An interesting thought and recipe... Foodies, enjoy...

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Try pomegranate pumpkin pie to warm up cold autumn nights

The pomegranate is the original apple, or the "Indian apple" as it is commonly known, that spans a diverse worldwide popularity back to biblical days.

In fact, Adam and Eve were said to have taken a bite of this Asian-born fruit growing in the Garden of Eden, and not the European variety we so kindly identify as being the object used for man's first mortal sin.

So does that mean that Adam and Eve were also the first to bake an "apple" pie for Cain and Abel's school bake sales? It might, but instead of toting along the same pie that we know, the wayward couple would more likely have brought a pomegranate pastry.

The pomegranate has always been a winter fruit, its long life and practical rind making it the perfect stocking stuffer for whimsical holiday gifts. But now, the popularity of the pomegranate is growing.

Its sweet, unique taste and welcoming health benefits make it one of the most sought-after ingredients for winter recipes in the past two years.

Its sweet flavor, if captured, would certainly make a delicious dessert, but the big problem with the pomegranate is in its spindly flesh. It's hard to turn the watery yet seedy pulp into any sort of dessert, let alone a pie filling. So the easiest way to get all the flavor out of this fickle fruit, minus the mess, is to pair it up with something else.

The pomegranate pumpkin pie is a tasty duo of two of the autumn and winter seasons' favorite fruits.

Unlike your ordinary pumpkin pie, this filling is sweetened with the distinctive flavor of pomegranate juice, creating a lovely berry-like or grape-like essence that complements the rustic pumpkin spice flavor so well.

The pumpkin filling is a typical pumpkin custard filling, but strong with the flavor of pomegranate. Yet the crowning stroke of this pie is within its cream topping -- a sweet whipped cream fragrant with vanilla and laced with the tiniest bit of sweet pomegranate pulp, giving the cream a lovely rose color and just a hint of texture.

As the flavors of fall seep into your kitchen and cause the need for an apple pie, it would be a sin to give in to the temptation of the common apple. Choose the other fruit of the season, the pomegranate.

It's a new-fangled approach to a worn-out habit.

Pomegranate Pumpkin Pie

Servings: 1 9-inch pie

Pie

-- Juice from 2 large pomegranates (see Cook's note), or 1⁄2 cup POM Wonderful 100 percent Pomegranate Juice

-- 1 9-inch prepared pie crust

-- 3 large eggs

-- 11⁄2 cups pumpkin (14.5-oz. can)

-- 1⁄2 cup granulated sugar

-- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt

-- 1 teaspoon cinnamon

-- 1⁄2 teaspoon nutmeg

-- 1⁄2 teaspoon ginger

-- 1 cup heavy cream

To make pie: Prepare fresh pomegranate juice. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Beat eggs with a whisk in a medium-sized bowl. Add pumpkin and whisk to combine. Mix in granulated sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Stir in pomegranate juice and heavy cream. Pour into prepared pie crust. Bake 15 minutes.

Reduce oven heat to 375 degrees and bake 35 to 45 minutes, or until knife inserted comes out clean. Allow pie to cool two to three hours before cutting. Serve with whipped cream and arils if desired.

Cook's note: For a cup of juice, cut 2 to 3 large POM Wonderful Pomegranates in half and juice them with a citrus reamer or juicer. Pour the mixture through a cheesecloth-lined strainer or sieve. Set the juice aside.

Whipped Cream

-- 1⁄4 cup arils from 1 large pomegranate

-- 1 cup very cold heavy cream

-- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

-- 2 teaspoons vanilla

-- 1⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon

To make whipped cream: Score one fresh pomegranate and place in a bowl of water. Break open pomegranate under water to free arils (seed sacs). Arils will sink to bottom of bowl and membrane will float to top. Sieve and put arils in a separate bowl. Reserve one cup arils from fruit and set aside. (Refrigerate or freeze remaining arils for another use.)

In a medium-sized bowl, beat heavy cream with a wire whisk or electric mixer until slightly thickened. Add powdered sugar, vanilla and cinnamon, and whip until mixture doubles in volume and soft peaks form. Gently fold in arils. Serve immediately.

-- Source: POM Wonderful, www.pomwonderful.com

Labels: Food