Pumpkin pie with hazelnut crust

Ingredients:

crust:

1 3/4 cup + 1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted

1 cup almond flour

1/2 cup coconut oil, melted

pinch of salt

pie filling:

2 cups pumpkin puree

2/3 cup pure maple syrup or brown sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch or arrowroot

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon allspice

3/4 cup coconut milk

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

For the crust:

Place the 1 3/4 cups hazelnuts into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse several times, then grind the nuts up to a coarse meal. Should take about 3-4 minutes. You don’t want to blend too far or you’ll end up with hazelnut butter.

Place the hazelnut meal into a medium bowl, add to it the almond flour, coconut butter, and a pinch of salt, blend until everything is well incorporated.

Dump the nut mixture out into a 9-inch pie pan and start pressing, from the center out, with your fingers, until you have an even crust all the way around, set aside.

For the filling:

In a large bowl combine the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, cornstarch, vanilla, salt, and spices. Stir in the coconut milk until no white streaks are left behind. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the prepared pie crust.

Bake the pie in the center of the oven for about 1 hour (check after 50 minutes) or until the sides are completely set and the center jiggles only slightly when shaken lightly. Allow the pie to cool completely before cutting into. Pie can be made the night before and stored in the refrigerator. Right before serving coarsely chop the remaining hazelnuts and use for garnish. You can also top with whipped cream or creme fraiche.