Pumpkin Walnut Pie with Rolled Oat Crust

Pumpkin Walnut Pie

Adapted from 101cookbooks.com

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INGREDIENTS

• 1 pie crust (recipe below)
• 2 cups walnuts (divided) , toasted
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice blend
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon potato starch
• 1-1/2 cups of roasted pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup egg substitute
• 1 cup lite coconut milk

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, racks in the middle.
2. Puree 1 1/2 cups of the toasted walnuts in a food processor until they turn into a walnut paste, past the 'crumble' stage. Set aside. Chop the remaining 1/2 cup of walnuts and set aside seperately, these will be sprinkled on top after the pie is baked.
3. To make the pumpkin pie filling, whisk together the brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice blend, salt, and potato starch. Stir in the pumpkin puree, and vanilla. Now stir in the egg substitute and coconut milk until just combined. Set aside.
4. Before filling the pie crust, crumble the walnut paste on top of the pie dough into the pie plate, quickly and gently press it into a thin layer across the bottom, creating a layer of walnuts that will sit between the dough and the filling.
5. Use a fork to prick the pie dough a few times to prevent air bubbles.
6. Fill the pie crust with the filling and bake for about 50 minutes - the center of the pie should just barely jiggle when you move the pie - the edges should be set.
7. Let the pie cool a bit, this makes slicing less messy. Serve straight or with a dollop of bourbon-spiked, sweetenend whipped cream or creme fraiche, and a sprinkling of chopped walnuts.

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Rolled Oat Crust
Adapted from King Arthur Flour

INGREDIENTS

• 2/3 cup (2 1/4 ounces) rolled oats, ground for 30 seconds in a food processor
• 1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) white whole wheat flour
• 1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) brown sugar, firmly packed
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons (3 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 2 tablespoons Smart Balance Light, cut into small cubes
• 3 to 4 tablespoons (1 1/2 to 2 ounces) cold soy milk

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the oats, flours, sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
2. Cut the butter and Smart Balance into small cubes, and work into the dry ingredients (using your fingers, a pastry blender or fork, or a mixer) until the dough is unevenly crumbly.
3. Sprinkle in the milk, continuing to mix until the dough is cohesive. Grab a handful; if it holds together willingly, and doesn’t seem at all dry or crumbly, you’ve added enough liquid.
4. Shape the dough into a disk. Roll its edges along a floured work surface (as though the disk were a wheel), in order to smooth them out.
5. Pat the disk till it’s about 1" thick, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight, or for up to 3 days.
6. Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Allow it to warm a bit and become flexible, 15 to 30 minutes.
7. Flour your work surface, and roll the dough into a 12" circle. It may crack a bit around the edge; that’s OK. Just patch the crust once it’s in the pan.
8. Transfer the dough to a 9" pie pan that’s at least 1 ¼" deep. Trim and crimp the edges, making a tall crimp.
9. Place the crust in the refrigerator to chill while you prepare the filling.