Winter Spice

Winter spices are amazing. They are strong and warm and wonderful. 

My rice milk worked perfectly in my pumpkin pie! 

The winter spices came through much more than with the rice dream I used last time. And I used local maple syrup, literally made right down the road from my sister's farmhouse. 

I also used this syrup to make Paul's maple candy for his stocking for Christmas. 

So now to the good stuff. 

My homemade rice milk test pumpkin pie! 

I made a pie crust. It is by no means healthy in anyway. Shortening, salt, and all purpose flour. 

Stir in a bowl, 

1 1/4 cups flour

1/2 tea salt, 1/2 tea cinnamon, 1/2 tea nutmeg. 

With a pastry blender, cut in 1/2 cup shortening. I still use 2 butter knives because I don't have a pastry blender, until the pieces are pea sized.

Stir in 1/4 cup ice water, I use a fork, just until you can make a dough ball. 

I smooshed my crust into the pan. It's hard to roll a shortening pie crust that isn't super cold. But cleaner on the counter too! Ice water, refrigerated shortening and refrigerating the dough in plastic wrap (and letting it warm up a little when redy to use) can help make it easier to roll, but as this is a one crust test pie, I wasn't concerned. 

Heat oven to 425*

Mix pie filling in a bowl. 

2 slightly beaten eggs

1 cup rice milk

1 can pumpkin

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 tea cinnamon 

1/2 tea ginger

1/2 tea nutmeg

1/2 tea allspice 

1/2 tea salt

Just stir it all together and put it in the pie crust. 

Bake at 425* for 15 min. 

Reduce heat to 350* this is the time to cover the outside crust so it doesn't get too brown. 

Continue to bake for 50-60 min until knife inserted in center comes out clean. 

Cool completely and store covered in the refrigerator. 

At Christmas time we also made winter spice infused bourbon. 

Cinnamon

Vanilla bean

Brown sugar simple syrup

Cloves

Rosemary

Ginger

A sweet, spicy punch of holiday cheer. Winter is indeed coming! 

What's next? Valentine's Day shenanigans.