Non-Dairy (Parve) Pumpkin Pie
I suppose at this point you are asking yourself, "Self, why would I EVER want to make a non-dairy pumpkin pie?" Well, the clue should come from the other word in the recipe title, "parve". According to kashrut, the Jewish dietary laws, a person must wait a specified amount of time after eating meat before consuming anything dairy. The amount of time varies according to custom, but is generally between 3 and 6 hours. Something parve is neither meat nor dairy.
Naturally, Thanksgiving dinner wouldn't be the same without either the turkey or the pumpkin pie, so you have a choice: Either the turkey has to be "non-meat" or the pie has to be "non-dairy". In my mind, the choice is clear.
I made this pie for Thanksgiving dinner this year, and it turned out reasonably well. It's a little heavier and less creamy than regular pumpkin pie, and the spices are a little overzealous. Next year, I'm considering the addition of a small amount of non-dairy creamer and a little less cloves.
3 cups canned pumpkin
4 eggs
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup margarine, melted
1 9-inch kosher parve pie crust
Combine the sugar, salt, and spices with the pumpkin. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with the melted margarine. Combine the beaten eggs with the pumpkin mixture and pour into the pie crust. Bake at 450F for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350F and bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until a fork comes out clean and the pie is brown on top.