AIP Pumpkin Pie

There is a specific kind of tired that comes from standing at a holiday table with a plate of raw vegetables while everyone else eats pie. This pie fixes that, and it is worth the 2-day shape it asks you to work in: blind-bake the crust one day, or the morning of, and give the filling its 4 to 6 hours, ideally overnight, to set firm enough to slice cleanly. That is not a flaw in the recipe. It is what actually setting a gelatin-based filling requires, and building the time in ahead of time is what makes it come out right instead of soupy.

Pumpkin is genuinely useful here, not just seasonal decoration. It is a source of beta-carotene, which your body converts into vitamin A, and vitamin A is involved in maintaining the gut lining and in immune regulation, both relevant when autoimmunity is active. Cinnamon and ginger, the pie's warming spices, are studied in some preliminary research for mild anti-inflammatory properties, though the amounts here are far too small to treat as anything but flavor doing a little extra.

Make this the day before if you can, and let the smell of cinnamon and ginger fill the kitchen while the crust blind-bakes. A pie everyone at the table can eat without a caveat is worth setting a place of honor for. Slice it with a clean, wiped blade so each piece comes out whole, and let that small bit of care be part of what you are actually offering people.

Ingredients

Pie crust:

• 1 1/4 cups cassava flour
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon palm shortening, frozen
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon coconut sugar or maple sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon ice cold water

Pie filling:

• 1/2 cup water
• 1.5 tablespoons gelatin (bloomed in the water)
• 2.5 cups pumpkin puree
• 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (see note)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
• 1/4 cup tapioca starch
• Pinch of sea salt

Vanilla note: pure vanilla extract may contain a small amount of alcohol. For strict AIP, substitute an equal amount of vanilla powder or use an alcohol-free vanilla extract.

Method

Make the crust

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

In a large bowl, combine the cassava flour, salt, and coconut sugar. Cut the frozen palm shortening into the flour using a pastry cutter or two knives, working quickly so the shortening stays cold. You want pieces the size of small peas distributed throughout the flour - this is what creates flakiness.

Drizzle in the apple cider vinegar and ice cold water, a tablespoon at a time, and press the mixture together with a fork. Stop adding liquid when the dough just holds together when you press a handful. It should be firm enough to roll without being wet.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly cassava-floured surface and roll it to fit a 9-inch pie dish. Work gently - cassava dough is more fragile than wheat dough. Carefully transfer the rolled crust to the pie dish and press it into the bottom and up the sides. Trim any excess and crimp the edges.

Line the crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Blind-bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the crust is set, dry-looking, and golden at the edges. Remove the weights and parchment and let the crust cool completely before adding the filling.

Make the filling

Pour the 1/2 cup of water into a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the surface. Let it sit without stirring for 5 minutes to bloom.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk together the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, tapioca starch, and pinch of salt. Heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and just begins to bubble - about 5 to 8 minutes.

Remove the saucepan from the heat. Add the bloomed gelatin to the hot pumpkin mixture and whisk until it dissolves completely. The gelatin must be fully incorporated or the pie will not set evenly.

Assemble and set

Pour the warm filling into the cooled crust. Smooth the top with a spatula. Transfer to the refrigerator, uncovered, and chill for at least 4 to 6 hours, or overnight, until the filling is completely firm.

Slice with a sharp knife, wiping the blade between cuts for clean slices. Serve cold or at cool room temperature.

*Adapted from Heal Me Delicious*