It's important to keep Thanksgiving dinner a rich affair from start to finish.
That's why we decided to skip the usual pumpkin pie in favor of a thick mincemeat crumb-topped pie jammed with dried fruit, spices and citrus zest. The result is a dessert that is both lightly sweet and richly spicy. A hit of balsamic vinegar helps balance the natural sugars of the fruit.
To help with your holiday prep, this pie is easily made the day ahead. Let it come to room temperature before serving, or heat it briefly in the oven. Want to take it over the top? Add a dollop of whipped cream to each serving. Or if you serve it hot, try it with vanilla ice cream.
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CITRUS MINCEMEAT CRUMB PIE
Start to finish: 1 hour 15 minutes (15 minutes active)
Servings: 8
For the filling:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
2 Granny Smith or Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup currants
1/4 cup diced candied ginger
1 cup fresh cranberries
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground clove
Zest and juice of 1 orange
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
For the pie:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
Pinch of salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 prepared (raw) 9-inch pie crust
To make the filling, in a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the apples, raisins, currants, ginger, cranberries, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, orange and lemon zests and juices, brown sugar, vinegar and salt. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes. The mixture should be thick and jammy.
Heat the oven to 350 F.
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, orange zest, lemon zest and salt. Drizzle in the melted butter and stir. It should be crumbly.
If it isn't already in a pan, use the pie crust to line a 9-inch pie pan, then place that on a baking sheet. Spoon the prepared filling into the pie crust and smooth the top. Sprinkle the citrus crumb mixture evenly over the top. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the crust and topping are golden brown.
Nutrition information per serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 430 calories; 140 calories from fat (32 percent of total calories); 16 g fat (7 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 25 mg cholesterol; 72 g carbohydrate; 3 g protein; 4 g fiber; 240 mg sodium.