allow the pie to cool fully to room temperature, then place it in the fridge until needed, allowing it at least an hour to set.
Before you are ready to serve, make the whipped cream.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the whipping cream, sugar and Candied Stem Ginger syrup if you’re using it. Whip the cream with an electric mixer on medium speed until thick and creamy and peaks form.
Cut the pie into eight slices and serve with a generous dollop of whipped cream on top. Keep any remaining pie in the fridge.
Candied Stem Ginger Nutrition Analysis: 290 cal, 0 g fat, 0 mg chol, 0 mg sodium, 73 g carbs, 1 g fiber, 68 g sugar, 1 g protein.
Pumpkin Pie With Whipped Cream Nutrition Analysis: 550 cal, 31 g fat, 100 mg chol, 180 mg sodium, 62 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 44 g sugar, 8 g protein.
Jilly Lagasse began cooking as a child when her father, Chef Emeril Lagasse, gave her a set of chef’s whites and let her help in the pastry and dessert department in one of his restaurants. She was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2004 and has written two gluten-free cookbooks with her sister, Jessie Lagasse Swanson, as the duo The Lagasse Girls, www.lagassegirls.com. She splits her time between New Orleans and New York doing special cooking events and gluten-free pop-ups.
