Espresso Pumpkin Pie: Home Blog With Friends

Today’s post is the next in our series of Blog With Friends themed collaborations. Each month a group of bloggers get together and each publish a project based on a theme. What I love about his partnership is that it's not bloggers with similar interests or strengths but a diverse group coming up with a variety of posts. Mine always includes a recipe.

This month's theme is Home.

 

 

I made Espresso Pumpkin Pie.

Espresso Pumpkin Pie

 

Home, of course, is not just the house you live in. We've all heard the sayings "home is where the heart is," and "love makes a house a home," "home is wherever you are." They're all true sentiments, of course, about the value we place on being with the ones we love. That's changed, though, in this past difficult and chaotic year. And it makes this time of year, the holidays in general and Thanksgiving in particular, very different. Challenging. 

My house is still a home, but now less by physical presence and so much more because of the memories it holds. I'm infinitely grateful to have my older son local, but my younger son hadn't been here in a year. I've kept him here through calls and texts and PMs and zoom. I've kept him here by telling him about new recipes I create that he would love, and by talking about the time when his empty chair at the kitchen table will once again have him in it, when four will laugh at the dinner table instead of three.

It's ironic that Thanksgiving is the time I most want him here, want to see him and hug him and yes, cook for him. The irony? He hates turkey {{sigh}}. Fortunately, he's a pumpkin lover and around my house, it's not Thanksgiving without Cinnamon Cranraisin Pumpkin Bread on the table, and a pumpkin dessert is always one of the options.

 

I didn't buy him a plane ticket because, at the point when we'd have had to purchase it, we both felt it wasn't safe for him to fly. He'd been talking about driving, but I hate the thought of him being on the road for an entire day alone, through some very rural areas at a time of year when the weather is an issue. I miss him more than I can say, but his safety comes first. 

I came up with today's recipe, Espresso Pumpkin Pie, for him because he not only loves pumpkin, but he's a coffee lover too. At the time that I developed this recipe, I had hoped that he would somehow be here the next time I make it. 

 

And:

Somehow the stars aligned. Through a series of circumstances, brought about by both luck and planning, the recipe I had developed for him with so much hope, will now be served to him with deep gratitude. Well, if I ever stop hugging him long enough to bake.

I hope you try it too (the pie part, not the hugging my son part). 

 

Start by pulling together just a few ingredients:

 

 

Making the crust takes only 4 ingredients:

 

 

 

The filling can be whisked together in just one bowl:

 

 

Pour into the crust:

Partially bake, then sprinkle with the topping:

Finish baking:

 

Cool, slice and serve:

 

As always, any time you make one of my recipes, feel free to post a picture of it to my Baking In A Tornado Facebook Page. I'd love to see it!

Be sure to visit all of this month's other Blog With Friends projects:

 

 

 

 

 

Tamara of Part-time Working Hockey Mom shares Home is . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

P.J. of A 'lil HooHaa shares Home

Espresso Pumpkin Pie

                                                                          ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Espresso baking chips

1 1/2 tsp instant coffee granules

 

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

3 TBSP butter, melted

2 TBSP sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 15 oz can pumpkin puree

1 cup pumpkin spice coffee creamer

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup plus 2 TBSP brown sugar, divided

2 eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon 

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

 

Directions:

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10 inch pie dish.

*In a food processor or a clean coffee grinder, grind the espresso baking chips and instant coffee granules together. Set aside.

*Mix together the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, 2 TBSP sugar and 1/4 tsp cinnamon. Press into and partially up the sides of the pie dish.

*Whisk together the pumpkin puree, creamer, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup of the brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Whisk in 1/3 cup of the espresso baking chips/coffee mixture. Pour into the crust. Bake for 45 minutes.

*While the pie is baking, whisk together the remaining 2 TBSP of brown sugar and the remaining espresso baking chips/coffee mixture.

*After 45 minutes, remove pie from the oven but leave the oven on. Sprinkle the pie with the majority of the brown sugar/espresso baking chips/coffee mixture and return to the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until the center is set.

*Allow to cool to room temperature, then move to refrigerator to cool completely. Store, covered, in the refrigerator.  

*OPT: Serve sprinkling the slices with the remaining brown sugar/coffee mixture.