Pumpkin Pie, Ginger High, Meringue in Your Eye, Oh My

There are so many dreamy pumpkin pies on the web that it’s torture picking just a few for my Pumpkin Pies To Try This Holiday Season list. You’re probably facing the same dilemma–so here’s a little help.

To narrow the selection process, I decided to check out pumpkin pie offerings from some of the awesome food bloggers in my own hood–wonderful, weird Portland, Oregon. Luckily, I didn’t need to go further afield than a Facebook group I belong to–PDX Food Bloggers.

But before we jump into five fabulous Portland Pumpkin Pies, be sure to review my tips and tricks for the best pie crust ever: Quick & Easy, Flaky, All Butter, Short-Crust Pastry. The crust can make or break the pie.

Five Fabulous Pumpkin Pies from Portland Food Bloggers

Okay, the first blogger is from Manzanita, not Portland, but a lot of Portlanders have a cottage at the beach–or wish they did.

Pumpkin Streusel Pie to Knock Your Socks Off

Created by Dana Zia of Go Lightly Gourmet

The name of this gorgeous pumpkin pie says it all. Better just go ahead and remove your socks before you take it out of the oven. Dana Zia of the Go Lightly Gourmet foodblog gets pumpkin pie and how to have folks lining up for seconds. It’s all about textural contrast. So she loads the top of this creamy custard pie with a super crunchy pecan and candied ginger streusel. Did I mention that the whipped cream topping is flavored with ginger? Seriously, I want to jump in the page and dig in.

Maple Cream Pumpkin Pie with Buttery Gingersnap Crust

Created by Kristina Sloggett of Spabettie

Do you know about pumpkin’s special flavor affinity with maple syrup? No? It’s true. Maple syrup just seems to make pumpkin taste, well, more pumpkiny. So it makes sense to add a little maple syrup to your pumpkin pie custard base. That’s exactly what Kristina Sloggett of the spabettie foodblog did in this wonderful new pie. And she somehow also managed to make the pie dairy, egg, and gluten free.

Sweet Potato Pie with Marshmallow Meringue

Created by Cathy Kaymark Pollack of Noble Pig

Ahhh, sweet potato pie– the other pumpkin pie. Such a lush, creamy texture. One of my absolute favorites. But Cathy Pollak’s sweet potato pie gilds the lily considerably with the addition of a marshmallow crème meringue. Seriously, who can resist this, even after double helpings of turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing? Not me.

My Imperfect Pumpkin Pie

Created by Madey Edlin of Madey Edlin

I have no idea why Madey Edlin calls this her “imperfect” pumpkin pie. It looks pretty darned perfect to me. While this pie falls in the classic category, Madey does a few things that make it extra special. She calls these her “secrets.” So you’re going to have to head on over to her blog to find out what they are. You’ll be glad you did.

Triple Ginger Pumpkin Pie

Created by Renée Butcher of  The Good Hearted Woman.

Now here’s a pumpkin pie that goes all out with the ginger. Not just a little but ALL THE WAY. My kind of pie! It’s in the crust (crystallized and powdered) and the filling (fresh and crystallized). Ginger POW! Honestly, this is going to wow everyone you know. Plus Renée Butcher gives a groovy little tip on how to mince that pesky, sticky candied ginger. I seriously needed that.

More LunaCafe Dreamy Pumpkin Pies & Cheesecakes

• Dreamy, Creamy, No-Bake Pumpkin Butter Cheesecake
• Perfect Classic Pumpkin Pie + 10 Uncommon Variations
• Pumpkin Sour Cream Pie with Caramel Walnut Topping
• Pumpkin Spice & White Chocolate Cheesecake
• Sweet Potato Pie Perfecto Mundo

Copyright 2013 Susan S. Bradley. All rights reserved.