After living in the US for several years, I’ve come to understand that Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie is, well, downright un-American. But this silky pie is so good, you’ll probably want to eat it more often than once a year. Make sure to use a deep-dish pie pan so there will be enough room for all the gorgeous pumpkin filling. Basic Vegan Pie Crust, made in deep-dish pie pan: Though premade vegan pie crusts are readily available, nothing beats a homemade one. This versatile pie crust is tender and flavorful, and the dough is very forgiving-even if you’re not an expert with dough, this recipe comes out well every time!
Ingredients:
- 1 cup vegan butter, chilled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tbsp evaporated cane juice sugar
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup ice-cold water
- 2 1/4 cups drained soft silken tofu
- 1 cup canned organic pumpkin purée
- 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon cold vegan cream cheese, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 1/4 cups evaporated cane juice sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions:
- Place the butter and flour in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
- Place the chilled flour, the salt, and the cane juice sugar in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Scatter the butter cubes over the flour and pulse until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. With the motor running, add 1/3 cup of the water through the feed tube and mix until the dough just starts to form a ball on the blade. Add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if the dough seems too dry. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and shape it into a disk. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze the dough for at least 1 hour before rolling it out.
- Place the unwrapped dough disk on a lightly dusted work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a circle that is 1/8 inch thick, lifting and rotating the dough as necessary. Roll the dough up on the rolling pin and unroll it over a 9-inch pie pan. Gently press the dough onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Trim the edges of the dough with scissors, leaving about 3/4 inch of overhang. Tuck the overhanging dough underneath itself, pressing it onto the rim of the pan. Flute the edges by pinching the dough from the outside in a V shape with your thumb and index finger while poking the center of the shape with the index finger of your other hand from the inside. Lightly prick the bottom of the dough with a fork at 1/2 inch intervals. Refrigerate the dough in the pan for 20 minutes to firm it up.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Right before baking, line the dough with parchment paper and cover with pie weights or dried beans. Place the pie pan on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Carefully lift the parchment paper (along with the weights) out of the pie pan and bake the crust for 10 to 15 minutes longer, until golden brown. Transfer the pie pan to a wire rack and cool completely.
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Place the tofu and pumpkin puree in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth, about 45 seconds. Add the chucks of cream cheese and the remaining ingredients and process until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Pour the mixture into the prepared crust and bake the pie for 50 to 55 minutes, until just set in the center (it will still be slightly jiggly but should not be liquid). Turn the oven off and leave the pie in the oven for another 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
- Refrigerate the pie for at least 4 hours or overnight before serving.
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