White Pumpkin Pie with Cinnamon Pretzel Crust

It's been pumpkin time for quite a while now. It seems it begins each year just a little earlier than the year before. I love pumpkin. I really, really do. That being said, you can most definitely have too much of a good thing. Enter the white pumpkin.

With Thanksgiving coming up, I'm in the throes of menu planning and shopping, and this year as I looked at the uncarved white pumpkin on my porch, I thought, "Why not?" It turns out you can make a pumpkin pie from just about any pumpkin you can purchase, including the white variety.

The flavor is milder and sweeter than that of a traditional orange pumpkin, and so surprisingly different that I've had requests to make this one for Thanksgiving Day. I am more than happy to oblige! This pumpkin variety is so sweet in fact, I am using sweetened condensed milk and no sugar. This changes the usual baking time, so read carefully! Please taste your pumpkin puree to decide whether or not you want to add sugar. Add sugar to the puree first and check before making the filling.

Now, you don't run to the store and simply pull white pumpkin puree from the shelf, you make it in the usual way. You can find instructions for that here: Which Pumpkin?  All pumpkins are edible, but some are more tasy than others. Follow the general rules for which pumpkin to cook, and you'll be fine.

On to that crust! I was greeted one day in my local Giant food store's vestibule by a bag of UTZ Holiday Cinnamon Pretzel Sticks. I love these things. They are very mild in flavor and lightly sweet, but with all the delicious crunch of the usual UTZ pretzel. On their own, they are lovely, but as a pie crust? A whole new dimension of texture an flavor. I though this would pair well with the white pumpkin, and I was right. If you are not able to find these, you can use any pretzel for the crust.


White Pumpkin Pie with Cinnamon Pretzel Crust
Makes one 9-inch pie

Crust:
1 1/2 cups finely crushed UTZ Holiday Cinnamon Pretzel Sticks
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter - melted
1/2 cup brown sugar

Pie Filling:

2 cups white pumpkin puree
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk!)
2 large eggs
1/2 to 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (this is to your liking)

Directions:

For the crust:

1. Combine all ingredients and mix well. Press into the bottom and sides of a well-greased 9-inch pie plate. Set aside.

For the Filling:

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Blend all ingredients until smooth.
3, Pour into prepared crust.
4. Bake for 15 minutes then reduce heat to 350 and bake for an additional 30 minutes or until pie does not jiggle when touched.
5. Cool for 1 hour then refrigerate before serving.