There's something to be said about me and fall. As soon as the light changes a little bit and (oh, right, I'm in deciduous tree territory again!) the leaves start to get crispy, I make for the pumpkin/apple/spice rack like a rat from a sinking ship. Except the thing about moving constantly for work is that you don't exactly have an abundance of space, or stomachs if it comes to that. Enter the slightly sad, slightly ridiculous, probably not one bit healthier desserts-for-one industry. Now, as someone who for some reason can never get a mug cake to work (Better with ovens than with microwaves? Who knows?), I was duly appreciative of this pumpkin pie for one recipe that came out in
Bustle recently. I happen to have both 5-inch Pyrexes and ramekins in ample supply, so obviously I needed to make one.
Well, sort of....
Some days you make personal pan pumpkin pie 'cause there was a recipe. Except you say fuck that and alter the hell out of the recipe. This is that pie.
Using the ingredients available in my fridge/pantry and my own kick-ass pie crust making skills, I made this instead (note, you may use a blender/mixer, but...why?):
Crust:
6 tbsp flour
2 tbsp butter
approx. 1 tbsp water
pinch of sugar
pinch of cardamom
pinch of sea salt
Filling:
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 tbsp sugar
6 tbsp pumpkin puree
6 tbsp nonfat yogurt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
smithereens from 3 cloves
Preheat oven to 350F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 5-inch ramekin. Mix the flour, sugar, cardamom, and salt together, then cut in butter and work until mixture resembles buttery crumbs. Mix in water a little at a time until dough just comes together. Press into bottom of ramekin, lay ramekin on a baking sheet, toss in oven and bake for about 10 minutes.
Mix together eggs, sugar, pumpkin, yogurt, and spices until a thick, almost smooth liquid forms. Pour into baked crust inside ramekin. Pop back in oven and bake for 45 minutes or until the top just sets.
You may serve this in the ramekin, but if you want to take it out for display like I did, make sure to cool the damn thing thoroughly or else it will fall apart on you. When it seems sufficiently cool, run a small knife around the edges (all the way to the bottom), invert pie onto your hand if you like to live dangerously, and then immediately transfer to a waiting plate. Serve immediately if you like, or chilled, and/or topped with whipped cream or what have you (I have not). If anybody asks, I'll be off in a corner, finishing my pie.
