Gluten Free Spiced Pumpkin Pie

K, we should probably start talking about Thanksgiving now, no? And what's better to talk about when we talk about Thanksgiving, than the true table staple? Pumpkin Pie. My favorite.

There's a debate every year in which the people in my family argue the importance of double P. Some people love it, some people hate it. Maybe it's the texture? I'm not really sure. All I know is there better be a silky Pumpkin Pie with hand-whipped cream on the table on the last Thursday of every November, or someone's in trouble. And if I have to be the one to make it, then so be it. At least I'll sleep well knowing that I already have my dessert plate mapped out for maximum consumption. But lately I've been thinking about my gluten-intolerant friends: what do they do when a flaky all-butter crust (my go-to for every pie), or a sweet and buttery graham cracker crust is not an option?

Last weekend we attended a Ladies' Day event in Milwaukee which my mother helped plan, and I volunteered to bake. Everything was going great, meal-plan wise until I was informed that there were gluten allergies and thus, the desserts must be completely gluten-free. I quickly assured her that it wouldn't be a problem, but I'll be honest: I was nervous. Despite the fact that I have a best friend who is gluten-intolerant, whenever food is involved, it's usually someone else making it and I don't have to worry about it. I made her flour-less chocolate cake once (it was DIVINE), but that was it.

Would I really have to buy new flours and ingredients that I probably would never use again? Or worse, use BOXED CAKE MIX?

I shudder to think. (Hi, I'm dramatic.)

Luckily, I was flipping through the pages of the November 2015 issue of Martha Stewart Living and came across the answer to all of my problems: Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie! I was ecstatic of course. One, because you know how much I love pie and use any excuse to make it. And two, because I could use ingredients I have on hand absolutely all the time! I ran it by the committee, was told that I would have to make three, and was sent on my way.

I may have spent seven hours in the kitchen, but there's nothing I love more than making pie.

Now, what makes this pie GF you may ask? The CRUST! Three cups of Rice Chex (naturally and wonderfully GF), butter, brown sugar, and a little salt. Pulse those together in a food processor (I have a baby one that holds 4 cups), then spread into a pie plate, and bake it for 12 minutes to set. It's SUPER EASY, and CRAZY DELICIOUS. That brown sugar caramelizes in the oven, making the crust buttery and sweet with a hint of a crunch still. And pair that with the sweet pumpkin-y custard that is the filling, plus  the homemade whipped cream that was carefully piped onto the top, and it's just perfect.

I tell ya, it was a total hit amongst the gluten-lovers and gluten-intolerant alike, for we could all stuff our faces with pie in harmony.

Make it for Thanksgiving, make it forever.

GLUTEN-FREE SPICED PUMPKIN PIE 

What You'll Need:

Pie Crust:

• 3 cups Rice Chex
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 5 tablespoons packed light-brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt (I used coarse kosher salt)

Spiced Pumpkin Pie:

• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened pumpkin puree
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (I used coarse kosher salt)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1 cup whole milk

DIRECTIONS

First, let's make the pie crust:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

Pulse together the cereal in a food processor until finely ground. Then add the melted butter, brown sugar, and salt. Pulse until well combined.

Press the crust mixture evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan. Bake until golden brown about 12 minutes. Set on a wire rack to cool completely.

OKAY, PIE TIME!

Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree and eggs.

In a smaller bowl, stir together the sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Transfer the dry ingredients into the bowl with the pumpkin-egg mixture, and mix until well combined. Then, whisk in the milk.

Place your cooled pie pan on a rimmed baking sheet to reduce the chance of your filling spilling out on the way to the oven. CAREFULLY pour filling into the center of the crust for more even spreading. DO NOT OVERFILL. You may have some filling leftover, and that's okay! You do not want an overflow in the oven, trust me.

Transfer your pie on the baking sheet to the oven and bake until filling is just set, ABOUT 50-55 minutes, but KEEP AN EYE ON IT. If a custard-based pie (like this one) is over-baked, it will crack, and no one wants that. (But if it does crack, you can always cover it with whipped cream, so don't fret.)

Set on a wire rack to cool completely.

Once cooled, pipe or spread on some homemade whipped cream if you're into it, and transfer pie to the fridge to chill before serving.

(MAKE AHEAD: This pie can be made up to 2 days ahead of time. KEEP REFRIGERATED.)

SOURCE: Slightly adapted from Martha Stewart Living

Dark Chocolate Peppermint Sandwich Cookies

I'm generally not one to seek out peppermint flavored things. I don't know what it is about that essential oil that just turns me off. And despite the fact that it's often associated with the color red (which is positively my favorite color), there are very few scenarios that involve me going anywhere near the stuff. Eating one of these soft, chewy, dark choclatey cookies is one of those scenarios.

Making these cookies for my Nashvilian bestie, Hailey, was a real treat. Number one, it gave me an excuse to eat dark chocolate cookie dough first thing in the morning (a baker must always stay tasting, right?) But it introduced me to the world of the sandwich cookie. Long an admirer of the homemade Oreo and the ice cream sandwiches made with both homemade ice cream and delicious chocolate chip cookies, I hadn't yet found myself with the opportunity to make any in my kitchen. But when Hails told me that her favorite combination was peppermint and chocolate, and having stumbled upon this recipe a few days earlier and immediately adding it to my overflowing "Recipes" folder, I decided these cookies were up next to bat.

Not only was the active preparation time pretty short (probably an hour tops; the delicate dough must rest for at least two hours, though I rested it overnight), but it was pretty simple as well. And while I maybe didn't listen to the directions all the way when it said to only put a little peppermint buttercream in the center to avoid overflow (my brain couldn't handle so much empty space, and the frosting overflowed anyway), things still turned out for the best. A little extra peppermint buttercream never hurt anyone anyway. And did I mention that after a little time in the fridge to let the buttercream set that these taste almost EXACTLY like chilled, Girl Scout caliber thin mints? It was actually the best discovery of the week.

I know what you're thinking: Peppermint is really more of a holiday flavor, and the holidays are long gone, my friend! Well, I'd like to respectfully disagree. Unless the Peppermint Police, who dispatch from Holiday Headquarters, come banging on my door ordering me to halt operations immediately, I say these dark chocolate and peppermint treasures are fair game ALL YEAR ROUND.

What You'll Need:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened 3/4 cup sugar 1 large egg 1 large egg yolk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup dark cocoa powder 1 tablespoon ground espresso beans (optional) 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the buttercream: 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 1/2 to 1 teaspoon peppermint extract 2 cups powdered sugar 2 to 4 tablespoons milk

Find this recipe on The Kitchn!

My Holiday in Pictures

Boston is snowed in, but this isn't my first rodeo. I come from a place that MADE us go out to recess in this kind of weather, but Boston just isn't handling it like the pros of the Midwest. Single digit temperatures make you tough, so embrace it, Northeast! Since the city has decided to take a break and stay inside, I figured now would be a good time to share a few pictures from my trip home to Wisconsin. I miss it dearly, and being snowed in without a cuddly miniature schnauzer to keep me company isn't helping.

Usually, I stay with my family for Christmas and New Year's, but since I had to get back to work right after the holidays, I decided to spend New Year's with some of my favorite people.

That's Melyssa and Caitlin. I've known them for two years, but it really feels like longer. They're two of the weirdest people you'll meet, but also the funniest, and the best.

Our friendship can be completely summed up in two pictures:

We don't always get to see each other, but when we do, it feels like we're sisters.

Noticeably missing: My best friend, Emily. But you'll meet her soon enough.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Stay cool, wherever you are.