In college, I would come home during the holidays and spend most of my time in the kitchen with my Grandma Shirley. We would make pumpkin pies with her pie leaf cutouts (which I now have) and spend the afternoon decorating each one. She's since passed away, but each year when Thanksgiving rolls around, I always think of her and how fortunate I am for the time we spent together. This year, I figured I would give you this recipe for an elevated spin on a classic! This recipe, inspired by Carmen Perr, combines pumpkin pie flavors with a sweet-salty twist that everyone is sure to enjoy. You can make the crust and filling up to two days in advance, and quickly assemble and bake right before guests arrive!

Ingredients: 

Pretzel Crust:

1 ½ cups finely ground pretzel crumbs (about 4 cups whole pretzels before processing)

¼ cup brown sugar

½ cup unsalted butter, melted

Filling:1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree 

¾ cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 cup heavy cream

Topping:

½ cup caramel sauce (store bought or homemade)

Flaky sea salt for finishing

Preheat the oven to 350. Pulse your pretzels in a food processor until finely ground. Transfer to a bowl and add in your sugar and melted butter until evenly coated. 

Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of a 9 inch pie plate. Bake for 10 minutes until lightly golden and fragrant. Cool down the crust on a wire rack for about 20-30 minutes before adding the filling. This will help it to stay crisp once it is filled.

In a large bowl, whisk together your pumpkin puree, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt until smooth. Whisk in the eggs one at a time and then stir in the heavy cream until fully combined. 

Pour in the pumpkin filling into the cooled crust and smooth the top out. 

Bake for 60-70 minutes at 350. The pie is ready when the edges are set and the center jiggles slightly.

You can make your own caramel sauce, but I bought a jar as a bit of a shortcut to this recipe. Heat your caramel sauce for about 10 seconds in the microwave to warm and drizzle over the top with some pinches of flaky sea salt. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream! 

Next week will be my turkey soup recipe, which will tell you exactly what to do with all those Thanksgiving day leftovers. I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday!