I can live without a turkey on Thanksgiving but I can't live without a pumpkin pie. It's another one of those "personal pan" items. I need my own pie for dessert and breakfast the next day...mid-morning snack, too.

 I'm not baking for the community at large this Thanksgiving....I'm only making 32 pies. Apple, Chocolate Pecan and lots of pumpkin. It is a pleasant way to spend a rainy Seattle afternoon. Enjoying the zone of rolling crusts, I have plenty of time to ponder what comes next after this weekend. Lots.

Parve pumpkin pie is one of those things I've played around with over the years. Needing something to replace the condensed milk traditionally used by those who don't worry about kashrut, I wonder about "coffee whitener"....for all of about 5 minutes. I'm not comfortable with a product that's priced in tangent with OPEC. I select a soy milk that is not sweetened too much and try to ignore the funky color. Substituting soy milk for condensed milk straight across works for years, not the greatest, but passes.

Last year, still conflicted and disliking the way the pumpkin filling pulls away from the crust, I decide to add xanthan gum to the mixture. Eureka! A 1/2 teaspoon per pie, best added to the sugars first, causes the pie to set quickly in the oven. It cuts great and doesn't affect the flavor at all. I love it!

Ingredients:

• Perfect Pie Dough, shape into 2 x 9" single crust pies, unbaked
• 29 oz. solid pumpkin
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 4 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups soy milk, unflavored

Steps:

Empty the pumpkin into a mesh strainer. Sometimes the pumpkin is watery.

In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Add the eggs and whisk. Add the pumpkin and stir to blend. Add the soy milk and stir to blend. Pour into the prepared unbaked pie shells.

Bake at 400' for 10 minutes. Turn down the oven and bake for another 30 minutes or so. The filling should be set and a small knife, inserted into the center, should come out clean. If the pie over bakes, it will puff up, get dark and start to crack....whatever. Remove from the oven and cool. It'll be fine. Serve at room temperature or cold.

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Comments:

Bil: What temperature do you turn down the oven to?

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Parve Pumpkin Pie