No Bake Pumpkin Pie

No Bake Pumpkin Pie

This recipe makes 6 to 8 servings.


Equipment:

• A removable non-stick flan pan
• A medium sized unused freezer bag
• A heavy saucepan

Just Add	Part 1: Prepare Crumb Crust
• 6 oz/180 gm unsalted butter • 3 1/2 oz/ 100 gm Graham Crackers	Crush Crackers • Place the crackers into a clean, unused medium sized freezer bag. Tie it loosely, after expelling as much air as you can, so that there's ample room for the volume to increase when the crackers are crushed • Use the base of a heavy saucepan and crush the bagged crackers • Keep crushing, moving the contents around till they are finely and evenly crushed Add Butter • Melt the butter in a roomy saucepan • Tip in all the finely crushed crumbs • Take the pan off the heat, and combine the crumbs and melted butter. Combine well so that all the crumbs are coated with butter Line The Pan • Spoon all the buttered crumbs into the flan pan • Using clean fingers, press the crumbs firmly into the base and walls of the pan. Take care to firmly condense the crumbs to make a dense base • Pop it in the freezer to set while you attend to the next part of the recipe
Just Add	Part 2: Prepare Fresh Pumpkin
• 2 pounds/1kg fresh pumpkin • 2 tablespoons sugar • water	Trim, De-Seed, Dice • Remove the pumpkin skin. This is more easily done, by cutting the fruit into manageable quarters or halves, depending on the size of the fruit, then slice off the skin • Remove all the seeds • Rinse the chunks of pumpkin, then with a clean knife and clean chopping board, dice into smaller chunks. There's no need to cut them into evenly sized pieces as the fruit will be pureed Cook • Pop the pieces into a roomy saucepan • Add sugar • Pour in water to about 3/4 of the level of the fruit in the pan • Bring to rapid boil and boil till the fruit is very tender • Pumpkin just sucks up liquid, so watch the pan so that it does not boil dry. But we don't want to add too much water, either as then the pumpkin flavor and sugar is wasted when discarded • When very soft, drain away all excess liquid, using a colander
Just Add	Part 3: Make Pumpkin Pie Filling
• 7 oz/200 gm sweetened condensed milk • 1 packet of jelly crystals • 1/2 cup boiling water • 8 oz/ 250 gm cream cheese • 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp nutmeg	Make Jelly • Tip the jelly crystals into a container • Pour in hot water • Mix till all the crystals are dissolved Make Filling • Into a mixing bowl, pour in the condensed milk • Add in pumpkin and stir well to combine • Then add the cream cheese and jelly • Mix thoroughly till it is a smooth mixture, with the cream cheese well combined and no longer lumpy
Just Add	Part 4: Fill Crumb Crust
• The chilled crumb crust • The prepared pie filling	• Spoon the filling into the chilled crumb crust • Use a flat knife to spread the filling around evenly. It looks better with a rough swirly top rather than perfectly smooth • Leave in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours to set

Remove the wall of the removable flan pan and slide the base with the pie sitting on it, onto a lovely serving platter.

See in the image, the dark plate in the center of the platter. That's the base of the removable flan pan. Take care to protect it by cutting the no bake pumpkin pie with a blunt or butter knife.



Enjoy this lovely light no bake pumpkin pie.

Top with whipped cream or ice cream as you wish.


Tips

Don't minimize the fat by reducing the amount of butter. It's needed to hold the crumbs together.

Likewise do not substitute butter for a vegetable oil.

However, as a small concession to our health, I do use low fat cream cheese!