I Don't Like Pie!

There. I've said it, loud and clear, for all the world to hear. I sincerely do not like pie.



That's not to say that I've never eaten pie, or that I won't ever eat pie again. There is one part of the pie that's quite good: the inside. The outside is yukky. That's correct: I don't like crust. I don't like it thick, or thin; flaky or doughy; homemade or frozen. I don't like it with butter, or oil, or shortening. I just don't like it.



I like the insides, usually. I love baked apples and cherries. And blueberries! I love the inside of pecan pie, even though I'm not sure exactly what the gooey stuff is. Key lime pie isn't bad. Overall, I'll pass on coconut cream, or any of the pudding fillings. And, I'm sorry to to say, that does include pumpkin.



I'll give you that there's nothing like the smell of pumpkin pie and spices wafting out of the oven. Makes my mouth water just thinking about it! But then, I take a bite, and it's all pudding-y and crusty and it's just not my thing. Pumpkin bread: yes! Pumpkin cookies: absolutely! Pumpkin pie: I'll pass.



I realize that I am an anomaly, both in my family and probably, in my country. So, concessions must be made. I will share with you two ways I wriggle around the pie requirements.



First off is the Impossible Pumpkin Pie. (Thanks for the link, Karen!!) This comes to you courtesy of Susan Voisin of the Fatfree Vegan Blog, at http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/ Okay, remember those "impossible pies" from the Bisquick mix boxes? Like, "impossible cheeseburger pie"? Where you mix up a bunch of stuff, pour it into a pan, and it automatically makes its own crust? Yes, it's like that, and it's really that easy. You just put some stuff into a blender, blend it, pour it into the pie plate and bake it. There are no weird ingredients or anything. Does it taste good? I don't know. Have you forgotten already? I don't like pie! Here's the one I made yesterday, and today, it's gone, so I guess the four pie-eaters in the house think it tastes pretty good!




If you want to try it yourself, here is the link to the recipes and some lovely pictures on Susan's blog: http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2006/10/and-answer-is.html You should really spend some time browsing around there, for delicious recipes and beautiful photographs.


The big question is always: What about Thanksgiving? It's almost illegal NOT to have some kind of pie on Thanksgiving, right? I solve this problem by making Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie. First of all, it has a graham cracker crust. I don't love it, but it's not bad. You can make your own or buy one pre-made; makes no difference to me. The filling is just pumpkin, any kind of vanilla ice cream (made with rice milk, or soy milk, or cow's milk), brown sugar and spices. Incredibly easy, perfect to make ahead of time, and even I will eat it! Here's the recipe, if you want to give it a try:

Pumpkin Ice Cream Pie

• 1 C canned pumpkin puree
• 1/2 C brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 quart vanilla ice cream
• 1 9" graham cracker pie crust

Combine first 4 ingredients. Mix until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the slightly softened ice cream. Pour into pie crust. Freeze 4-6 hours or until firm. Garnish with chopped pecans and whipped cream.

One final note: The rest of my family likes it topped with whipped cream, but not me. You see, I don't like whipped cream! But, that's a topic for another time:-)