Pumpkin Spice Ice Box Pie

More pumpkin?  Yes.  I have several pumpkin recipes on this site.  I just can’t help it.  Pumpkin is so tasty.  Sweet and starchy and beautifully colored.  I always succumb to the pumpkin spice madness around this time of year. Pumpkin pie will be in order as well as pumpkin bread or cake.  Recently I used pumpkin in a sauce for pizza, SO good.

While perusing my recipe magazines, I found a recipe for a pumpkin-mousse ice box pie in a recent issue of Everyday Food.  The original recipe called for a chocolate cookie crust, but I decided that a spiced cookie crust would be better.  My husband was kind enough to allow me to use the remainder of his favorite spiced wafers for this recipe (he can only find these cookies in and around Pennsylvania, so nice of him).  He loved this pie and I hope you do too.  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Ice Box Pie
Adapted from recipe in Everyday Food, November 2011
Makes 1 pie

Although ice box pies are typically refrigerated, I chose to freeze this pie so it would be more like a frozen dessert.  Refrigerating the pie will result in a fluffy, mousse pie.  Freezing the pie will make it more like an ice cream pie.  Choose what you like best!

Crust Ingredients

20 spiced wafers, such as Sweetzels Spiced Wafers or similar
2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling Ingredients

1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree (from a 15 ounce can)
4 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 cup cold heavy cream

To make crust:  Preheat over to 325 degrees.  Break spiced wafers into smaller pieces and place in a food processor with brown sugar; process until finely ground.  Keeping machine running, slowly add butter and process until mixture begins to combine and resembles wet sand.  Transfer to a 9-inch pie plate and firmly press crumb mixture into bottom and sides of pie plate.  Bake crust until it is dry and set, about 12 minutes.  Cool completely on a wire rack before adding filling.

To make filling:  Combine pumpkin puree, cream cheese, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a food processor and process until smooth, scraping down sides occasionally.  Keeping machine running, add maple syrup in a slow and steady stream.  Pour cream into a large mixing bowl, and using an electric mixer beat cream on high until stiff peaks form.  Gently fold pumpkin mixture into whipped cream.  Spoon filling into crust and refrigerate or freeze until set.

Serve cold and top with whipped cream for added decadence.  Enjoy!