Ginger-Hazelnut Pumpkin Tart

'Tis the season, so here's another delicious vegan pie to make sure you aren't left empty-handed at the dessert table. For the sake of time, skip the homemade crust for this one. The original recipe called for 1/2 of a 15-ounce package of refrigerated pie dough from Pillsbury. Since Pillsbury's pie dough isn't vegan though, try the pre-made pie shells from Wholly Wholesome (I prefer the whole wheat variety). They come two (7 ounce) crusts to a package, and are vegan - http://whollywholesome.com/ Use one crust for this recipe now and put the other back in the freezer for later in the holiday season!

Thaw the pie crust just long enough so that you can prick it with a fork along the bottom and edges (about 10-15 minutes). Prick all around, then bake the empty crust in the oven for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Cool on a wire rack. (This pre-baking step ensures a crispier finished product).

In a blender or food processor, combine 2/3 cup raw sugar, 1/2 cup crumbled silken tofu (in place of ricotta cheese), 1/2 cup plain soy milk (such as Silk), 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, 1/4 tsp. salt, one (15-ounce) can of pumpkin, and the equivalent of one egg use egg replacer (such as Ener-G). Process until well blended.

Spoon into the crust.

In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons chopped hazelnuts, 2 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger and 2 tablespoons organic brown sugar. Sprinkle evenly over the pumpkin mixture.

Bake in the oven at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Cool for at least 20 minutes on a wire rack before slicing into it.

Divide the pie into 10 slices. Serve each slice with 1/3 cup vanilla soy ice cream (my favorite is the fruit-sweetened Vanilla Soy Delicious from Turtle Mountain: www.turtlemountain.com) - Each serving is 300 calories.

Cost:
pre-made pie crust $3.00
silken tofu $2.19
soy milk $1.69
canned pumpkin $0.99
egg replacer $6.29
hazelnuts $6.99
crystallized ginger $5.99
vanilla soy ice cream $3.69