To be honest, I have never been a pumpkin pie fan, I always thought it was the worst part of Thanksgiving. I have finally come up with a pumpkin pie that I find absolutely HELLA delicious!

I have been working on this recipe for a while. The problem was the crust. When making GAPS or SCD pies it is hard to get a flaky crust using only nuts, in fact all of the recipes I have come across result in a very hard crust. Finally I found the solution, raw cashew butter, it makes a great flaky crust–this recipe is to die for. This may sound strange but it reminds me of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups! If you like this recipe, you can head on over to www.zazzle.com/hellad and get a beautiful recipe card for your loved one, a great way to support your favorite website while making your family delighted 😉

Crust:

• 3/4 c raw cashew butter
• 1 1/2 c chopped nuts (I use cashews, pecans, walnuts and/or hazelnuts)
• 3 cardamom pods, seeds removed and ground (1/2 t)
• 5-7 (1/2 c) fresh dates, seeded and chopped
• pinch salt

Filling:

• 1 1/2 c pumpkin cooked
• 3 eggs, separated
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 Tblsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 2 tsp ground allspice
• 1 T gelatin (1 pkg knox)
• 1/2 c honey

Method:
For the crust, mix all the ingredients together and press out into a greased pie pan. When pressing the dough into the dish, you will probably need to oil your fingertips to keep the dough from sticking to them. Bake in a slow oven (around 300 degrees) for about 10-15 minutes, until it is nicely browned.

For the filling. I use kobucha squash which is a Japanese winter squash, we seem to do better with these than with pumpkins and butternut squash on the GAPS diet (kind of interesting eh?). Just cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds and roast it in the oven at about 400 degrees for about half an hour. Don’t do what I did and forget it in the oven and set of the fire alarm–although that does make the pulp so nice and soft it easily is mushed into the egg yolks.

Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Add to the yolks the pumpkin, spices and honey and mix well. Heat this mixture over a double boiler stirring all the while until the mixture thickens.

In the meantime bloom the gelatin by putting it in 1/4 c of cold water and letting sit 5 minutes, then add 1/4 c of boiling water and stir it until it dissolves.

When the pumpkin mixture is nice and thick add in the gelatin, mix well and cool (I place it in a tray and put it out in the cold for 20 minutes or so, just be sure to keep stirring it depending on how cold it is out there, the gelatin might start jelling in clumps).

When the mixture is room temperature, whip up the egg whites with a pinch of salt until the are stiff and fluffy, fold into the pumpkin. The egg white should be completely incorporated. Pour the mixture out into your pie crust and chill. Allow to set at least 4 hours in the fridge.

This recipe is part of the GAPS/SCD Holiday recipe collection –check out some of the other fantastic recipes there!