Ginger-Coconut Pumpkin Pie

This isn't a trend with coconut.  It just sounded good and I'm stress-baking; I suspect I'll be doing that often for the next four years.  The coconut in this one is very understated and could be swapped for heavy cream.

While not my assignment, this was on The Bitten Word's pie challenge list.  Since my selection from The Food Network had come out as advertised, I decided to give this recipe a shot.

Funny story about grocery shopping for this one.  I couldn't find the ginger snaps and was totally lost on the cookie aisle.  This was when I realized I never buy cookies.  Finally, I asked an employee.  The words GINGER SNAPS were written super huge on the orange box.  I can't find anything, sheesh.

Crust
6 oz ginger snap cookies
*1 Tb finely chopped crystallized ginger
1 Tb packed light brown sugar
4 Tb (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Filling
1 15oz can pumpkin purée
1 C coconut milk
3/4 C sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt

Topping
3/4 C heavy cream
1 Tb packed light brown sugar
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice, plus more for dusting

1.  For the crust, preheat oven to 325º.  In food processor, pulverize cookies, ginger, and brown sugar.  Add melted butter and pulse until a paste forms.  Press into pie plate, covering bottom and curving up the sides.  If you use a glass plate, hold it up to the light to see if you have gaps.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes to set.  Mine puffed up a bit and I had to press it down before it could cool like that.

2.  Open can of coconut milk, empty into a bowl, and beat to reconstitute.  The stuff settles in the can into something resembling shortening over water.  Once you get all the lumps out, measure out the cup you need and refrigerate the rest until you can think of a use for it.

3.  Beat eggs lightly in that bowl you just got dirty.  Add remaining filling ingredients and combine.  Pour into crust and bake for about 1 hour 15 minutes, until set.  Allow to cool at room temperature, about 2 hours.  Now, my pie developed deep cracks because I used homemade pumpkin purée, which has a different moisture level than canned.  Never fear, if yours cracks there is topping to cover it.

4.  Whip heavy cream, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice to firm peaks.  Spread over pie, leaving enough showing around the edges to be interesting.  Dust with more pie spice.  Pie can be served cold or room temperature.

Serves 8

Difficulty rating  π