You don't have to be American or wait for Thanksgiving to enjoy this delicious low glycemic treat. After all it is pumpkin season and this dessert will cheer you up during those dark, wet and windy days!
Made using our Palmyra Blossom Nectar, the best natural and healthy substitute for refined sugar! With a GI of 35 it won't spike your insulin levels in the same way as regular sugar does.
It's a light creamy delight offering an irresistible crunchy, almond and chocolate base, followed by a delightful but mild spice and butterscotch whipped mousse centre. You might find yourself reaching for seconds!
INGREDIENTS
(Serves 6-8)
Tart Filling
- 300g cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp Sugavida Palmyra Blossom Nectar
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (see notes below)
- 1½ tsp pumpkin pie spice (see notes below), plus more for sprinkling
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract, or one vanilla pod deseeded
- 1 cup double cream, divided
Chocolate Pie Crust
- 3/4 cup raw organic almonds
- 1/4 cup organic coconut flour
- 1/4 cup Sugavida Palmyra Blossom Nectar
- 1/4 cup organic cocoa powder
- 1/8 tsp Celtic sea salt
- 2 Tbsp organic butter, softened
- 1 Tbsp filtered cold water
METHOD
Chocolate Pie Crust
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Place the almonds, coconut flour, sweetener, cocoa powder, and salt into a food processor with a metal blade.
- Pulse until the almonds are medium-fine, not to a powder, you still want to see bits of the almonds.
- Add the butter and pulse until the mixture starts to clump, 6 to 8 pulses should do the trick.
- Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of filtered cold water over the mixture and pulse a few more times until it mixes together to form a dough. If it doesn't form a dough, remove it from the bowl and form with your clean hands.
- Sprinkle the table top with a light sprinkling of almond or coconut flour and form the dough into a ball. Roll out to fit a 9-inch springform cake pan. If you don't get the size exact don't worry, place it in the cake pan and press the crust evenly outward working it up the sides a little. The crust should be about 1/4 inch thick.
- Bake in the oven on the middle rack for approx.18 to 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Tart Filling
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese and all the Sugavida Palmyra Blossom Nectar.
- Beat on low speed for 2 minutes.
- Add the pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla or 3/4 of the pod seeds.
- Beat on low speed until mixed through, scraping down the sides of the bowl as you go for approx.1 minute.
- Add 1/2 cup of the double cream. Beat just until incorporated and fluffy, approx. 2 minutes. Do not overbeat.
- Spoon the pumpkin mousse into the prepared tart crust, smooth it out evenly with a spatula, cover with cling film and chill for 1 hour.
- Make the cream topping - In a clean bowl of your mixer, attach the whisk and, whip the remaining 1/2 cup of double cream, plus 1/2 teaspoon vanilla until soft peaks form. Do not over beat.
- Spoon the whipped cream into a piping bag and chill for 30 minutes in the fridge.
- Gently remove the pie from the spring form tin.
- Pipe around the edge of the cake using the chilled piping bag and finish with a sprinkle of pumpkin spice. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving and enjoying!
NOTES
1. Pumpkin Puree- To make home-made pumpkin puree it's super simple and you can freeze whatever you don't need now, for soups and other delicious desserts.
- Take a medium sized pumpkin, deseed it, slice into edges so they fit into a large baking tray.
- Bake in the oven for approx. 45 minutes on 190 degrees celcius or until each piece is fork-tender.
- Peel off the skin from the pumpkin pieces discarding the skin as you go. Add the cooked flesh to your food processor (you will need to do this in batches) or use a potato masher.
- Pulse / mash the pumpkin until smooth.
- Stand until cool.
- If the puree is watery, strain it with a mesh strainer.
- 3 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp nutmeg
- 1 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cloves (optional)
Mix all the ingredients together and store in a glass jar until needed.
