Pumpkin Pie w/ Gingersnap Cookie Crust

 

My grandma was the pie baking champion.  I know everyone says that their grandma is the best at cooking/baking but it was especially true in my case. I remember meticulously watching her work in the kitchen, her movements were slow but precise, it was akin to watching a professional dancer or a classically trained musician - pure magic. 

All this to say that the pie recipe you see below is the closest I've ever come to her pumpkin pie. I decided to put my own spin on it and substitute a gingersnap cookie crust because 1) making a homemade pie crust is hella difficult and 2) I really love that extra spice that this crust provides. I think grandma Fran would approve.

What I had on Thanksgiving

Since it was just Lewis and I for Thanksgiving this year, we decided to roast a turkey breast instead of the whole bird. Usually, I follow Alton Brown's turkey recipe which is always uh-mazing but this time I kept it simple with a bit of butter and a classic dry rub.

Kickass Cran-Apple Sauce

I feel like cranberry sauce gets a bad rap. It's always the afterthought dish on your Thanksgiving table, carelessly plopped out on a plate, usually still left in its tin can form, occasionally picked at by your parents or grandparents. I was also one of those nonbelievers but ever since I made this recipe, it's become an absolute staple, a perfect sweet and tart accompaniment to a rich and savory dish.

A History of Pie

This post had every intention to be a simple pie recipe (it was also ideally going to be posted in November, ah...such is life). While my intentions were good and certainly justified (I mean, let's be honest who doesn't love a pie post?) I realized that a holiday as special and as dear to my heart as thanksgiving deserves something more.

My earliest recollection of this holiday was at my grandparent's farm. It wasn't your typical farm with cows and pigs and a big red barn - it was more a gathering place nestled in the woods with plenty of hiking trails, porch swings, and hammocks.The family would travel from all over Florida and we would have our feast out on the big screened-in back porch. We would spend our afternoons wrapped up in a game of horseshoes, swinging on the rope swing hanging from the old oak tree, and playing with the dogs (there were always several).