Lean Recipe: Fit Pumpkin Pie

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This pie beats traditional pie in many ways. It's sugar-free, hydrogenated oil-free, aluminum-free, and high in protein. It also has more richness of taste, if you splurge and use hazelnut or amaranth flour. If you are adept with the normal pie-making, you might want to use fresh pumpkin instead of canned.

You may not find these exact sizes for the wet ingredients. Adjust as needed.

Instructions for the day before baking

Prepare the pie dishes. You can do this the day before.

1. Smear a very heavy film of organic butter on the inside bottom, inside sides, and rim.
2. Put these in the refrigerator. If your refrigerator doesn't have a pie drawer, cover these with something suitable that will also work once the pies are baked.

Evaporate the milk

1. Use a small saucepan.
2. Fill a measuring cup with 10 oz of water. Pour this into the pan. Note the depth (e.g., measure from the top of the pan to the surface of the water).
3. Dump out the water, dry the pan.
4. Blenderize the milk to mix in the cream. Pour 14 oz of milk into the pan.
5. Simmer on low heat, stirring every five minutes or so, until the milk has evaporated to the previously measured depth. If you overshot, add milk.
6. Take the milk off the burner, let it cool for a few minutes. Stir it, then pour into a glass container with a lid and put it in the refrigerator.

Make your own baking powder if you have not already done so:

1. To a bowl, add two scoops of cream of tartar
2. Add a scoop of baking soda
3. Add a scoop of starch (e.g., potato starch) to make it double-acting.

You can use any size scoop, what's important is to keep the proportions such that half the mix is cream of tartar

Also, put two coffee cups into the freezer so they are cold when you go to make the crust.

Instructions for the day of baking

Turn the oven on so it preheats to its default temperature, which is usually 350 DegrF. This helps get the temperature up and uniform within the oven.

Make the two pie crusts, one after the other:

1. Fill each coffee cup with water, drop in an ice cube, and set them in the refrigerator.
2. Mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, stevia, and protein powder with a whip.
3. Add the 1/4 cup of oil. Add the vanilla extract.
4. Using a heavy mixing spoon, stir ingredients while slowly adding the chilled water.
5. Add just enough water to form a thick ball of dough. You may need to add more than 3/4 cup to achieve this, but don't overdo it or you'll ruin the dough.
6. Purists roll the dough out with a rolling pin and take additional steps normally used in making a pie crust. If you don't have a lot of time, these are optional.
7. Press the dough into the pie pan, making a shell that lines the pan. Use the edge of your hand, and you can make a uniform shape pretty easily. I like to use a spoon, as it's even easier.
8. Pro tip: Once you have a rough shape in the pan, add maybe 1/4 tsp of water on the surface of the crust. This makes it much easier to work with and you get only a thin layer soupy.
9. Let the pies crusts sit in the refrigerator while you make the filling.

Next, preheat the oven to 425 DegrF.

Then, make the filling:

1. Take the evaporated milk out of the refrigerator and use a stick blender to get the cream particles into suspension.
2. Empty one can of pumpkin into the bowl.
3. Add some of the milk, and mix.
4. Break the four eggs and whip them, then add to the mix.
5. Go back and forth between adding the spices and more milk.
6. Once the milk is used up and the spices are blended in, add the other can of pumpkin.
7. Blend it all very well, using the stick blender. Because the milk is not homogenized, the fat particles are large. You need to mix them in.

Now, pull out the pumpkin pie shells and ladle the filling into each. Use a rubber spatula to get the "splash" off the bowl and remix it in with the ladle; ideally, you will get almost every drop of filling into the pie crusts this way. Once this is done, the pies are ready for the oven:

1. Bake at 425 DegrF for 15 minutes.
2. Reduce the temperature setting to 350 DegrF, and open the oven door briefly to reduce the temperature (30 seconds should do it).
3. Bake for 42 minutes.
4. You should now have a nicely browned crust and a firm filling.
5. At this point, you want to test the filling to see if a knife inserted into it comes out clean. If not, bake for another 5 minutes and try again. Repeat this process only one more time, if pie isn't done. With my method, the knife has always come out clean on the first attempt. So you can skip this step if you want.
6. Pull the pies out of the oven.
7. Cool the pies 2 hours (set a timer so you don't forget), then refrigerate.

Before serving, you might want to create a variation by sprinkling cinnamon directly onto the pie surface and/or sprinkling with walnut pieces. Do not use whip cream, as that is toxic and undermines what you just spent all that time (and money) doing. You can try an organic creamer. Another option is organic (not heat processed) honey. Or just have it plain.

Notes:

• Remember, this is a healthy pie. It contains no processed sugar, corn syrup, wheat flour, hydrogenated oil, or seed oil. Don't spoil it by putting whipping cream on top of it. The pie is good just the way it is. The taste of good food doesn't need to be disguised with sugar or hydrogenated oil. That defeats the purpose of making it this way in the first place.
• As we are in the "health" mode here, canola oil and other low smokepoint seed oils are not acceptable. Peanut oil is a healthy choice, but you don't want peanut flavor in your pumpkin pie crust.
• If you really want whip cream, then make your own from scratch. Most ready-made whipping cream contains ingredients that are not fit for human consumption.
• The traditional pumpkin pie recipe calls for Crisco shortening, which is hydrogenated cottonseed oil (originally used to make candles). It's a known carcinogen with an extremely high correlation to colon cancer. Butter is a far safer alternative (though you should use it sparingly because it's calorie-dense). By using a non-toxic oil, you aren't going to get the same flaky crust as with Crisco, but you aren't going to get the same flaky colon cancer, either.
• This pie recipe will produce a great pie. You will enjoy the taste, and your body will enjoy being treated with respect.

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