Growing up, I never ate pumpkin things because they are not popular in Peru. We have some kind of squash but I don’t think it has the same taste as pumpkin, we never use it for desserts. The first time I tried pumpkin pie was about 10 years ago, I was told to bring dessert to a Thanksgiving family gathering with my husband’s family (my boyfriend back then and I was here visiting), so I asked him what kind of dessert I should make, he said pumpkin pie (of course lol), I looked online, found a couple of recipes and I made the crust and filling. When I got to taste it, for me it was ok. I tried other pumpkin pies over the years but I never really liked the texture so much. I love pumpkin and I bake with pumpkin a lot, but there is something about the pie that is a no no for me. This is why I always offer to bring cheesecake instead! I love love pumpkin cheesecake!

This year, I wanted to come up with a new pie, something that works for Thanksgiving and Christmas, I thought cranberry was a good option! Then, I saw a Limoncello bottle that I used a couple of months ago for another recipe, so I incorporated a few tablespoons of Limoncello and omg it tasted so good! The crust is a gingersnap-walnut crust! Give this a try! Always remember to make the pie at least the night before Thanksgiving so the filling sets nicely.

Here is a pic of me with my first pumpkin piel. I look so young!! It’s been 10 years! wow! Anyway, hope you have a great Thanksgiving week, enjoy your time with family and friends! I’ll try to post another recipe here, but it’s going to be a busy week. If you want to know about my Thanksgiving week, don’t forget to follow me on Instagram!

Also, I will be doing a GIVEAWAY next week! Just for people who follows me on Instagram! @Pastry_Tales

Let’s start with the recipe!

Ingredients

For the crust

8 ounces gingersnaps

1 cup walnuts

4 tablespoons  brown sugar

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the filling

16 oz fresh cranbberies

1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons  water

1 14 oz sweetened condensed milk (La Lechera)

juice of 1 lemon

1/4 cup limoncello

4 large egg yolks

Instructions

For the crust

1.-  Preheat oven 350 F.

2.- Put gingersnaps, walnuts and sugar in a food processor and blend it until everything is finely ground. Put this mixture in a bowl.

3.- Add the butter to the gingersnap mixture and stir to combine.

4.- Pat the crust into a 9 or 9.5  inch pie plate, and up the sides. Bake for 12 minutes. Set aside to cool.

For the filling

1.- In a pan, bring cranberries and water to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium and cook for about 10 minutes until berries have burst and are tender. Let it cool for about 20 minutes.

2.- Put the cranberries in a blender and mix until smooth. Strain mixture through sieve.

3.- Transfer puree to a bowl and whisk in condensed milk, lemon juice and limoncello. Add egg yolks and mix well.

4.-Pour the filling into cooled crust and bake it  for 25-28 minutes or until the custard is set. Let it cool and then chill overnight.

Before cutting, you can decorate your pie with frosted cranberries. 

You’ll need 1/2 fresh cups cranberries, 1/2 cup of maple syrup and 1/2  cup white granulated sugar.

1.- Rinse some cranberries and sort to discard any that may be discolored. Put them into a small bowl.
2.- Heat maple syrup in the microwave just until warm. If it is too hot, the berries may pop.
3.-Pour over the cranberries and gently toss. Let them soak overnight in the fridge. Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap.
4.-Drain all the extra syrup with a colander .
5.-Sprinkle granulated sugar on a baking sheet, and gently roll the cranberries, a few at a time, until coated.
6.- Let them dry until you are ready to decorate your pie.

Enjoy!