Pumpkin pie, with its thick orange custard, fragrant spices and flaky crust, has been a powerhouse on the holiday menu ever since the Pilgrims gathered for the first Thanksgiving. But as ubiquitous as pumpkin pie has become over the past several hundred Thanksgivings we’ve celebrated in America, traditional pumpkin pie – that recipe found on the back of the Libby’s pumpkin can and one many of us can make from memory – has become a rather uninspired offering.
In the fall, pumpkin appears everywhere – from soup to ice cream, lattes to yogurt to cereal. By the time Thanksgiving rolls around, we grow weary of everything pumpkin, and the thought of making a pumpkin pie can be rather deflating.
While tradition demands pumpkin have some kind of presence on the buffet, that doesn’t mean it has to be in its traditional form.
For instance, give it a whirl and a swirl with some cream cheese. Think a cheesecake-infused pumpkin pie.
Make some pumpkin pasties – er, hand pies – and let your guests eat with their fingers. It’s totally acceptable.