The first pie of the season

This weekend was full of Thanksgiving (and Christmas) shopping! I'm unlike the typical female in that I'm not a big fan of shopping. In fact, I find it quite exhausting. Regardless, it must be done, and so we did it. Here is the result of a 2 hour Walmart trip (aka Hell on Earth).

Walmart was the last of our stops on Saturday, after trips to World Market, Hobby Lobby, Michaels, and then back to World Market. We were partially shopping for decorations, but also some gifts. I absolutely refuse to leave our house on Black Friday (it was bad enough in Lubbock, and I can't even imagine the horror of Atlanta traffic), so I wanted to get the supplies early.

The highlight of the weekend was all of the giftwrap I had an excuse to buy. All told, I got 4 rolls of varying Christmas colors. One of the rolls--which just so happens to be candy cane striped--was too large to fit in the container. Thomas was playing around with it as we unloaded the groceries, and he playfully 'bopped' me on the head with it. As any normal person would do (NOT) I burst into hysterical laughter. After about 30 seconds of laughing like a maniac, I suddenly started crying. And then I couldn't stop and ended up bawling for like 5 minutes. THAT, my friends, is why I don't like shopping. Especially during the busy/crowded holidays, it makes me literally crazy.

Today at work we're having a potluck to celebrate Thanksgiving. I always have a hard time deciding what to bring to events like this, but this time I settled on a family favorite introduced by my Uncle Mark--pumpkin pie with a walnut streusal topping.

Here's what you'll need:

Start by putting your pie crust into a pie pan. I'll be real with you, this time I used a store bought crust. I'll be making 4 desserts this week, so I figured I'd take it easy on this one.

Next, separate your eggs. Put the whites in a small bowl.

Beat the whites until they're fluffy and look like this.

Next, mix the yolks, the pumpkin, the salt, a teaspoon of cinnamon, the ginger, and the nutmeg in a large bowl.

Slowly add the sweetened condensed milk.

And finally, gently fold in the egg whites.

Remember to scrape the sides well. The end result will look like this.

Pour the mixture into the crust, then bake it at 425F for 15 minutes.

While the pie is baking, mix up the streusal topping. Stir together a scant teaspoon of cinnamon, the flour, and the brown sugar in a small bowl.

Leave the butter in the fridge until the last minute, then cut it into the brown sugar mixture. I use this handy 'dough smasher tool', but your hands will work, too.

Finally, add the walnuts and sprinkle the mixture over the pie.

 

Bake the pie at 350F for another 40 minutes. This is really important. I've forgotten to turn down the oven before, and the whole thing burned. Learn from my mistakes people.

Uncle Mark's Pumpkin Pie with Walnut Streusal Topping

Ingredients:

9 inch deep dish pie crust

1 can pumpkin puree

2 eggs

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

First, ready the crust. Separate the eggs and beat the whites until fluffy. Mix the pumpkin, egg yolks, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, and sweetened condensed milk. Gently fold in the egg whites and pour into the crust. Bake at 425F for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and reduce heat to 350F.

Streusal:

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons flour

1 scant* teaspoon cinnamon

2 tablespoons butter, chilled

1 cup chopped walnuts

  

While the pie is baking, prepare the streusal. Combine brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Cut in the cold butter and mix in the nuts. Sprinkle the topping over the pie, then bake at 350F for an additional 40 minutes.

*Scant is a fancy cooking term for scarce or "not full." There, you learned something!

Enjoy!

-Kinsey