GRAPEFRUIT GINGERSNAP PIE

This tangy Grapefruit Gingersnap Pie is a riff on my popular CRANBERRY GINGERSNAP PIE, which was just too good to let alone ~ this sunny mid-winter dessert wows everybody!

This pie starts with an unusual gingersnap walnut crumb crust ~ it’s sweet and spicy at the same time, and so good that I’m always on the lookout for an excuse to make one.  It’s just as easy to make as a regular crumb crust, but the flavor is so much better.

I pat the crust into my pie plate with a light hand, I like the textural quality of a ragged top edge, and I don’t want the crust to be too compacted, but that’s a personal choice.  I bake it for a few minutes to set it, and that’s all the oven time this pie requires.

Grapefruit Gingersnap Pie Recipe
This tangy Grapefruit Gingersnap Pie is a riff on my popular CRANBERRY GINGERSNAP PIE, which was just too good to let alone ~ this sunny mid-winter dessert wows everybody!

Ingredients
Crust

• 5 ounces gingersnaps
• 1 cup walnuts
• 3 Tbsp brown sugar
• 4 Tbsp butter, melted

Filling

• 1 cup sugar
• 4 Tbsp cornstarch
• pinch of salt
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed pink or ruby red grapefruit juice, (not bottled!) strained to remove seeds and pulp
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• tiny drop of pink gel food coloring
• 5 Tbsp butter, cut in 5 pieces

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Put the gingersnaps in a food processor and process until they are fine crumbs (This should be about a heaping cup, in case you're using ready made crumbs) Add the walnuts, and sugar and process again until everything is finely ground. Add the butter and process briefly to combine.
3. Pat the crust into a 9 inch pie plate, and up the sides. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Set aside to cool.
4. Put the sugar, cornstarch, salt, and egg yolks in a saucepan with a heavy bottom and whisk to combine and break up the yolks. Whisk in the juices and add the tiniest bit of food coloring to enhance the pink tone. Less is more when it comes to the coloring, and the pink will deepen as the curd thickens.
5. Heat the mixture on medium heat, whisking or stirring constantly, until it comes to a boil. Boil for one minute exactly (set the timer.)
6. Take off the heat and whisk in the butter pieces, the mixture will be thick and glossy.
7. Strain the curd though a mesh strainer if you like, the step is optional, but will remove any little bits of curdled egg. Fill the pie shell immediately, the curd will start to set fairly quickly.
8. Let cool and then refrigerate, uncovered, at least 4 hours to let it fully chill and firm up.

Recipe Adapted : GRAPEFRUIT GINGERSNAP PIE @ theviewfromgreatisland