I think Pumpkin pie is underrated. It’s a healthy dessert chock full of vitamin A, Potassium and fiber. But at the same time it’s a slice of delicious, cinnamon, creamy goodness. My Bubby I share a love for pumpkin pie. I wanted to try and create a healthier low cholesterol version so both me and my bubby could enjoy the treat without her having to worry about the high cholesterol or sugar content that most pies have. Thus was born the pumpkin munchkin pie! Sometimes my bubby and I eat them for breakfast with a cup of coffee and schmooze a little while we nosh. I don’t think it should only be relegated solely to Thanksgiving. The bright orange pie always has a place in my fridge. When this dessert is made with egg beaters and no calorie sweetener, the pies are almost- dare I say it? Guilt free indulgences! The no calorie sweetener that I use most often is Truvia. It’s made using the stevia plant, it’s pareve and it has no aftertaste. I just discovered the stuff not too long ago at my local supermarket, and I find that the pleasantly sweet flavor is so close to sugar that I can’t even tell the difference and neither can anyone else who tries my pumpkin muchkin pies. I included a low fat version using egg beaters and no cal sweetener for those counting calories and for those who feel “there ain’t nothin like the real thing” go for the eggs and sugar version! Either way you bake it, Bon Appetite’!
If you’ve lived in the United States for any length of time, chances are, you’ve probably heard or even indulged in some carrot cake or zucchini bread. These quick breads (not truly ‘cakes,’ in the culinary sense, per se) gained wide popularity, particularly in the 1970′s, when the burgeoning health craze began guilting the public into adding extra fruits and vegetables to their standard household treats.
But, for most of these quirky fruit and vegetable cakes, the ’70′s were more of a comeback tour than a debut. The fact is, many of these sorts of desserts were created out of necessity. The earliest carrot cake, for instance, emerged probably in Sweden during medieval times. This was partially due to the lack of refined sugars available, and people just wanted something sweet. Carrots contained the highest natural sugar content of all the crops, aside from the sugar beet, and were used to sweeten the cake. Most likely, a medieval Swedish carrot cake would probably not suit the tastes of the average American today, but the quirky cakes’ next incarnation would.
This recipe is adapted from Dining In Again page 86. I added my pie crust recipe, and sauteed the onions before adding the soup. You don’t have to lattice, but it is breath taking to see!
Crust Ingredients:
2 cups of flour
1 tsp of salt
3/4 cup crisco
4-8 Tbsps ice water (have a glass filled with ice and add some water before you start)
Filling Ingredients:
4 large vidalia onions, chopped
2-3 Tbsps of oil for sauteing
1/2 tsp of salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 can french onion soup (Rokeach brand)
1 egg beaten for the wash on top of lattice.
sesame seeds for on top.
