The pumpkin and prailine pie is one of my favorite pies but there are lots of steps and it can be fussy. The filling is really a mousse so it comes out light and opposed to a standard heavy pumpkin pie.
The prailine are almonds cooked in confectioners sugar. It is somewhat dangerous to make the prailines since the melted sugar is super hot so be careful not to touch the pan. Also I have ruined pans from the sugar sticking too much or taking off the coating. Make sure to use a wooden spoon. You can soak the pan and wooden spoon to melt the hardened sugar. I make the prailine a few days ahead and grind into a powder when making the cookie crust. You can make the crust and the filling a day ahead. Whipping the egg white and cream is best done the day of serving. Make sure to grind the prailines well and avoid large pieces since they are hard to chew.
I like to put one layer of the mousse in the crust then add a layer of prailine then add more mousse. You can finish the pie right before serving by adding more prailine and some chocolate shavings. Make sure the refrigerate the mousse to keep it thick.
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups confectioners sugar
- 1 cup almonds raw
- 3T unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup graham crackers
- 1/2 cup ginger snaps
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 t nutmeg
- 1/2 t ginger powder
- 1 t cinnamon
- 1/2 t salt
- 1 can pumpkin (make sure pure pumpkin not pie filling)
- 1/2c white sugar
- 1c heavy cream or whipping cream
- small amount of chocolate for shavings as optional topping for decoration
Steps
Make prailines
- on a 12 inch saucepan heat almonds for a few minutes to toast them
- add powdered sugar
- continually stir with wooden spoon until sugar fully melts
- when becomes yellowish clear remove from heat
- let cool on oiled cookie sheet
- I keep in ziploc in fridge until ready to make crust
- grind into powder with cuisinart, remove large pieces
Make crust
- preheat oven to 350
- butter a 9 inch glass pie plate
- grind 1/2 cup graham crackers into powder, removing any large pieces
- grind 1/2 cup ginger snaps into powder, removing any large pieces
- melt 3T butter
- combine prailine powder with graham crackers and ginger snaps
- press into pie plate
- bake for 5-7m until looks slightly golden
- let cool
- can keep in fridge for a day until you make the filling
pie filling
- can mix the brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt in a bowl and set aside
- separate the 2 egg white and yolks
- combine egg yolks and milk in sauce pan
- beat until well combined
- heat sauce pan on low heat, add gelatin
- continually whisk for 5m until gelatin is fully dissolved, make sure is dissolved and looks smooth
- can strain to remove any gelatin globs if you see globs
- add the brown sugar, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, salt to the milk, egg mixture, cook another 1 minute on low
- remove pan from heat and stir in the canned pumpkin
- cool until firm 1h, can cool overnight
make mousse and final assembly
- whisk the egg whites in mixer until almost set
- add 1/2c sugar to egg white and mix until firm and set
- set egg white aside
- clean bowl and whip cream until is solid
- fold in whites into the pumpkin filling in a large bowl until combined
- fold in whipped cream until combined and is a mousse consistency
- add half of the mouse to the pie crust
- add a layer of prailines
- add remaining mousse to pie crust
- I like to cover this and keep in fridge until right before serving
- final part is to add a layer of prailines on top and optionally chocolate shavings for decorations
