Creamy Pumpkin Pie with a Crispy Phyllo Crust and a Crunchy Maple Walnuts … Need I say more?

Well yes actually otherwise this would have been the most boring blog post although it would have been filled with tantalizing, almost Rated R photos of pumpkin pie. No matter what during the holidays a pumpkin pie is a must. Yes there is apple pie and minced meat pie, although I still have absolutely NO IDEA why it is called a minced meat pie. When my boyfriend first told me he wanted me to make a minced meat pie for Christmas one year I thought that he meant one of those Aussie pies made of puff pastry and ground beef that you usually top with ketchup. Needless to say there was a lot of confusion on my part when he told me that it was actually a desert pie made with raisins, figs, apples and rum. Complete confusion. There is also sweet potato pie but I have never tried it so therefore I can not judge.

So of course as Thanksgiving Part 1 – Canadian rolled around this year I wanted to try something different, and the fact that I had a huge roll of phyllo dough burning a hole in my fridge played a small little part in it.

Here are a few ways I made this pie even better:

The Phyllo Dough: Sometimes you just need a break from the regular pie crust. I think that phyllo dough is under-utilized. Yes, it is fantastic in baklava and spanakopita but there are so many other uses for it and works perfectly in this recipe.

Maple Syrup Roasted Walnuts: First off, being the stereotypical Canadian that I am, I like to add maple syrup to things. No, not Aunt Jamima, delicious real maple syrup. Bacon, Ham, Ice Cream and Walnuts, just to name a few. Having an added crunch on top of this creamy pie as well as layered in between the phyllo dough adds something to cut all the creaminess. I am always disappointed when there is not enough crust to pie ratio so adding multiple layers of phyllo and these crispy walnuts adds the perfect touch.

Egg Whites: Now this is what gives the pie the feeling as if you are eating light fluffy clouds. I have never done this with pumpkin pie before but it works so well with pancakes it just makes sense. Well, needless to say this is the only way that I will ever make pumpkin pie again.

I see a lot of recipes out there that state “The only _________ recipe you will ever need!” Now that is a pretty bold statement to make, but I feel like I have come pretty close with this one. You can be the judge on that one.

When Thanksgiving Part 2 – American rolls around in a few weeks this will be hitting the table once again.

Yes I celebrate both Canadian and American Thanksgiving. Any excuse to make a ridiculously amazing turkey feast paired with a bit too much wine and then ending it all with sometimes multiple pies, vowing to yourself you aren’t eating for the next few days, going immediately into a food coma and sleeping for too long only to wake up and make yourself the most ridiculously large leftover sandwich, and going back to bed. Ok, it might not be that crazy, but there defiantly some over indulgence. So not only do I get to have an October thanksgiving and a December Christmas dinner, I have added the American November thanksgiving in as well because why not.

So next holiday event or anytime you feel like a delicious pumpkin pie, take an hour and a half out of your day to make your own (Preferably this one) and at the end of the meal, don’t forget to save room for desert.

P.S – I ate too much this thanksgiving and could not have a piece of pie, we had to have one the next day.